On Wednesday, February 26 supporters of funding the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board will gather at the State House for an important day of advocacy. Please set aside the day for you and your organization’s key supporters to spend in Montpelier speaking with members of the Legislature on the importance of VHCB funding for your organization and the communities it serves. Governor Shumlin continues to show strong support for VHCB. He has proposed $15.3 million for VHCB – a 7 per cent increase over last year. With another $70 million budget deficit, this is a positive development. Yet the need for VHCB investments in housing and conservation is far greater and easily exceeds the additional $2.5 million VHCB would receive if its statutory funding formula were followed. We need members to turn out in force to support the Governor’s request and tell lawmakers how additional VHCB investments would benefit Vermont communities. Voices will likely again be raised saying that we don’t need to fund conservation when all available resources should help fund human services needs. We need to reaffirm our core message that conservation and affordable housing are both critical economic development investments that must remain a priority for our state. Tentative Schedule:
7:30 – 9:00 – Breakfast meetings with individual legislators (breakfast sponsored by VHCC) 9:00 – 10:00 – Welcome and meeting with Governor Peter Shumlin, Lt. Governor Phil Scott, Senate President John Campbell, and House Speaker Shap Smith (all confirmed) 10:00 – 11:00 – Joint meeting of Senate Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs and House General, Housing & Military Affairs Committees 10:00 – 11:00 – Meeting with House Natural Resources & Energy Committee 10:15 – 11:00 – Meeting with House Fish, Wildlife & Water Resources Committee 11:00 – 12:00 – Joint meeting with Senate & House Agriculture Committees 11:00 – 12:00 – Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee 11:30 – 12:00 – Senate Health & Welfare Committee Time TBA – House Commerce & Economic Development Committee Time TBA – House Human Services Committee 12:00 – 1:30 – Lunch, and throughout the day – Meetings with individual legislators 2:00 – 3:00 – Ice cream Social All committee meetings are confirmed; a final agenda and detailed invitation with talking points will follow.
For further information, contact: Erhard Mahnke at 233-2902 or erhardm@burlingtontelecom.net John Shullenberger at 373-2590 or jdsdiann@together.net Adam Necrason at 223-9988 or necrason@snlawvt.com