Nearly two dozen current and former elected officials signed an open letter this week urging prospective candidates to reject the two-party system and run with the Vermont Progressive Party in 2026.
The letter, signed by local lawmakers and former officeholders from across the state, points to mounting frustration with Democratic inaction on core issues such as health care, housing and climate.
“The Democratic Party is not going to save us,” the letter reads. “The only way forward is to build something better,” the letter states. “While progressives in other states are considering runs as independents, fighting alone against the two-party establishment, Vermont has built a real alternative: a party that refuses corporate donations, stands for universal healthcare and housing for all, and isn’t afraid to call out the failures of the status quo.”
It cites recent attention put on U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for calling out the “corporate duopoly” on their Stop Oligarchy tour, which is consistently drawing large crowds of supporters.
“The Vermont Progressive Party offers a different path, one that working people across the country wish they had. While progressives in other states are considering runs as independents, fighting alone against the two-party establishment, Vermont has built a real alternative: a party that refuses corporate donations, stands for universal healthcare and housing for all, and isn’t afraid to call out the failures of the status quo,” the letter states. “And we need more people to join us.”
It goes on to say, “This isn’t just about making a statement. It’s about winning real power. We’ve seen what happens when progressive Democrats get elected and don’t have a party that truly has their back. The pressure to conform, to compromise, to play by the establishment’s rules is overwhelming. But by running as Progressives, we can create a coalition of elected officials who can boldly govern, legislate, and fight for the policies that working people need.”
The letter is signed by Sens. Tanya Vyhovsky, Chittenden Central District; Anne Watson, Washington District; Rep. Kate Logan, the House Progressive Caucus Leader; David Zuckerman, former lieutenant governor; Anthony Pollina, former state senator, Washington County; Jake Hemmerick, former Barre City Mayor; current and former members of the Burlington City Council, as well as other progressive leaders.
Defending DEI
The ACLU-Vermont this week issued a statement condemning the Trump administration in its efforts to “distort and weaponize civil rights law in order to attack diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in schools and workplaces across the nation.”
According to the news release, Vermont’s Agency of Education, after initially directing school districts to certify compliance, rescinded that guidance and apparently intends to certify compliance on their behalf. Rather than follow the lead of neighboring states and rejecting the Trump administration’s directive, Gov. Phil Scott “instead characterized Trump’s attempt to gain leverage over schools as simply a request ‘to verify we comply with existing federal civil rights laws’ and accused local activists of ‘stok(ing) more fear and anxiety throughout our education system.’”
According to ACLU-Vermont Executive Director James Lyall: “The people of Vermont have been outspoken in calling on their elected leaders to stick up for Vermont’s laws, values, and communities. Now more than ever, we must be unified in defending our democracy from existential threats.”
He goes on to say the “Trump administration’s goal here is no secret: it has openly announced its intention to brazenly weaponize Title VI as leverage to coerce schools into abandoning speech, ideas, and practices the administration does not like through an interpretation of the statute that prohibits DEI. That is why the ACLU has sued the Department of Education for its unlawful campaign to re-write the law. This attempt to certify ‘compliance’ with Title VI is not, as the Governor suggests, ‘business as usual’—as our neighboring states have recognized, it is a cynical attempt to gain leverage over schools and teachers. We urge the Governor to follow their lead and reject this attempt to undermine our laws and values.”
Meanwhile, Vermont-NEA renewed its plea to Vermont officials to resist President Trump’s attempt to wipe out the state’s DEI programs in our local public schools.
Don Tinney, a high school English teacher and the union’s elected president, issued a statement: “On behalf of thousands of educators in Vermont’s local public schools, I am urging (Governor) Phil Scott, (Education Secretary) Zoie Saunders, and (Attorney General) Charity Clark to resist the president’s extortion threat by simply saying “no” to his demand to erase truthful teaching in our classrooms.”
It goes on to say, “Vermont’s local public schools have worked hard to expand diversity, equity, and inclusion because it is the right thing to do. We cannot let the progress we’ve made be erased by a president who wants to take us backward and who threatens to withhold vital education funding unless schools and state officials bow to his edicts.”
Justice Carroll to retire
Associate Justice Karen Carroll this week notified Gov. Phil Scott of her intent to retire from the Vermont Supreme Court in August 2025, according to the State Court Administrator’s Office.
