Three things: we’re celebrating legislative victories, inviting you to VECAN’s Spring Summit, and seeking Art Gibb Award nominations.
Stay informed, connected, and engaged—three things.
Celebrating State House Victories
It’s the final week of the legislative session and lawmakers have been working tirelessly to move several critical climate and environmental protection bills across the finish line. Thank you to everyone who has been staying engaged, letting their legislators know these issues matter, and supporting VNRC as we advocate for Vermont’s natural resources. Here are some updates on a few of our key policies this session:
- H.126, an act relating to community resilience and biodiversity protection, was advanced by the Senate with a 20-7 vote on second reading. It then returned to the House Committee on Environment and Energy for concurrence with a Senate amendment, and was unanimously advanced on an 11-0 vote. Read more about what we and partners had to say about the Senate vote here.
- S.5, the Affordable Heat Act, was unfortunately, yet expectedly, vetoed by Governor Scott last week. The Vermont Senate voted Tuesday to override the Governor’s veto on a strong 20-10 vote, and the House is expected to vote on whether to override the veto later today. Read more about what we and partners had to say about the Senate override vote here.
- S.100, an act relating to housing opportunities for everyone, was voted out of the House on Tuesday afternoon with a vote of 135-11. The bill is now headed back to the Senate for concurrence. Learn more about what we and Vermont Conservation Voters had to say about the House vote here.
VECAN Spring Summit – Saturday, June 3rd at Middlebury College
Vermont Energy & Climate Action Network (VECAN) is excited to invite community energy leaders to reconvene in-person at the 2023 Spring Summit, which will be on Saturday, June 3rd from 9am-1pm at Middlebury College. Vermont is in a moment of great urgency when it comes to climate and tremendous opportunity when it comes to unprecedented federal funding – so VECAN is excited to reconnect and seize the opportunity together. Learn more and RSVP to join VECAN on June 3rd here. We hope to see you there!
We’re Looking for Art Gibb Award Nominations
Do you know a Vermont resident who has made a lasting contribution to their community, region or state by helping to integrate smart growth principles and conservation practices? VRNC is seeking nominations for the 2023 Art Gibb Award for Individual Leadership recipient! The award will be given to an individual whose leadership, vision and courage has brought about positive and lasting change in the way their community or our state integrates growth and conservation. The deadline for submissions is June 1, 2023. Learn more about how to nominate someone you know here.