On Monday, March 6th at 1:30, we are convening the Citizen's Commission for a Vermont State Bank for the first time in Room 11 of the State House. We have invited the organizations who are mentioned in the legislation and anyone else who might like to serve on the commission. We welcome anyone to join our citizen's commission who has a sincere interest in learning why 40% of the world uses public bank financing for infrastructure, economic development, and other important public priorities.

We have found many legislators who are interested in learning more about why a public bank is so important now, in a new era of chaotic federal government funding and pending austerity measures to close the state's $50M budget gap. But
a few key members of the Vermont legislature have been less than enthusiastic about the idea of creating a Commission to establish a Vermont State Bank. The Chair of the House Commerce committee has refused to take any action on the bill. On the Senate side, things are moving very slowly in Senate Finance, where S. 48 has only been discussed once, when one of the key sponsors was not in the room (he had to leave for a scheduled appearance elsewhere and asked that testimony not be scheduled then). This is why we have decided to convene the Citizen's Commission, to show the legislature that we want to know more about how a public bank might work in Vermont.

In addition to saving the state money ($80M flows out of our budget annually for debt service to the private sector), a public bank would divest taxpayer dollars from TD Bank, make more money available for renewable energy development, student loans, and economic development. Over the last three years, the state has proven the concept with the 10% program for Vermont - the majority of lending in that program has been for renewable energy development and efficiency measures.

Please join us. We want to put the dollars back in our democracy.

Jan 11, 2025, 9:30 to 11:30 AM

Jan 16, 2025, 6 to 8 PM

Jan 17, 2025, 7 to 8:30 PM