 Welcome to town meeting televisions continuing coverage of the primary elections that are going to be held in Vermont on August 11th Many people have already voted the secretary of status Announced that there are 10 times the numbers of absentee ballots that have been requested this season So this will be a very exciting election season to cover and at and cover it We are with the candidates for district six seven which covers most all of Winiske and a little part award one in Burlington We have with us this evening Representative how Colston who is the incumbent? This is a two seat district So there are two seats for this Democratic primary that are being tested Taylor small Is the second candidate and Jordan Matt who just joined us is our third candidate. Welcome all of you Thank you so much for joining us. I'm just going to start with opening statements How why don't you start and tell us why you're running and what experience you bring to the position? Thank you Thank you, Lauren Glenn and I I'm running because I want to continue the work that I started in my first biennium. I Focused on a really important need here in Winiske. We have the most diverse community in Northern New England largely because of Foreign-born Vermonters who who have made this their home and so many of them come here with professional skills and Are not able to be vetted in a proper way to continue working in their fields. So consequently they work Driving ubers or cleaning hotel rooms, etc. Entry-level positions and I was able to pass H 4 27 Which was signed by the governor as act 10 which provides a process for vetting foreign credentials in a way that is cost-effective and simple and straightforward and It's exciting to know that that Law is now already making an impact and I want to continue growing that effort to include our new American Neighbors to be part of our political process and and equally so we're pursuing I serve on the city council an effort to change our charter and to allow all resident voting So we're in the throes of that. We hope to have it on the November ballot and and to be hopefully a best case Scenario for other communities around Vermont to pursue this effort as we become increasingly more diverse in our Home called Vermont and this is very much needed as we move forward Because we're the second in white estate or the second gray estate And how do we make our community more inviting and supportive for people of color who are now becoming the The driver in our population growth Not only here in Vermont, but nationally so by 2040 will be facing a Different scene where people of color will be the majority and how do we get there in Vermont is the question Can't hear you Sorry, Taylor small. Why don't you tell us why you're running and what experience you bring to the position? Wonderful. Thank you so much Lauren Glenn and how thank you for all the work that you are continuing to do in the state House, I mean shortly before we got on here hearing that how is still doing the work now and So I'm really grateful and excited to be running for a state representative here in Winooski and the River Sliver of Burlington Because I have always been an advocate for our communities and especially those who are most marginalized and pushed out to the outside and not reflected within our policies and I just Vermont holds such a Wonderful special place in my heart and especially right here in Winooski because this is a place where I was able to find my authentic self and had the privilege to be able to come out to those around me and Continuing to do this work and working within community and now Over at Pride Center of Vermont really advocating for the changes that we need I'm specifically for LGBTQ Vermonters in my work now But going beyond that and seeing the intersection of our identities and the ways that they are showing up And I know this because just four years ago I found myself unemployed in this state purely because of my identity and So I was unable to find reliable transportation I was sitting there trying to balance my budget to see whether I was going to be able to eat that day Or if I was going to get the medical care that I needed Which should never be a choice that Vermonters are making and I know that my story isn't unique And is not unique here in Winooski or across the state of Vermont And so that's the work that I want to make Change there in the state house. And so that looks like making health care affordable safe and accessible for all Vermonters It means that we are moving and making our transportation safe and reliable and accessible for folks and Moving into a space where we can have a livable wage for all working Vermonters and Understanding that these changes aren't going to be made overnight But we need strong advocates in our state house to make sure that this momentum is continuing I have a parking dog in the background hence the muting of the microphone So I'm apologized Jordan. Would you mind telling us why you're running and what experience you bring to the position of State representative Yeah, okay I'm gonna do a represent Winooski and the part of Burlington Because I feel like I couldn't make a change I grew up here in fourth-generation Winooski and You know, I've seen Winooski develop, you know through good times and bads right now. It's developing in a Good way. It's on it's on a rise. I'd like to see that growth continue especially with You know the housing levels to go up, you know, we have like a we've had a housing crisis in Chittenden County for years Especially for lower income folks You know, I think we have enough luxury rentals for people right now And I'd be a big advocate