Legislative

Host Bobby Lussier, CCTV's Development Director, speaks with Marcie Gallagher, former Environmental Advocate at VPIRG, Anika Heilweil, Fund Vermont’s Future Campaign Manager at Public Assets Institute, and Julie Lowell, Policy Analyst at Public Assets Institute, about grassroot advocates lobbying for legislation at the Statehouse this session. Topics covered include toxics in cosmetic bills and the wealth tax.

To contact your local representative, you can find their contact information on the State's website. 

For more information visit: www.vpirg.org | www.publicassets.org

From the Office of Senator Bernie Sanders:

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), holds a roundtable discussion about the rising costs of health care in Vermont on Friday, May 31 at 2:00 p.m. in Burlington.

Friday’s meeting comes as BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont (BCBSVT) and MVP Health Plan, Inc. (MVP) – the only insurers that sell health plans on Vermont’s state marketplace – filed proposed rate increases for premiums in the coming year with the Green Mountain Care Board. If approved, the increases would be between 9 and 19 percent. The proposals, which are currently under review, would take effect in January 2025.

Guests include Don George, President and CEO of BCBSVT; Steve Leffler, President and COO of the University of Vermont Medical Center; Owen Foster, Chair of the Green Mountain Care Board; Gina Akley, President of Trow and Holden; and Jeff McKee, CEO of Community Health Centers of Burlington.

From the Office of Senator Welch:

Senator Peter Welch hosts a Listening Session in Winooski with community members and local leaders to discuss the progress Congress and the Biden-Harris Administration has made in advancing economic opportunity in rural America, and what more needs to be done to make our communities more affordable, our businesses more successful, and our families healthier and safer.

Senator Welch, Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy, is working to advance efforts to expand access to affordable housing, combat the overdose crisis, build out broadband, and lower health care and energy costs. The Senate’s recently unveiled Farm Bill, the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act, includes several priorities for rural communities championed by Senator Welch that strengthen Vermont’s farms, rural communities, and families.   

From the Office of Senator Welch:

On Friday, Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) convenes Vermont business owners and employers to discuss the rising costs of health care and prescription drugs. The roundtable comes ahead of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing examining prescription drug prices, competition, and innovation, and how to ensure medications are accessible and affordable for Americans.

Senator Welch has championed initiatives to lower prescription drug prices for Vermonters. This year, Senator Welch led the introduction of new bipartisan, bicameral legislation to streamline prescription drug patent litigation, encourage fair market competition, and lower prescription drug prices.