Blog


4/16/2023

Tax Day, April Showers, and Youth Action

Tax Day! I recently came across these lines from one of the first newsletters I sent out, just prior to my first session in the legislature:


4/3/2023

Passing The House Budget

Every year, we take up the annual Budget Adjustment Act (BAA), which is generally a “true-up” of the current fiscal year’s budget. The bill also directs any additional and available funds to support one-time needs on priorities that cannot wait for the deliberations and passage of the next state fiscal year’s budget. (Vermont’s fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30.)


3/4/2023

Bills on the Floor

In the last couple weeks we’ve started to see bills coming to the floor! For every bill I tell you about, there are at least two others that I’m not going into detail on. If you want to track everything passing the house you can head here https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/passed/2024, but here are some of my favorites that are now headed to the Senate:


2/2/2023

February Newsletter

Tomorrow (Monday) I’m going to join leadership from the Agency of Natural Resources and the Agency of Commerce for a brief event at Glen Park (59 Glen Street, Brattleboro, VT.) to celebrate the investments we’ve begun in our state’s mobile home infrastructure.


1/18/2023

Start of 2023-24 Session

The session started on Wednesday with a great deal of ceremony and collegiality. We have almost a third of the legislature coming in with fresh, and it is such a pleasure to see their awe and inspiration and help them find their way.


12/31/2022

2023–2024 Legislative Biennium

The 2023–2024 legislative biennium begins on Wednesday, January 4 with a swearing-in ceremony at the Vermont statehouse. Speaker Jill Krowinski will announce committee assignments for all members that day.


11/25/2022

Preparing for 2022 Session

The legislative session starts on January 3rd and I’m attending meetings daily to get ready. The county delegation is meeting with community partners. I’m caucusing with fellow democrats to identify our priorities and share stories from the off-session.


11/9/2022

Election Results

The results are in! Thank you for the incredible community support and the opportunity to serve our corner of Brattleboro for another two years.


10/25/2022

Two Weeks Until Elections

Two weeks left until election day! You can still vote by mail, drop off your ballot in the drop-box at the town offices, or come join me at the polls on November 8th at the American Legion.


10/6/2022

The Ballots are Out!

Early voting has begun and ballots have been delivered to each registered Vermont voter. We have a whole month to sit with these bubbles and boxes and consider our decisions.


8/29/2022

Thank You for Voting!

Thank you for turning out to vote in record breaking numbers and thank you for electing me the Democratic nominee for Windham 7 (West Brattleboro.) This was an incredible primary election season with new candidates elected for the majority of statewide posts and new folks on the ballot for our Windham County senate seat!


7/24/2022

A Voting Guide

We have a lot of choices in this year’s primary (ending on August 9th.) But this isn’t just about voting or the single moment in the ballot box— I’m hoping that this election cycle is an opportunity to talk about policy, to hold ourselves accountable to dreaming, to tell each other stories about our lives.


6/12/2022

Election Season 2022

This election season, and particularly the primaries, is a really exciting one! We have competitive races and new faces up and down the ballot in Vermont! Primary season is the time to push the conversation and ask tough questions.


4/23/2022

Tax Day 2022

Tax Day is here and Adjournment is in sight.

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind. We made it through crossover and we can see the legislation that needs to be carried for the next month to become law. My last newsletter and town meeting report covered most of the bills that are in the mix and you can find it on my website if you missed the email. Since the flurry of cross over bills, the floor has been quiet and House committees have been hard at work tackling legislation that the Senate sent over.


3/20/2022

Town Meeting Report 2022

We’re halfway through the 2022 legislative session! Our work officially began on January 4, with legislators working remotely to protect public health as the Omicron surge peaked. On January 18, we returned to the statehouse in hybrid mode, a very welcome shift. We’ve passed some significant legislation in these first two months, and while I’ve been sending weekly updates to folks on my mailing lists, this midpoint reflection provides some summative highlights. Work on key priorities will continue, across the House and in collaboration with the Senate, as we debate bills and consider investments prior to our anticipated May adjournment. It is an honor to serve as your state representatives. Please reach out anytime with ideas, questions and concerns.


3/1/2022

Town Meeting Day!

Town Meeting Day and WSESD Annual Meeting

Tuesday, March 1, 2022, 7am – 7pm

American Legion, 32 Linden St.


2/22/2022

The Work Is Adding Up.

Every week when I return home from Montpelier a new flower is blooming on one of our houseplants. I’m sure this is a metaphor for something.


