Legislative Update - take action!
H.849 - A civil action for damages for interference with State or federal constitutional rights by any government official. This bill allows individual Vermonters whose constitutional rights have been violated by law enforcement at any level (state, local, federal) to sue for damages in state court. If found guilty, the violator could be subject to monetary damages. It's a novel idea, but a similar bill was passed in Illinois and is under consideration in California, New York and elsewhere. The Vermont bill was passed by the House, but needs to get through the Senate Judiciary Committee next. Reach out to them now!
Chair Nader Hashim (NHashim@leg.state.vt.us)
Robert Norris (RNorris@leg.state.vt.us)
Tanya Vyhovsky (Tvyhovsky@leg.state.vt.us)
Philip Baruth (pbaruth@leg.state.vt.us)
Christopher Mattos (CMattos@leg.state.vt.us).
Perhaps something like this:
Dear Senator [***Last Name***],
I'm writing to urge your support for H.849 allowing Vermonters whose constitutional rights nave been violated by a government official to sue that official in state court. This bill provides an important and valuable resource to counter the recent abuses by ICE and others and demonstrates your commitment to the rights of Vermonters.
Thank you for all your good work.
[***Your Name***]
[***Your Town***]
The Governor's Institutes of Vermont Global Issues and Youth Activism Institute is supporting, strengthening, and stretching the young leaders we need today to fight back against oligarchy and authoritarianism. Know a High School student who wants to network and strengthen their activism skills? Applications for the summer Institute are due March 31. https://giv.org/summer-institutes/global-issues-youth-activism/
Hope from Minnesota
As Vermont begins it's own siege by masked federal thugs, it is important to learn from the experiences of those who went before us. This 13 minute video tells how ordinary citizens built the resistance that made Trump back down. It is hopeful and instructive and highly recommended.
"He who does not bellow the truth when he knows the truth makes himself the accomplice of liars and forgers." - Charles Peguy, poet and essayist (1873-1914)
