Blog

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.

In Brattleboro (and across the country) we saw record voter turnout for this crucial election. This is in part due to our passion and our fear— we have a renewed understanding of how much our vote and our voice matter. But it is also because of the incredible degree of access we bring to our elections here in Vermont and I hope we can expand that further. I’m so grateful to all the incredible folks who worked the polls in Brattleboro, across the state, and still throughout the county.

The next two years will be crucial — the cracks in our system have widened and more of us can see them. People on the front lines of the economy need good pay and safe working conditions. Most of us are working paycheck to paycheck with little cushion. We need strong social infrastructure to build stable communities. Housing, food security, and connectivity are essential to public health. We must invest in government and communities— so we can all thrive. Not all of us experience the challenges of our times equitably and we have a mandate for change— class, race, and gender change our experiences of criminal justice, school, and the economy— we must restructure these systems if we want a Vermont that truly works for all of us.

I appreciate my opponent stepping up to run. We provided voters with a choice and an opportunity to talk about the issues that matter to our little corner of the world. It’s absolutely not just about the few names on the ballot, it’s about all of us and how we come together and work for our families and our neighbors. It’s about how government can work, and work well, for each us, and I’m committed to that work, with each of you.

Before the new legislative session starts in January, I‘ll be working hard to hear from the community, please join one of my weekly community conversations, send a message, or give me a call. What do we need to make it through this pandemic? What do we need on the other side? Please be in touch, democracy works best when we’re all part of the conversation.

Yours in solidarity,

Emilie

Ways to Connect:

If you're hungry for more information, the legislative website is a great place to check on bills you're interested in or watch a committee hearing on youtube.

I host a weekly community conversation/coffee hour on zoom every Saturday at 10am. You're welcome to pop in for a minute or stay for the whole hour.

You can also follow me on facebook, instagram, or twitter-- I post almost daily updates on facebook while the other two modes create more of a snapshot. And finally, you can find me every week on the Montpelier Happy Hour, my weekly radio show with local reporter Olga Peters. You can subscribe on soundcloud or youtube.