2/14/2022

A Little Bit Of Love

Happy Valentine’s Day— I hope you found some time to treasure and be treasured yesterday. As I said to my son recently— it might all feel awkward and commercialized and mandatory but we don’t spend enough time in this life appreciating each other or eating chocolate, so why not take advantage of the opportunity when you have it!


2/7/2022

A Great Day For Democracy

Yesterday was an incredible day to serve.

We passed Proposition 5– The Reproductive Liberty Amendment which will head to the voters for a state-wide vote of affirmation in November. This is likely the most important vote I’ll make in my service as a legislator. My life, my service, and the steady love I feel for those around me, wouldn’t be possible without the reproductive freedoms I’ve experienced in my lifetime and those opportunities are becoming increasingly scarce in this county. Reproductive liberty— the ability to parent, or not, is foundational to Vermonters’ ability to participate— in our communities, the economy, and to care and build our families.


1/30/2022

Strategies for Saving Lives

Over the last week I’ve had the opportunity to talk to many advocates who work with folks statewide. Everyone has the immediate problem of their constituency right in front of them— housing prices, childcare, hiring challenges. Summary— things are hard all around right now and it’s challenging to get out of our own way of seeing when we have so few opportunities to gather. Sometimes the walls feel like they’re closing in on each of us and our scope narrows further. What is our government’s role in all this? Policies both fiscal and programmatic can make some more space, or close in the walls further— the child tax credit or family medical leave make space for families, while mandates without infrastructure or carceral solutions can close the walls in.


1/24/2022

Go Big Or Go Home

We just completed the third week of the session and the first week of hybrid legislating. Committees met in person and the “floor” was on zoom, though many people sat in the chamber with their computers. It was a surreal combination of velvet and the squeal of audio feedback loops, but I’m glad we’re taking steps towards working in person again. It was also the first time that my committee has ever met together in person. I was appointed to Ways and Means at the start of the pandemic during my first biennium, and then appointed vice-chair at the start of my second biennium, a year ago. It will be interesting to see how dynamics shift now that we’re in three dimensions.


1/16/2022

No Celebration Without Legislation

We’re heading back to in-person (hybrid) legislating this morning. I’m looking forward to all that I can learn being face-to-face or mask-to-mask with my colleagues. I’m looking forward to the focus that a changing context brings me. I’m looking forward to wearing fancy shoes again. I’m even looking forward to leaving my house and feeling the trepidation of working amidst mediocre public health policies so I can legislate with open eyes. It’s going to be a wild ride, and we’ve set up hybrid options so that anyone who needs to quarantine or isolate can still dial in and represent their constituents but it will be the first time that many committees have ever met in person. Our work will change as a result, and I’m curious about all of it.


1/9/2022

First Week Done

It’s getting a little scarier out there and also, somehow, more normal and that is somehow even scarier. [This is a hard time to be a parent](https://www.romper.com/parenting/here-we-go-again-omicron-edition), or to know a parent, or to work with kids, or to be a kid. It’s a hard time to be a teacher. Vermont schools are facing unprecedented challenges. As the Omicron variant surges, our state is experiencing the highest caseloads of the pandemic and this has significant impacts for our schools. At least half a dozen schools across the state closed one or more days last week and the Secretary of Education ended the week by announcing all existing testing/quarantine guidance would be thrown out the window.


1/3/2022

A New Year Of Legislation

Y’all, these are wild times we are living in. Wild times to be governing in, parenting in, loving in, and working in. As our case rates rise, I’m grateful for vaccines and tests and masks and new therapies. I’m scared and angry that we can’t always rise to the challenge— make our supply chains work for the people, protect employees, care for children. I’m hyper aware that I’m living through history, and overwhelmed by how monotonous and sad it often feels. I’ve been thinking about how we bring more joy and grief and rest into our lives in the midst of all this capitalism and disease. I’m trying to remember all the promise that so many of us felt at the beginning of the pandemic when we collectively paused and prioritized for a time.


11/21/2021

Case Counts and a Special Session

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that even fully vaccinated people wear masks in public indoor spaces where community transmission of the virus is “substantial or high.” Currently, roughly 85 percent of U.S. counties meet that threshold, which is defined as at least 50 new cases weekly per 100,000 residents. This includes every county in Vermont. Vermont has the seventh-highest case rate in the nation, up 70 percent over the last 14 days. Our hospitals and ICU units are at capacity, and our schools, students and families continue to suffer from the negative impact of ongoing quarantines. While our state once led the nation for its COVID response, we’re now breaking all the wrong records.


