You don’t have to be paying close attention to notice that our state treasurer, Mike Pieciak, is seemingly everywhere. Whether you’re scrolling on socials, at a community event, watching the news, or cleaning out your inbox – Treasurer Pieciak is omnipresent. Just last week, we stood with him at a press conference in the State House as he unveiled his newest initiative – Vermont Green FC specialty license plates – which would add funding for climate action and outdoor recreation. As Vermonters, he’s good to have by our side, especially when we start talking about affordability in this state, a term that’s as inescapable as the Treasurer himself.
As I was preparing for our conversation – his return to the podcast – it was refreshing to really see the many things he and his office have done to make Vermont more economically viable. While the Governor takes every opportunity to rail against the legislature and mention the affordability crisis, Treasurer Pieciak is actually using his platform to provide solutions with results. On this week’s Democracy Dispatch podcast, we discuss those very solutions and the relationship with climate resiliency.
Also on the episode, I give updates on bills that would reduce chloride use, establish a state Voting Rights Act, limit data center presence, and more.