On August 6, 12, and 16, the Vermont House Government Operations and House Judiciary Committees will be co-hosting virtual meetings to obtain input from community members on proposed changes to law enforcement in Vermont. We urge you to participate and to forward this message to anyone you think would be interested in attending.

The meetings will be held on August 6 at 1:00 p.m., August 12 at 6:00 p.m., and August 16 at 4:00 p.m. To register to give testimony at one of these hearings, please fill out the registration form here:

https://legislature.vermont.gov/Links/Public-Hearing-LE

Testimony should be limited to two minutes. Individuals will be able to access the meetings through their computers or phones. The meetings will be Live Streamed here:

https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/house-judiciary

If you are unable to attend or do not wish to speak at one of the meetings and still want to provide input, please fill out the Social Equity Caucus survey at

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SECpolicereformsurvey.

The national reaction to events over the past several months has brought systemic racism in the United States into dramatic focus. While Vermont's legislature has pursued many efforts over recent years to begin to identify and address implicit bias, recognition of the urgency of this work has grown, particularly related to law enforcement. In response, the legislature is considering ideas on how police practices in the State should change, including policies on use of force, citizen oversight, use of body cameras, hiring and training of police officers, and other relevant issues.

Before the legislature returns from recess at the end of August, the two primary House committees working on these issues want to engage Vermonters who may be affected by these policies. The committees seek to hear about Vermonters' experiences with law enforcement in Vermont. They also seek residents' suggestions on how to improve interactions between the police and communities of color and other marginalized groups. The public will be able to provide input on specific bills that are already before the legislature, including Senate bills 119 and 124 and House bills 464 and 808, and weigh in on priorities for change that are not included in the existing bills.

We look forward to hearing from you.