9/26/2021

Labor Day, Voting Rights, and Opportunities to Connect

This Tuesday, September 28th is National Voter Registration Day, and Democracy is feeling a big precarious. Please make sure you’re registered to vote. Vermonters can vote in person or by mail, and both incarcerated Vermonters and those with past records are eligible. You can even register to vote at the polls! Voting happens more often than once every four years, we have local elections, school board elections, and Vermont’s legislative elections. And the process doesn’t start and end at the ballot box— elections require organizing and elected leaders need both accountability and support.


8/22/2021

Summer Workload

Thank you to everyone who turned out for the dinner last Saturday, or even just thought of coming when the invite passed through your inbox. We celebrated making it through a difficult year, connected with old friends and new, and raised a pile of money for the House Democratic Campaign Committee. That’s the last you’ll hear from me on fundraising for a good long while but if you’re still interested in contributing— can I suggest becoming a sustaining donor to my campaign? Just a few dollars a month makes a huge difference for ongoing communication expenses. Just click on the donate link at the bottom of the page.


5/17/2021

Tax Day!

The legislature is scheduled to recess at the end of this week and with so many balls in the air, I'm going to save legislative updates for my next newsletter. Instead, I have some thoughts on progressive taxation as we close out the session and some opportunities to get involved.


4/26/2021

Spring Flowers and Federal Dollars

The legislature is scheduled to recess next month and we’re narrowing our focus to bills that will cross the finish line.


4/12/2021

Democracy isn't always (that) slow

The Federal landscape continues to bring home the bacon with our powerful Senate duo.


3/29/2021

Mud season: money, liabilities, and some big decisions

Last weekend, Brattleboro Town Meeting Representatives spent 14 hours debating the budget for our lovely little town— and we emerged with a strong mandate toward progressive spending and inclusive governance.


3/7/2021

Town Meeting Recess

It's Town Meeting Week, the midway point of the Vermont legislative session which runs from January-May. Legislative committees aren’t meeting this week, and I’ve had time to pause, catch up, and get ready for cross over week when we return.


2/7/2021

Hitting Our Stride

How has it been just a few short weeks since the Inauguration? The relief is palpable in the virtual statehouse while we continue to grapple with accountability, urgency, and progress.


1/19/2021

Two Weeks In: Democracy, Committee Assignments, and More

We started the session last week being sworn in remotely— the Secretary of State calling each of our names and reciting the affirmation, “I am Emilie Kornheiser, and I am here.”


1/3/2021

A New Biennium

Happy New Year!

The legislative session begins on January 6th and I will be sworn in remotely from the same spot in my house that I’ve been sitting since we came home on March 13th, 2020.


11/9/2020

The Results Are In!

Thank you, I am so honored to have the opportunity to keep working with this community and in this nation, so we can someday say that government is truly for us, and by us.


11/2/2020

Countdown to Election Day, Thank You

Have you voted? Have you talked to someone else about voting? The election is just two days away. You probably don’t need me to tell you that.


9/24/2020

The Final Week of the Biennium: An Invitation

This week is the last one of the biennium and when the dust settles next week I’ll draft a comprehensive summary and reflection for you. Right now, I’m still deep in the thick of final negotiations and getting the November campaign into high gear. We’re set to wrap up with a completed budget this Friday.


8/22/2020

The Peak of Summer: election season, state budgets, and a pandemic.

Last week I was proud to receive the Democratic and Progressive nominations for State Representative. This week I found out that I have a Republican challenger in my bid for State Representative. Next week the legislature reconvenes to finish out the biennium. Biden/Harris seems to be our hope for the future. There is still a pandemic: we’re struggling with what safe school looks like for teachers and for families, so many of us are out of work, and even the smallest decisions are fraught with consequence. All to say-- there is much going on for each of us these days.


7/7/2020

And then we rest?

The Legislature recessed on Friday after six months of work.


3/29/2020

Getting Ready for a New Normal

Has it really only been a week since I last wrote? In that time we’ve admitted that children aren’t returning to their school facilities, we’ve closed down non-essential travel and most of us are staying home. Simultaneously, many of us are working harder: as front-line workers, caring for family, and adapting to new systems.


3/26/2020

Emilie Appointed to House Committee on Ways and Means

Today the Speaker of the House appointed me to the House Committee on Ways and Means.


