Building Power Together
We’re halfway through the 2023 Vermont State Legislative session. The Legislature calls this point “crossover,” since it’s the deadline for bills to cross over to the other chamber. Here’s what RAD has been fighting for this session and what we are excited to see moving!
This 2023 Vermont Town Meeting Day, our movement delivered some big wins!
Add your voice to show solidarity with the demands of Keene’s unhoused community, and support the call for Mayor Hansel and Keene’s City Council to fully listen and respond!
This morning, the Vermont House failed to override Governor Scott’s recent veto of Burlington’s proposed Just Cause Eviction charter change by just one vote. We at Rights & Democracy are deeply disappointed by and angry about this loss for tenants, especially low-income and BIPOC residents who are most impacted by housing injustice, during a time in which secure housing is in short supply and rents are spiking.
A bill that would have enabled the distribution of $100 million in federal funds to increase the availability of affordable housing in New Hampshire recently stalled in the House. Rights & Democracy’s Housing for All Committee responds to the impact this will have in our ongoing fight to ensure all Granite State residents have safe and secure housing:
Spring at Rights & Democracy has been off to a moving start. In our calls, conversations, and meetings across the state, there is a palpable sense of energy and renewal.
Last week was full of movement and community, and we are entering Monday with our energy high. What better way to celebrate Earth Day than calling on elected leaders to take action now for a livable planet for us all?
As we enter mid-April, we are enjoying the first blooms of spring and celebrating recent wins in the work for a just Vermont in which we all can flourish. To name just a couple…
March was a huge month for Rights & Democracy, one of immense presence and power. Two weeks ago, I was in DC to stand alongside 10 powerful RAD leaders and Black women-led progressive organizations from across the country in support of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson at the Supreme Court confirmation hearings.
Last week, a RAD-supported healthcare access bill PASSED in the House! This week, two priority healthcare bills will be heard, in the House Health and House Finance Committees. Read on to learn how to take action!
This last week was a tough one, with the House Legislature passing bad bills including HB 1266, an anti-sanctuary bill, HB 1476, undoing bail reform, and HB 1393, relating to school district budget caps. The New Hampshire Legislature also decided to pass a resolution in support of Israel, even though they should not be taking on international issues. This resolution will now go to the Senate.
Thank you for taking the time each week to contact committee members and your legislators. By doing your part, you are making a real difference for housing, healthcare, racial justice, and more in the Granite State.
Thank you to everyone who supported online, through letters or in person last week when the House heard testimony on key bills to repeal divisive concepts. You can read about the hearing here. They did not vote on a recommendation for these bills yet so you can still write to the House Education committee and demand they support HB 1090 and HB 1576.
This week, two more bills related to divisive concepts will be heard; we are asking people to register their opposition online or go in person to testify.
Following the start of the New Hampshire legislative session, this is our first weekly legislative update of 2022. With last year’s assaults on public education, reproductive rights, racial justice and more, we are preparing for some challenging fights ahead, and we can’t do it without you!
I hope you are taking a moment this week to slow down and enjoy the view; we are all feeling deeply how much is at stake right now, and have been showing up in so many ways to shift the political landscape. Be gentle with yourself, and let’s take inspiration from all the powerful work we did together in September.
Housing is a basic need. We are working to ensure that everyone in Vermont is guaranteed affordable, safe, equitable, and healthy housing. Please join us.