Systemic Racism Equity Commission Heating up in Vermont House and Senate

Mark Hughes

Senate Government Operations: PASS S.281 out of Committee as a FUNDED Independent Commission

All,

Please ask Senate Government Operations to pass S.281 out of Committee as a FUNDED INDEPENDENT Systemic Racism Mitigation Commission.  Senate Government Operations has had S.281 since January 3rd“  Now is not the time for analysis paralysis on forming a commission to address systemic racism mitigation.

Senate Government Operations continues to flirt with ideas like placing the commission under the Governor’s Office; in the Governor’s Office as an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; in the Human Rights Commission’s Office.  None of these options will give the Commission the independence autonomy required to focus on SYSTEMIC RACISM MITIGATION.  There will be another hearing on Wednesday, February 21st at 2:00 PM.  Come out with us to ask that this vital legislation be voted out of Committee.

  1. Please pass this call to action to EVERYONE on your mailing list.
  2. SHOW UP on Wednesday! and bring your #racialjusticereformvt placard
  3. Please call the Statehouse and leave a message for Senators, White, Clarkson, Ayer, Pearson, Balint and Ashe (with S.281 in the subject line) asking that the committee “use the amendment offered by the coalition and supported and vote S.281 out of Senate Government Operations as a FUNDED INDEPENDENT Commission” 802.828.2228
  4. Please send an email to this address vermont-senate-government-operations@googlegroups.com requesting the bill be “use the amendment offered by the coalition and supported by the sponsor AND vote S.281 out of Senate Government Operations as a FUNDED INDEPENDENT Commission” (please place S.281 in the subject line)

Here is the bill as introduced and the proposed amendment that the coalition and bill sponsor are putting forward.  Here is the Coalition systemic racism research document and again the  Q&A  to S.281 to verse you in the bill background and details.

House Government Operations: PASS H.868 out of
Committee as a FUNDED Independent Commission 

The House Judiciary, on the advice of Representative Christie chose NOT TO TAKE UP H.868.  Their reasoning was that they wanted to “wait and see what comes over from the Senate”, with crossover less than a month away and the real potential of the bill returning to House Judiciary for additional work!  The bill is now in House Government Operations.   This bill (also submitted by the Racial Justice Reform Coalition, largely reflects our intent but our last proposed revisions missed the deadline.  We’d like to discuss and debate these proposed amendments but we can’t do it unless the bill is taken up.   Help us get the bill out of Committee as a FUNDED INDEPENDENT Commission! 

  1. Please pass this call to action to EVERYONE on your mailing list.
  2. Please call the Statehouse and leave a message for Representatives, Townsend, LaClair, Kitzmiller, Brumsted, Devereux, Gannon, Gardner, Harrison, Lewis, Toleno, Weed, Korwinski and Speaker Johnson to “take up, amend and vote H.868 out of House Judiciary as a FUNDED INDEPENDENT Commission” 802.828.2228
  3. Please send an email to this address vermont-house-government-operations@googlegroups.com requesting them to “take up, amend and vote H.868 out of House Government Operations as a FUNDED INDEPENDENT Commission”( please place H.868 in the subject line).

Here is the Coalition systemic racism research document and the  Q&A on H.868 to verse you in the bill background and details.

Please print this placard and bring it with you on the day of testimony