democracy

From the Office of Senator Welch:

Last night I gave my first major speech on the Senate floor. This is a Senate tradition that allows every new Senator the opportunity to lay out their vision for how Congress can better serve all Americans. I shared my deep love for Vermont and the people that make the Green Mountain State so special. Never has the pride I feel for Vermont been stronger than right now, as neighbors come together to help each other recover from the recent flooding. I spoke about what we all share in the Senate, regardless of party affiliation: the deep respect for the folks we have the honor of representing. And I asked this question: If we share this deep respect for our constituents who all need the same things—access to good health care and affordable child care, good-paying jobs—why can’t we make more progress on these key issues? Why are we so divided?

We face two major challenges: First: Our democracy is more imperiled right now than at any time since the Civil War. Second: Working and middle-class Americans have been treading water economically for the past 40 years. Top-down economic policies have failed them. Democracy depends on trust. It also depends on results. If conditions stagnate for working Americans and they fall further behind, their trust in democracy will erode. And we need democracy to ensure that working families have a seat at the table. My years of service—as a community organizer in Chicago, as a State Senator in Vermont, as your Representative in the House—have taught me that democracy is more than an ideal we strive for; it's the tool we use to make meaningful differences in the lives of people we love and in the lives of people we may never meet. There are so many challenges facing our country right now. But like Vermonters know, we can succeed if we work together.   

PSA Version: Tom Little, Special Master of the Vermont Apportionment Board, explains why Legislative Redistricting is important and how the public can influence the distribution of House and Senate candidates and districts across Vermont.

With the delay of the 2020 U.S. Census data, the Apportionment Board must work fast to develop legislative district maps for local leaders to respond to and submit final recommendations to the Legislature for approval in early 2022.

The public is asked to weigh in on key questions:

- What is more important: making sure the populations in each district are as close to equal as possible, or allowing larger (within constitutional guidelines) differences in populations to maintain district lines closer to the status quo?

- Should your legislative district lines conform to town and/ or county boundary lines?

- Do you prefer single member house districts (one representative per a House district of around 4,300) or two member districts (two representatives in a single house district of around 8,600 people)?

- Do you prefer single member senate districts (one senator per senate district of around 21,500 people), or multi-member senate districts (two or three senators in a single district of around 43,000 or 64,500 people)?

Let the Legislative Apportionment Board know your views on these questions and on other factors you wish them to consider as they draw up proposed legislative district lines by emailing Board members at their addresses posted on the Board’s website (sos.vermont.gov/apportionment-board/contact-the-board), participating in monthly online meetings (sos.vermont.gov/apportionment-board), or mailing a letter c/o the Secretary of State’s office (Legislative Apportionment Board, 128 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05633-1101).

This is a critical exercise in our representative democracy. It happens only every 10 years – don’t miss out on it!

Tom Little, Special Master of the Vermont Apportionment Board, explains why Legislative Redistricting is important and how the public can influence the distribution of House and Senate candidates and districts across Vermont.

With the delay of the 2020 U.S. Census data, the Apportionment Board must work fast to develop legislative district maps for local leaders to respond to and submit final recommendations to the Legislature for approval in early 2022.

The public is asked to weigh in on key questions:

- What is more important: making sure the populations in each district are as close to equal as possible, or allowing larger (within constitutional guidelines) differences in populations to maintain district lines closer to the status quo?

- Should your legislative district lines conform to town and/ or county boundary lines?

- Do you prefer single member house districts (one representative per a House district of around 4,300) or two member districts (two representatives in a single house district of around 8,600 people)?

- Do you prefer single member senate districts (one senator per senate district of around 21,500 people), or multi-member senate districts (two or three senators in a single district of around 43,000 or 64,500 people)?

Let the Legislative Apportionment Board know your views on these questions and on other factors you wish them to consider as they draw up proposed legislative district lines by emailing Board members at their addresses posted on the Board’s website (sos.vermont.gov/apportionment-board/contact-the-board), participating in monthly online meetings (sos.vermont.gov/apportionment-board), or mailing a letter c/o the Secretary of State’s office (Legislative Apportionment Board, 128 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05633-1101).

This is a critical exercise in our representative democracy. It happens only every 10 years – don’t miss out on it!

In this third episode of Our Democracy, based on Rick Hubbard's lifetime of research, moderator Alex LaVin and Rick outline effective reform initiatives on the horizon for a constitutional republic whose representative legitimacy is in a long-brewing, deeply rooted crisis.

Host: Alex LaVin, Literate Commoner

Guest: Rick Hubbard, Democracy Activist