A.C.T Updates and Call To Action

Our comprehensive strategy referred to as A.C.T., a package of policy proposals created by the Alliance to guide Vermont in “Acknowledging and reconciling historic systems of racism, Creating new structures for American Descendants of Slavery (ADOS) economic and cultural empowerment, and Transforming state systems to better serve ADOS Vermonters continues.

It is our hope that this page will be used to keep folks up to date on the progress on these policies and provide an ongoing call to action surrounding them.

We will keep an running update of our A.C.T. priorities for the 2022 legislative session here:

• Abolish Slavery – PR.2 – The Vermont constitution is the grandfather of all constitutional slavery (244 years) and this amendment is far more than symbolic. The exception clause in the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. The Constitution was modeled after Vermont’s constitution. Vermont doesn’t allow the federal government to tell us what to do when it comes to our values surrounding women’s reproductive rights, immigration and cannabis. We can’t allow them to tell us that slavery as defined in the exception clasue of the 13th amendment is OK either. We must finish the work that we started last Biennium and bring an end to this crime against humanity in our state and in our nation. 
  
  Action:  Demand that this Proposal be immediately taken up and referred out to public hearing as required by the Vermont constitution. Call on the full House to pass PR.2 AND pass a joint resolution for application under the United States constitution to rescind and replace the 13th Amendment,
  
  Contact:
  House Government Operations Committee vermont-house-government-operations@googlegroups.com
  Find Your Representative  HERE
  
  
• Economic Equity – H.406 – Economic equity is at the heart of systemic racism.  Nearly a quarter of Black Vermonters still live in poverty and the median wealth of a black family is at 1/13th (and widening) of that of a white family. Please join us in requesting House General, Housing and Military Affairs to immediately take this bill up and place it as a top priority for testimony.
  
  Action:  Demand that this bill be immediately taken up and testimony begin. There must be a sense of urgency in addressing the economic impact of systemic racism.
  
  Contacts: House General, Housing and Military Affairs,
  vermont-house-general-housing-military-affairs@vtracialjusticealliance.org
  House Appropriations,
  vermont-house-appropriations@googlegroups.com
  Senate President Pro Temp Sen Becca Ballint, bbalint@leg.state.vt.us ,
  Speaker of the House, RepJilll Krowinski, jkrowinski@leg.state.vt.us
  
  
• Land and Home Equity – H.273 –  We all know that land and home ownership are the cornerstone of amassing generational wealth.  Yet while White people in Vermont own over 99 percent of farmland in Vermont and 71 percent of White Vermonters own homes (20 percent for Black folks are owners) a bill on land and home ownership sits in House General, Housing and Military Affairs. Why?  The Vermont Racial Justice Alliance stands with our partner organizations on this historic land and home ownership equity policy.
  
  Action:  Ask the House General, Housing and Military Affairs Committee to pass out favorably on this bill so we can move forward with the work of clearing obstacles for BIPOC generational wealth.
  
  Contacts: House General, Housing and Military Affairs, vermont-house-general-housing-military-affairs@vtracialjusticealliance.org
  Speaker of the House, Rep Jilll Krowinski, jkrowinski@leg.state.vt.us
  
  
• Cannabis Market Equity – H.414 – The Cannabis market is the first market to be created in Vermont since the acknowledgment of the existence of and the commitment to eradicate systemic racism. It is imperative that historical and ongoing economic oppression and exploitation of Black Americans be considered in every aspect of the development, rollout and regulation of this market.  This should include a Cannabis Development Fund, funded with integrated medical license fees; cannabis registration fund and 20% of revenues raised through cannabis excise tax (NTE 10M); a Community Social Equity Program, to directly address the impact of economic divestment, violence and historical overuse of criminal justice responses to community and individual needs; and, a Social Equity Program funded with the support and contributions of Conditional Integrated License Applicants on an annual basis.
  
  Action:  Ask the Speaker and House Government Operations Committee to immediately refer H.414 to another House committee to enable immediate deliberation on this policy as the cannabis market emerges next year.
  
  Contacts: Speaker of the House, Rep Jilll Krowinski, jkrowinski@leg.state.vt.us
  House Government Operations Committee vermont-house-government-operations@googlegroups.com
  
  
• Reparations Task Force – H.387 – Our demands are intentional.  We asked for a reparations task force last Biennium with H.478.  No action was taken in House Government Operations. Burlington, Vermont launched a Reparations Task Force late last year!  Vermont has an obligation to address this crime against humanity by empowering a task force to research Vermont’s role and determine if an apology or reparations proposal is in order.  In order to do so, we need the  House General, Housing and Military Affairs Committee to take up H.387.
  
  Action:  Ask the House General, Housing and Military Affairs Committee to take up H.387 and call for testimony.
  
  Contacts: Speaker of the House, Rep Jilll Krowinski, jkrowinski@leg.state.vt.us
  House General, Housing and Military Affairs, vermont-house-general-housing-military-affairs@vtracialjusticealliance.org

Thank you for supporting the work of the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance!

Vermont Racial Justice Alliance Leadership and Team