3/21/2020

Resources from Across the Distance

Hello,

The legislature recessed last Friday to work remotely and I can't believe the speed of change since then. While working to develop responsive policy, I’m continuing to gather and share information regarding the impact COVID-19 has on our community. I’m posting daily on facebook and available via email (ekornheiser@leg.state.vt.us) anytime. There are many many links at the bottom of this message for you to do your own fact finding. This post is extensive with sections on economic challenges, housing, small business, utilities, seniors, access to healthcare, schools and childcare, community response, reliable links, and some poetry. Please feel free to read top to bottom or scroll until you find what meets your needs.


3/2/2020

Infrastructure

At other periods in American history infrastructure was considered a public good but in the last fifty years or so we've seen a slow turn from these values and towards market solutions.


2/27/2020

Regulation of Cannabis

The Vermont House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in support of S54, an act relating to the regulation of cannabis.


1/24/2020

We passed Family Medical Leave

Family Medical Leave Insurance— one of the banner bills for the democrats this biennium— is a hard fought series of compromises.


1/13/2020

A Geeky Conversation on Climate Change

After breakfast with the kid, and before heading off to work today, I visited a middle school class to talk about climate change.


1/6/2020

A New Year and a New Session

Happy New Year!

The news was dark this morning, and in the first week of the new year, I must think of it as the darkness before birth. I must look for the light within. This holiday season I revelled in my Hannukah candles, I lit candles at solstice, and Christmas, and New Years Eve, and then last night, I lit candles again. We must light the flames we want to see, right?

The session starts on Tuesday January 7th and we’re all getting ready. Packing bags, organizing calendars, and lining up final details of legislation. There is much anticipation and uncertainty about what will take flight and what bills will be ground down by the wheels of deliberation.

It’s been an incredible “off season”— so many powerful conversations about how to make Vermont work better— to be for us and by us. I’m proud to be returning, with the fire of the season in my belly and each of your stories in my heart to fight for our community.


12/2/2019

Getting ready amidst the long arc of history

The legislative session starts back up in four weeks and there is much to do before we return. There are gatherings almost daily as we speak with coalitions and organizations to build a comprehensive story of what is needed. If there is an issue important to you please connect with a conversation, come to my office hours, or send an email. This project of democracy is only as good as each of our contributions.


9/22/2019

Fall Newsletter: What's Work Got to Do With It?

Welcome back! As we ease our way into fall the energy shifts in our communities and the work of the legislature changes.


7/13/2019

On State Employees Collaborating with ICE

I’ve been waiting to update on this until I had definite information, but it’s been too long so I’m going to tell you what I know.


4/30/2019

End of Session: Hope in the Darkness

The end of the session is difficult for all of us— constituents and legislators alike—it becomes clear which bills will stay on the wall, whose babies will drown, and the endless compromises seemingly necessary to bring everyone on board.


4/15/2019

Tax Day! What are they good for anyway?

So what are those taxes for anyway?


3/24/2019

Mid-Session Report

Yesterday was Representative Town Meeting in Brattleboro.


3/10/2019

Town Meeting Day Recess

Did you know that one of my colleagues wants to end Day Light Savings Time?


2/25/2019

Talking about Abortions in the Final Days of February

What. A. Week.


2/18/2019

More than Fluff and Dust

Montpelier has a delightful tradition of a Valentine bandit who leaves hearts everywhere, and the touch of whimsy was just what I needed this last week.


2/12/2019

Five Weeks in and the Bills are Flowing

We’re entering our sixth week of the session.


2/4/2019

What is Economic Development?

Hello again,

A dear friend of mine came to testify in Commerce and Economic Development this week. She shared the following quotes and definitions:


1/21/2019

What's a legislator to do?

Hello,

Today is Martin Luther King Jr Day. A day devoted to service, and this letter to you is my service for the day. I’ve been having feelings about not participating in the same way— how I can’t be at every march and on every action team. I missed the Women’s March and Homeless Awareness Day with my community. In these first days of the session I’ve grappled with a new form of service— slower, more detail-oriented, but still very collaborative. I’m more mindful of the slow arc of history and how the building blocks of today’s work can fit into the liberation of tomorrow.