Carroll was sworn in as an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court by Scott in April 2017.
Prior to her service on the Vermont Supreme Court, she presided as a Superior Court Judge in the Criminal, Civil and Family Divisions in Windham, Windsor and Bennington counties after being appointed by former governor Howard Dean as a trial court judge in December 2000.
A native Vermonter, Carroll graduated from Proctor High School, Salve Regina College and Vermont Law School before serving as a deputy state’s attorney in Windham County from 1988-94 prosecuting serious felony cases. She then served in the Vermont Attorney General’s Office as the prosecutor for the Southern Vermont Drug Task Force, and was also designated as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont until her appointment to the trial bench in 2000.
Chief Justice Paul Reiber noted this week: “Justice Carroll has had an outstanding legal career as a lawyer, prosecutor and jurist. Court users have benefited greatly from her tireless service on the bench and from her long-standing commitment to access to justice principles. The Judiciary wishes Justice Carroll all the best in her upcoming well-deserved retirement.”
Clark sues again
This week, Attorney General Charity Clark joined a coalition of 20 other state attorneys general in suing the Trump administration to stop the dismantling of three federal agencies that provide services and funding supporting public libraries and museums, workers, and minority-owned businesses nationwide.
The three agencies include Institute of Museum and Library Services, Minority Business Development Agency, and Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
In March, the Trump administration issued an executive order that would dismantle federal agencies created by Congress that collectively provide hundreds of millions of dollars for programs in every state. As a result of this executive order, the IMLS — one of the targeted agencies — has placed almost its entire staff on administrative leave and will cut hundreds of grants for state libraries and museums. The lawsuit filed by Clark and the coalition seeks to stop the targeted destruction of the IMLS, and two other agencies targeted in the administration’s Executive Order that millions of Americans rely on, especially those in underserved communities.
“Vermonters know that libraries are the heart of our towns and rural communities, and this executive order would threaten their continued health. For some, gutting these grants could jeopardize their very survival,” said Clark in a statement. “As Vermont’s Attorney General, I am proud to stand up for our libraries and against this unconstitutional action. As chair of the board of my local library, I know how important Vermont’s town libraries are to children, job seekers, elders, and all of us. The fiscal impact of the Trump administration’s attempt to cut MBDA and FMCS is smaller, but it is certain to create harms and losses, and it is incredibly disappointing.”
Clark joins the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin.
This is the ninth case Clark has brought against the Trump administration since January. To read about the lawsuits, go to ago.vermont.gov/ago-actions.
Vermont Saves
State Treasurer Mike Pieciak this week announced that more than 1,000 employers have enrolled in the Vermont Saves program.
The program provides a simple, no-cost solution for Vermont employers to offer their workers a retirement savings plan. Since opening for enrollment in December 2024, Vermonters participating in Vermont Saves have collectively saved hundreds of thousands of dollars for retirement.
“For too many Vermonters, rising costs are making it harder to plan for a secure retirement,” said Pieciak in a statement. “At no cost to the employer, Vermont Saves makes it easy for businesses to offer their workers a retirement savings plan. This will help Vermonters become more financially secure and strengthen our economy over time. I’m thrilled to see so many local employers supporting their workers by enrolling in the program.”
Employers who at any time have five or more employees and do not currently offer their workers a retirement plan are required to sign up for Vermont Saves. Their employees will automatically be enrolled in a Roth IRA account with flexible options to save at their own pace.
Savers can set their own contribution rate, choose from a menu of investment options, or opt out of the program at any time if they choose. Savers can always access any principal funds they put into their Vermont Saves account.
Vermont Saves was passed into law in June 2023 with unanimous legislative support and approval from the Governor.
Go to vtsaves.vermont.gov for more information.
Balint joins caucus
U.S. Rep. Becca Balint joined her Democratic colleagues this week to launch the Monopoly Busters Caucus.
The Monopoly Busters Caucus will help promote a pro-consumer, pro-worker, and pro-small business economic agenda, ensuring members have support to better communicate Democratic work to combat corporate consolidation. The caucus will work on policy like lowering prices and tackling corporate greed from corporate grocery stores, big agriculture, health care consolidation and more, according to a news release.
