Today’s episode

In this week’s Climate Dispatch, we are joined by Rep. Selene Colburn, the leader of the House Progressive Caucus and a member of the legislature’s Climate Solutions Caucus leadership team.

Rep. Colburn shares her view on the importance of – and strategic moment for – a significant investment in climate action in the FY 2022 budget, bolstered by the over $1 billion in federal American Rescue Plan dollars.

The House and Senate Appropriations Conference Committee’s work is now underway, aimed at soon finalizing and voting upon next year’s budget. It’s our hope that the Legislature makes a serious commitment to climate; on par with the scale of the need – and the opportunity.

Call to action

Please call or email your Senators and Representative(s) today and ask them to support a $200 million commitment to climate action in the budget. Both the House and Senate-passed versions of the budget included expanded investments in weatherization, low-income renewable energy projects and more. And the Senate-passed version included $100 million for implementation of the ensuing Climate Action Plan, as required by the Global Warming Solutions Act.

This influx of federal dollars presents a tremendous opportunity that Vermont must not pass up to invest in job creating, health-improving, equity-enhancing climate solutions!