This week, the Vermont Legislature continued working on a range of VCV priority issues, including weatherization, clean transportation, and wetland protections.
Meanwhile, the Vermont Climate Council is still accepting nominations for participants on its Subcommittees, where a lot of the important work will be done to develop the state’s Climate Action Plan. Click here to find the form where you can nominate yourself or someone else – nominations are due tonight, 2/12, by 9pm!
VERMONT UPDATES
This week at the State House, testimony and committee discussions continued on a range of VCV priority issues.
On climate change, the Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Energy Committee continued taking testimony on an effort to dramatically expand weatherization. If you want to learn more, check out this 20-minute Issue Briefing on Weatherization from Johanna Miller of VNRC, Dan Reilly of VEIC, and Ludy Biddle of Neighborworks of Western Vermont. Testimony also continued on clean transportation solutions, another VCV priority.
Click here to watch this week’s Climate Dispatch video where we talked with Jane Lazorchak, the new Executive Director of the Vermont Climate Council, who will be working to keep that important process on track.
Last week, the Senate voted to oppose the Act 250 Executive Order (EO) issued by Gov. Scott, which would have restructured the Natural Resources Board. VCV supports the Senate’s action, believing changes to Act 250 should be made through the legislative process. On another front, the House Natural Resource, Fish Wildlife Committee took testimony from the Fish and Wildlife Department on enhancing their authority to bill for their time participating on wildlife related issues in Act 250, which VCV supports. We continue to monitor for other Act 250 action, and will be working to ensure that any Act 250 updates taken up by the Legislature this year will help support healthy forests and sustainable outdoor recreation, protect river corridors, and better integrate planning and equity and diversity principles.
Testimony continued in the House on bill (H.108) that will help protect wetlandsby clarifying that they are addressed in Vermont’s water laws, and by requiring that projects with large wetland impacts undergo a rigorous analysis and avoid impacts when alternatives exist. VCV supports this bill because it would allow Vermont to prohibit impacts to large areas of significant wetlands.
We are also working to ensure Vermont maintains a healthy democracy. The Senate Government Operations Committee continued testimony on implementing universal mail-in voting for general elections in Vermont.
Importantly, various committees are also taking testimony about funding proposals in the Governor’s budget that VCV supports. Click here to read our statement about the proposed budget, which includes strategic investments in a variety of climate and clean energy programs, our downtown and working lands, and other priority programs that we will be urging the Legislature to fund this year.