According to Balint’s release, during the 2024 election cycle, more than 65% of voters polled in seven battleground states and Ohio said they supported the government suing to break up monopolies and economically powerful companies. Another poll of voters in these states showed that 67% of voters think corporate power and a lack of government pushback is one of the biggest problems facing the country; 58% had a favorable opinion of government enforcement of antitrust laws, the release states.
“I’m fired up to be launching the Monopoly Busters caucus because this is an issue that impacts every one of us even though it can feel abstract or distant. So, let’s boil it down: It’s about fairness and about protecting working people from the power and greed of giant corporations,” said Balint “Because we know when fair competition is stifled, we all pay the price. Rural people feel the squeeze as they see their hourly wage unable to carry them through to the next paycheck. These corporations must be held accountable. It’s obscene. ”
Voting ‘no’
This week, Balint voted ‘no’ on the Republican budget.
According to Balint, “The Republican budget provides trillions in tax cuts for the rich but does nothing to lower costs for American families. It increases the deficit while inflicting pain on the most vulnerable, while raising the debt limit by $5 trillion.”
In a statement from her office, she says the budget “slashes at least $230 billion from food assistance programs at a time when grocery prices remain high. It cuts at least $880 billion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, threatening coverage for nearly 20 million Americans who rely on the ACA and more than 72 million people who depend on Medicaid — including children, seniors and individuals with disabilities. These kinds of cuts risk the stability of rural hospitals who depend on Medicaid reimbursements to keep their doors open. 157,471 Vermonters enrolled in Medicaid and Chips in 2024, putting nearly a quarter of the state at risk of losing their health care.”
“This Republican budget is yet another giveaway to billionaires at the expense of working Americans. They control the House, the Senate and the White House, and they could be passing legislation to make your life more affordable,” said Balint. “But they’d rather kiss up to the billionaire class while shutting down vital programs that Vermonters rely on. All while driving up the deficit by trillions.”
Afghan refugees
U.S. Sen. Peter Welch this week spoke out on how President Trump’s executive order suspending admission to the United States for Afghan refugees has left vulnerable families stranded and abandoned thousands who face persecution.
Welch urged Congress to expedite the resettlement of Afghan refugees, many of whom worked with, and for, the U.S. government, our diplomats, and our intelligence officers. He praised the Vermont Afghan Alliance and other resettlement organizations which have connected Afghans to state and local services. He also urged Congress and the Trump administration to streamline and overhaul the resettlement process.
“I so appreciate the work of the Vermont Afghan Alliance, and the many other refugee assistance organizations around the country. They have been indispensable in helping us meet our obligation to support the Afghans who helped our soldiers—that’s our obligation. But ultimately, resettlement is the responsibility of the federal government …. This population of refugees exists, I state again, because of their work with and for our government, for our soldiers, for our diplomats, and our intelligence officers. We have abandoned our partners in their time of need,” said Welch.
61 amendments
This week, Welch, a member of the Senate Finance Committee and Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, filed 61 amendments to Senate Republicans’ budget plan. The senator’s amendments aim to help working families through the affordability crisis, defend programs, services, and disaster aid from DOGE, “and combat President Trump’s reckless, illegal agenda,” according to a news release.
According to Welch’s statement, Senate Republicans’ budget plan, unveiled Wednesday, attacks Medicaid, Medicare, and the health care of seniors, children, people with disabilities, and rural patients; threatens Social Security for millions; raises costs for working families and enables President Trump’s trade war; jeopardizes support and health care for veterans; “and gives DOGE a greenlight to destroy the federal government — all in the service of paying for Trump’s tax cut to billionaires.”
“A budget plan says a lot about your values, and President Trump and Senate Republicans’ budget is cruel. They’re threatening the economic and physical health of families, seniors, children, and folks across the country. They’re trying to cut federal funding for hardworking Americans and pass $7 trillion in tax breaks for billionaires and corporations. I’m standing up against their nonsense every step of the way,” said Welch. “That’s why I’ve filed 61 amendments to their budget, which will better address the affordability crisis Vermonters face right now and defend against Elon Musk’s attempts to dismantle our government and the programs people rely on.”
Compiled by the staffs of The Times Argus and Rutland Herald.