Photo: Will Greer
When I was 23, fresh out of college, I chose to run for the Vermont Legislature. I had no clue what I was really doing, but looking back now and having worked in several election cycles since, that’s pretty common for a first time candidate. With a citizen legislature your job is to represent the people and while knowing the issues and the process thoroughly can certainly be a benefit, it’s not a prerequisite.
But after talking to Rep. Will Greer, the newly elected legislator for the Bennington-2 district representing the town of Bennington, it was clear to me that he does indeed know what he’s doing.
It makes sense. Only a few years into adulthood (he turned 22 just recently) he’s already served on the Community Policing Advisory Review Board, ran for High Bailiff of Bennington County, was elected Justice of the Peace, and served as Secretary of the Vermont Democratic Party.
In this week’s episode of the Democracy Dispatch Podcast, I chat with Rep. Greer about his motivations for entering politics, the challenges of being a young representative, and the importance of youth representation in government.
And later in the episode, we reveal our champ and chump of the week. We applaud Sen. Alison Clarkson (D-Windsor) for her remarks in a joint hearing on the Scott Administration’s sweeping proposals to weaken Act 181 (last year’s reforms to Act 250, Vermont’s land use law). And we share disappointing remarks from Agency of Natural Resources secretary, Julie Moore, on her agency’s motivations to dismantle the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) and the Climate Superfund Act.
With President Trump withdrawing the United States from the Paris Climate Accords (again) and Governor Scott threatening to weaken GWSA, we’ve signed on to a webinar that combines experts, advocates and attorneys from Conservation Law Foundation and other climate coalition organizations to present an overview of what inspired the law and its key provisions. These decisions endanger the health, safety and finances of Vermont families and communities. Join this introductory-level briefing on the GWSA and learn why it is so important to Vermonters’ pocketbooks. There will also be opportunities to ask your questions. You can register for the webinar here.
In other news, join us tomorrow (Feb 4) at noon for Transit Equity Day. We’ll be joining partners from the Sierra Club and 350 Vermont on Rosa Parks’s birthday to bring together voices from Green Mountain Transit, the Vermont Center for Independent Living, and those impacted by lack of transit. The event will focus on enhancing accessibility and affordability for transportation in Vermont.
Next week, I’ll be examining Governor Scott and his anti-environment actions and seemingly unwavering popularity with senior strategist Tom Hughes, of VPIRG.
Until then, thanks for listening,
Justin Marsh, Political Director
Vermont Conservation Voters
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