Welcome back to the Climate Dispatch! 

Last week, you heard about Republican leadership efforts in the Vermont Senate and House of Representatives to roll back fundamental provisions of the Global Warming Solutions Act and the Vermont Renewable Energy Standard. Just as we expected, senate Republicans forced a vote on the floor this past Tuesday in an attempt to bypass the committee process and gut our landmark climate laws. 

Thanks to the solidarity of the Democratic and Progressive senators and thanks to YOU, this effort failed. We asked you to contact your senators and you responded: the 500 calls to the State House and hundreds of emails you generated worked! 

Today’s episode

On today’s episode, we speak with Sen. Becca White (D-Windsor District), Assistant Senate Majority Leader and Ben Edgerly Walsh, VPIRG’s Climate and Energy Program Director, to discuss the groundswell effort from hundreds of activists across Vermont to prevent these rollbacks by demanding their senators vote NO. We also hear from Ben about S.65, a bill to evolve Efficiency Vermont’s mission to make its top focus cutting carbon pollution and increasing affordability.

Call to Action

Please call your senator to thank them if they voted NO on the Vermont Senate’s efforts to roll back the Global Warming Solutions Act and Renewable Energy Standard! As a result of your calls and emails, the Republicans’ efforts failed with a 13-17 vote on the senate floor. Check the tally sheet here to see how your senator voted, and find their contact information at this link. 

Thank you for ALL you do!

Johanna Miller & Dan Fingas

Vermont Natural Resources Council 

Vermont Conservation Voters

P.S. Town Meeting Day is coming up this Tuesday, March 4th! Be ready with a plan to vote and make your voice heard in your community. Click here to check your registration status with the Secretary of State’s office before heading to the polls, and check your polling location here.