LETTER: Democracy advocates take their message to Montpelier
April 23, 2026To the Community:
On Thursday, April 16, 12 members of Indivisible Mad River Valley and Camel's Hump Indivisible joined roughly 60 democracy advocates from around the state for Democracy Day at the Vermont State House. The day’s goal was to accelerate the passage of critical legislation to protect democracy and the rights of Vermonters.
Democracy Day was organized by the Democracy Alliance, a coalition of roughly 25 grassroots organizations in Vermont, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont, Vermont Public Interest Research Group, Third Act, 350 Vermont, Rights and Democracy, League of Women Voters, 50501 Vermont, and over a dozen Indivisible chapters from across the State, including Indivisible MRV.
Together, Democracy Alliance members directly lobbied over 25 legislators from across the state. Members from Indivisible MRV and Camel's Hump Indivisible spoke with the Mad River Valley Reps. Candice White, D-Waitsfield, and Dara Torre, D-Moretown, in the House, as well as Democratic Washington County Sens. Ann Cummings and Anne Watson.
Camel's Hump members spoke with Waterbury Democratic Rep. Tom Stevens, Sen. Tom Chittenden, D-Chittenden Southeast, House Speaker Jill Krowinski and Senate Majority Leader Kesha Ram-Hinsdale, Sen. Nader Hashim, D-Windsor, who chairs Senate Judiciary, and Rep. Martin LaLonde, D-South Burlington, chair of House Judiciary, along with other out-of-district lawmakers.
Democracy Day participants were asked to stand and be recognized for their efforts during Thursday's session of the House of Representatives. The Alliance also held a press conference in the Cedar Creek Room where speakers included Burlington resident Jess Shapiro with dramatic remarks about being choked unconscious by an masked and unidentified state trooper on March 11 during a protest on Dorset Street.
Indivisible members targeted their advocacy ton members of the House Judiciary Committee, who are currently deliberating Bills S.208, which proposes standards for law enforcement to identify themselves and would prohibit masks or personal disguises with certain exceptions and S.209, which seeks to add government buildings, schools, shelters, and health care facilities to the list of sensitive locations where a person is not subject to a civil arrest.
Members also advocated for House Bill H.849, which would authorize bringing civil action for damages against a federal, state, or local government official for interference with or violation of state or federal constitutional rights. This bill is seen as important legislation for holding federal law enforcement accountable. It was recently approved by both the House and Senate and is headed to Gov. Phil Scott’s desk, where it will become law unless the governor vetoes it.
Democracy Day was a great reminder of how open and accessible the Vermont lawmaking process is to citizen input. Any Vermonter can walk into the State House on any day and talk with their legislators. Everyone we spoke with was eager to hear what we had to say and happy to debate the pros and cons of any particular bill. The good news is that, in general, we found much support for the bills that we targeted.
Interested in the work of Indivisible MRV? Are you ready to take action with us on state or federal democracy-related issues? If so, visit Indivisible Mad River Valley online or email indivisiblemrv@gmail.com. Find Camel's Hump Indivisible online at camelshumpindivisible.org or email them at camelshumpindivisible@gmail.com.
Judi Daly
Mad River Valley Indivisible co-leader
Moretown