Every day in the legislature I’m asking myself what I’m doing to carry forward the legacy of those who have fought before me. This could be drafting or supporting sweeping legislation for anti-bias police work or educational reform (the ethnic studies bill). But, at this point in the session the path to liberation is in the details: it means asking about data that our agencies collect (or don’t), ensuring that we do our own internal work, and making sure that my own strong voice is always, every day, making space for more voices from the margins.

In committee we’ve begun to lay the groundwork for a year of progress. Economic development means more than corporate tax incentives and subsidized electricity rates. In fact, tax incentives rarely make a dent and we want policy that works— and works for all of us. What does work? Strategies that improve communities and support small businesses: affordable childcare, communication and transportation infrastructure, a well educated workforce, and a regulatory environment that is both supportive and transparent. Here’s a great report from State Auditor, Doug Hoffer- [Making Economic Development Policy: Anecdote or Peer Reviewed Literature](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2020/WorkGroups/House%20Commerce/Auditor/W~Doug%20Hoffer~Economic%20Development%20Policy~1-15-2019.pdf)

Over the past week we heard testimony from throughout state government on issues ranging from employment rates to captivate insurance regulations to meat-processing facilities. Perhaps absurdly, I find all three of these topics fascinating. We have one more week of ground-work and then will start discussing a bill to ban non-compete clauses. If you (or someone you know) has been impacted by a contract provision on non-compete clauses, please be in touch.

In the midst of national conversations the happenings of the Vermont Statehouse are a model of tri-partisan leadership these days. . . Perhaps because we haven’t really started discussing legislation. . . Or perhaps it’s the government shutdown. Thanks to a combination of good luck and our incredible treasurer Beth Pierce, most Vermonters will see little impact. However, Vermont’s Department for Children and Families (DCF) will be issuing February 3SquaresVT benefits early, on January 20th. These benefits will be for the entire month of February. If you aren’t sure if this applies to you, call the Benefits Service Center at 1-800-479-6151 to speak to a benefits specialist. AND if you are a federal government employee currently not being paid, please apply for unemployment benefits with the Department of Labor.

In addition to being in touch about legislation, I’m available for “constituent service,” helping you correct any issues you have with the delivery of government service like healthcare and food stamps (just don’t ask me about parking tickets unless you think you can help me). Please don’t hesitate to reach out. I truly want a government that works for all of us.

In solidarity and hope,

Emilie


1/14/2019

First week of the session: Commerce and Ceremony

Hello all,


1/6/2019

The Session Starts on Wednesday-- some thoughts on staying connected

Happy New Year,


12/19/2018

Getting ready for the session

Dear neighbor,


11/9/2018

Election Night Round-Up: What's Next?

We’re figuring this out, we’re making change, and we’re coming together!


11/5/2018

Tomorrow is here: A brief update for Election Day.

We're really doing it: we're Committing to Community! More than 57,000 people have already voted in Vermont. Our town clerk ran out of stickers. There are free desserts all over town! This is the year. Right?


10/26/2018

October and the Final Push!

Hello,

What a month, what a week!


8/14/2018

We did it!

We did it! You did it. We did this together: the campaign team, more than 50 volunteers, more than 150 donors, and the entire West Brattleboro community. According to unofficial results, I am the Democratic nominee for Vermont House of Representatives in Windham 2-1.


8/14/2018

It's a beautiful day for democracy!

It may be wet out, but it's a beautiful day for democracy!

Polls are open at the Municipal Center (230 Main Street) until 7pm.

If you know someone who needs transportation to vote, have them call or text Chad Simmons at 802-451-8627 to arrange a ride. (Rides will be available until 6pm.)


8/13/2018

Gratitude.

The primary is tomorrow—Tuesday the 14th—and I’m filled with such incredible gratitude for the team we’ve put together.


8/12/2018

What it's going to take

We need to have the courage to listen deeply, to go into the community, sit on doorsteps, and say “What matters to you?” That’s what it’s going to take for Vermont government to be the participatory democracy that we say it is.

It’s going to take each of us stripping away our righteousness and walking towards each other, with questions, with coalitions, and with excitement for this new future.


8/5/2018

Rally for healthcare justice and a stronger democracy

Our healthcare system is broken. I think we can all agree on that. People are suffering, dying, and going bankrupt because they can’t afford the care they need. This has to stop.


7/30/2018

Voter Suppression Film Coming to Brattleboro August 1

Election day is nearly here, and I hope you and your friends have been getting to the polls! To mark the last weeks of primary season, we're screening a new important documentary about voter suppression: Capturing the Flag, a film by Anne DeMare. Join us Wednesday, August 1 at 7pm in the Hooker Dunham Theatre at 132 Main St. Refreshments will be served!


