Find the text of the December 2023 edition of the ACLU-VT News Brief below and a PDF at the bottom of the page.

It's just about time to close another year! Before we dive into the myriad challenges that await us in 2024—from a pivotal election season to our continued advocacy for civil liberties in Vermont—we'd like to take a moment to celebrate our accomplishments in 2023, and to say thank you.

Here is just some of what we achieved this year, with your support:

• Helped pass “shield law” legislation to guard patients and providers of reproductive or gender-affirming care, following the historic passage of the Reproductive Liberty Amendment last November
• Spoke out against plans to discontinue Vermont’s emergency housing program and urged cities and towns to respect the constitutional rights of people impacted by Vermont’s housing crisis
• Marked the five-year anniversary of our Smart Justice Vermont campaign, helping to lead an historic reduction in Vermont’s over-reliance on incarceration
• Sounded the alarm about plans for a massive and costly expansion of Vermont’s prison system, which we continue to oppose
• Initiated multiple legal actions to defend freedom of assembly and due process after officials from Montpelier, Newport, and Rutland unlawfully excluded local residents from public spaces
• Filed another lawsuit against Bennington Police Department for using coercive and deceptive tactics in the unlawful arrest, interrogation, and search of our client
• Opposed legislation targeting trans youth and spoke out on behalf of trans students facing harassment in Vermont schools
• Helped launch Fair Share for Vermont, a proposal to tax the wealthiest Vermonters to address economic inequality and help build a better state for all of us
• Connected with 100+ supporters, members, and neighbors through our Rights & Bites event series in five Vermont communities

Thank you for making this work possible through your support and engagement, your financial contributions, and your time. Together, we will keep showing up for justice in 2024.

Happy holidays from all of us at the ACLU of Vermont!