To the editor: Vermont Senate, government take actions to protect its residents

Saturday, Feb. 7 marked a full year of Woodstock area residents, non-residents and visitors, meeting daily, noon to 1 p.m., at Tribou Park in Woodstock to peacefully protest the assaults on our country’s democracy by our current federal administration.

Undaunted by foul weather, this tenacious group, with their creative signs and determined spirits, stand up every day in solidarity with those who’ve been killed or detained, those who’ve lost their jobs or their liberty, and those who’ve lost their hope or faith in our America. All three of your state senators — Alison Clarkson, Becca White and Joe Major — joined them Saturday to applaud their effort.

While we cannot join the Woodstock protesters every day, we are working in the legislature, with the Attorney General’s office and the administration, to limit this current federal administration’s attack on the ‘rule of law’ and its ability to impact Vermont and Vermonters. We’ve taken actions to protect Vermont from changes in federal law, cuts in funding key programs, social services and immigrant rights.

We’ve limited local law enforcement’s ability to cooperate with ICE  — Immigration and Customs Enforcement –and saved money to combat federal cuts to essential programs Vermonters count on like SNAP and 3Squares.

The Attorney General’s office has joined other states in numerous lawsuits that threaten a wide range of issues, from environmental programs, FEMA funding and preventing important agencies from being dismantled, to immigration fees.

The Secretary of State’s office is working on protecting our free and fair elections, and the legislature has taken several steps to further protect our LBGTQIA+ Vermonters. And the Treasurer’s office has launched a task force to monitor federal policy changes that directly impact Vermont and Vermonters.

Next week the Senate hopes to pass two bills to protect Vermonters. S.208 is designed to require that all law enforcement (including ICE) officers working in Vermont wear identifying information and not wear a mask or personal disguise unless needed to prevent the transmission of airborne diseases or for smoke exposure or other rescue operations.

S.209, prohibits civil arrests in sensitive locations like schools, health-care facilities and shelters. In the wake of the devastating outcomes of Operation Metro Surge and the tragic deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, the Vermont Senate on Friday Feb. 6 passed a tri-partisan resolution (the majority of Republicans voted to support), S.R. 21, calling for the president of the United States to suspend this operation and take “urgent steps to de-escalate federal law enforcement actions, and reset the federal government’s immigration enforcement priorities toward individuals who pose genuine threats to public safety, in full compliance with constitutional limits and the rule of law.”

The resolution condemns the extrajudicial killings of Good and Pretti as “grave violations of human dignity, civil liberties and the constitutional protections owed to all persons” and declares that the “lawful exercise of these constitutional rights – peacefully, responsibly, and within the bounds of the law – can never justify empowering federal agents to act as judge, jury and executioner, nor employing lethal forces outside established legal process and accountability.”

I appreciate hearing from you. I can be reached by email: aclarkson@leg.state.vt.us or by phone at the Statehouse Tuesday through Fridays at 802-828-2228 or at home Saturday through Mondays at 802-457-4627.

Alison Clarkson
Senator
Windsor District