This bill which was originally intended to create a commission to mitigate systemic racism in Vermont, was passed out of Senate Government Operations as a funded AND independent body (5-0). Now it is up to Senate Appropriations to approve the funding and they need to do it quick! They will get the bill on the 13th and Appropriations cross-over is on the 16th of March! There is little if any time to delay!
This could likely be the most important bill that the Senate passes this session. Please ask Senate Appropriations to immediately fund and pass S.281 out of Committee. Please pass this call to action to EVERYONE on your mailing list.
- Call the Statehouse and leave a message for Senators, Kitchel, Nitka, Sears, Starr, McCormack, Ashe, Westman and Balint with S.281 in the subject line, asking that the committee “immediately fund and pass S.281 out of Senate Appropriations Committee.”
- Please send an email to this address vermont-senate-appropriations@googlegroups.com, requesting that they “immediately fund and pass S.281 out of Senate Appropriations Committee.” Make sure that S.281 is in the subject line.
- PLEASE submit any statements and testimony NOW! Include your name, your title, your organization, the date and the bill (S.281) on your statement or testimony. You can send them here: vermont-senate-appropriations@googlegroups.com
Here is the bill as voted out of senate Senate Government Operations. Here is the Coalition systemic racism research document and again the Q&A to verse you in the bill background and details.