7/17/2018

I'm listening.

The way I see it, good policy is built of three threads: what researchers can tell us (evidence-based practices), what people who implement policy can tell us (professional experience), and what communities can tell us (lived experience). I’ve built a career on listening, on making spaces for people to speak, and on finding strategies at the intersection of these three threads.


7/4/2018

Parading for democracy!

Emilie, her family, and campaign volunteers marched in the Brattleboro Goes Fourth parade, today. Some of our signs included "Work for Democracy" and "Everyone Help - Help Everyone."


6/28/2018

Focus on Housing

Housing in Vermont has been at crisis levels for many years now. Brattleboro has one of the lowest vacancy rates in the country, and our wages don't come close to the more than $20 per hour needed for market rate housing.


6/27/2018

Lawn signs are here!

Is your yard feeling left out of the political excitement this primary season?!? Fear not, our lawn signs are here!


6/20/2018

Join us for an Action Festival to celebrate the first day of voting!

Celebrate the First Day of Voting this primary season!

Vote at the Town Clerk's office, then stroll on up Main Street and join us on the Common for food, music, and fun.


6/18/2018

Join Emilie for Community Vision at Tiny House Fest

Emilie will be MC'ing the Community Vision Stage at Tiny House Fest this weekend!


6/18/2018

Meet the Campaign Team: Jennifer Jacobs

Meet Jennifer Jacobs, who helps organize our campaign volunteers. Jen is a small business owner with deep roots in our community. She says:


6/14/2018

Emilie Endorsed by VSEA

Proud to announce my first endorsement, from Vermont State Employees' Association (VSEA). Unions are the bedrock and lifeline for workers' rights in this country, and around the world. I couldn’t be more proud to be endorsed by this union, and I look forward to working every day in the legislature to support our public sector.


6/11/2018

Meet the Campaign Team: Joyce Sullivan, Volunteer Team

So many amazing folks are helping with the work of this campaign! Let me introduce you to Joyce Sullivan, a key member of our Events Team:


6/8/2018

Campaign T-Shirts and Tote Bags are available!

Follow this link to order!

https://teespring.com/stores/elect-emilie


6/5/2018

Meet the Campaign Team: Sierra Dickey, Campaign Coordinator

Over the next few weeks, I want to introduce you to some of the amazing folks who are working on this campaign with me. Meet Sierra Dickey, our Campaign Coordinator.


5/31/2018

Where to find us this weekend: with the heifers!

Join Emilie and the campaign team for a glorious weekend in Brattleboro!

Here's where to find us:


5/30/2018

Emilie has filed her paperwork to be on the ballot!

On Tuesday, Emilie filed her petition to run for State Representative for Brattleboro District 1. Though only 50 signatures are required, Emilie's petition had more than 200.

Here is the full announcement:


5/25/2018

This Saturday: Meet Emilie at the West Brattleboro Association Annual Barbecue!

Chicken, baked beans, coleslaw, and community! The barbecue takes place yearly on Western Avenue in the West Brattleboro village center. 11 am - 2 pm, but come early because they always sell out.


5/16/2018

The case for family leave and a higher minimum wage—in the Governor's terms

Sometimes it helps to speak the language of the people in power, or at least the people you are speaking to, so let’s make the case for an increased minimum wage and paid family leave using Governor Scott’s own words and logic:


5/14/2018

Camp for a Common Cause - Friday May 18

Join Emilie and the campaign team at Camp for a Common Cause 2018!


5/13/2018

I run because of what I've seen as a mother

Happy Mother’s Day! I’m running for office because I’m a mother. But not simply because I want to make the world a better place for my son—I think he’ll do that quite well himself....


4/8/2018

What do we talk about when we talk about guns in Vermont?

I was proud of my state these last few weeks, as student activists made their voices heard, and our legislature listened: quickly passing a series of new measures to increase the safety of our gun culture. When we talk about guns in Vermont we often get into the same conversation about “here and away” or “the way things were.” Sometimes we enter the national dialogue and start talking about “rights.” These are all perfect frames to unpack and ask ourselves questions like “whose history?” and “whose rights”? What did the Abenaki think of those guns? Do we hear the stories of mothers whose sons and fathers shot themselves, or the thousands and thousand of women who have been threatened—“kept in line” by guns throughout Vermont history?