National

From the Essex Community Justice Center:

Learn about the proposed women's correctional facility and re-entry center. Panelists include women's program providers in South Burlington correctional facility. 

The Essex Community Justice Center serves as a neutral facilitator of these upcoming community events. The in-person forum is a chance for Essex community members to hear from the program providers who offer services inside the current women’s correctional facility. The virtual webinar is an opportunity to ask questions about the local impacts of the present facility, as well as the proposed re-entry center project. These events are being hosted separate from the Town of Essex Planning Commission meetings where zoning and siting decisions may be considered.

For more information visit: www.essexcjc.org

From the Office of Senator Welch:

Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) hosts a press conference at Primary Care Health Partners in Williston to discuss how cuts in Medicare reimbursements have impacted small and independent health care providers and businesses already struggling to provide health care in rural communities. Senator Welch highlights his bipartisan Physician Fee Stabilization Act, which updates an outdated, decades-old policy that triggers harmful cuts to provider payments. He is joined by the Vermont Medical Society and Local Primary Care Providers.

From the Office of Senator Bernie Sanders:

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, Champlain Housing Trust (CHT), and other local housing leaders will come together this Friday, August 16, to celebrate breaking ground on the construction of new affordable housing and a veterans center in Burlington.

Sanders secured $1 million for the project through the FY2022 Congressionally Directed Spending process.

This funding will allow the CHT and the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ (VFW) Howard Plant Post 782 to redevelop the old VFW building into a new space that provides veterans services and permanently affordable housing to Vermonters – including apartments reserved for homeless veterans. The veterans service center will also expand programs to assist combat veterans with post-deployment reintegration, camaraderie, and navigating VA health care and benefits.

Senator Sanders is joined by Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak; Michael Monte, CEO of Champlain Housing Trust; Nancy Owens, President of Evernorth; Michelle Caver, Post Commander and Service Officer, VFW Post 782; Rev. Mark Hughes, VFW Post 782; and local leaders.

From FreeHer VT:

We are calling on community members to join us on Monday August 12 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM in Burlington for a noise demonstration calling on local architects to drop out of designing a new women's prison in Vermont!

In these times of suffering, the state should be extremely cautious about how they allocate community resources. Yet, there has been no indication of postponing or canceling the upcoming women’s prison project, which is currently estimated to cost over $70 million. In fact, the Department of Corrections plans to announce the site of the new women’s prison before the end of the summer! In response, FreeHer is preparing to take action so please stay tuned and be ready to plug in!

The first step we are taking is to urge the subcontractor, Freeman French Freeman, to drop the contract! FFF is the local architectural firm contracted to design the women's prison. They have been unresponsive to our communications and requests for meetings, so we are going to make some noise outside of their office in Burlington!

Join us to pressure Freeman French Freeman to DROP THE CONTRACT.

We will be protesting outside Freeman French Freeman on August 12th from 11am-1pm, the local architectural firm contracted to design the new prison, to urge them to withdraw from the project. We will have speakers, music, activities, and more. Please bring pots, pans, instruments, or any noise makers you'd like. 

For more information visit: www.freehercampaign.org/vermont