for mixed-use housing that's going up Also, I'm interested in looking at the education funding and seeing what can be done there to help You know, where other sources of funding come from other than just tax revenue Especially after you know, we get out of the pandemic people are gonna be strapped for cash and I Think that it would be wouldn't be wise to try and tax people more to float the education system In it's the way it gets funded now I really don't have any political background of a newcomer and I just felt that running for this position was something that I could do to help better Winooski and Our neighbors next door and honestly, what's your professional background? So right now I work for biotech industries Instruments there in Winooski But mostly a blue collar background What sounds like you're methodical Taylor we'll start with the next question and it's another big one But if you could just be to the point about it What's gonna be different for your district for the state because you were elected to the House of Representatives in Vermont? Well, what's gonna be different such a great question and I think in Understanding that this seat was previously occupied by Deanna Gonzalez who retired this year after six wonderful years in the state house I don't think there's gonna be much difference because of the fact that we are so aligned on the issues that are impacting the folks here in Winooski But one piece that will be different is representation and I think representation matters Especially in our state house and the voices that are making the change statewide So understanding that Vermont has never elected an out transgender Legislator in all of its years and would be if I was elected the fifth state in our United States To be able to elect an out trans legislator Means that we are moving in the direction of having our state house Reflect the people of Vermont and making sure that all voices are coming to the table to make sure that those bills are robust and Really focusing on those most impacted Thank you so much Jordan Matt, what will be different because you've taken this seat in the legislature in a year. I think you're muted Or maybe not try again. Yep. Sorry Yeah, okay So I think I would I'm very good communicator I think That would be important to let people know what is actually happening in their district like at least a monthly update instead of having people search What's going through legislature because it's kind of a web of bills and whatnot that's out there So I try and keep up with communing communicating with people and hearing what they want instead of just Pushing my own agenda basically and Hopefully a year in I've gotten something substantial done. I don't know what that would be but Yeah, there are no big thing anywhere Thank you. How Colston what'll be different next year at this time if you're reelected? well, I think two things I'm going to be pushing as hard as I can for Assuming that our city Votes to our charter change to allow for all resident voting I serve on the government operations committee and and we will be the first stop for that Charter change We were successful in passing through our committee in the house similar effort in Montclyer and I think this is the trend for the future I think we need to be more cognizant of our New American neighbors who are on that path to become citizens again They would be three to five to ten years and how do we have their voice included this important? And the other thing I want to have an impact on you know we're now really focused on racial justice and use of force by police in legislation and I think that's just the tip of the iceberg and I think we really need to figure out how do we Dismantle our systemic Racism that's in all of our institutions and I would love to see a truth and reconciliation Commission established to have you know statewide conversations and begin to heal the broken Relationships before we can repair the damage of systemic racism. So that's something I will be focused on in the coming year Thank you I'm going to go right to the questions on the budget and we're going to start with you Jordan Given the possibly unprecedented revenue and expense challenges that Vermont faces this year and in the years coming up How would you propose approaching the state budget? we're gonna have to be frugal and To allocate money to take money that's already allocated for some budget say infrastructure or something and move it around to Say education funding. I'm not really sure how it works, but I Think spending money right now that is unnecessary Really just shouldn't happen Like I said people are tightened have tightened their belts through this pandemic and I think the government should do that too You know we need I'm an advocate for the commercial cannabis, I think that's a good outside a source of funds Other avenues for that potentially a wealth tax I'm on the fence about that about what the numbers would look like for that, but that's another option So I think there are other sources of revenue out there to to fill the gaps Yeah, honestly, I think you just have to be a little fiscally responsible right now and Hopefully it washes out Thank you so much How could you tell us what you think we should do to get this budget? Well, I don't even know what the verb is, but how would you approach the budget? Well, it's gonna be a very challenging End of the session as we go back in late August You know, I believe that a budget is a moral document It speaks to the values that we really hold dear So I think first and foremost we have to see it through that filter We're gonna have to make some tough decisions and cuts about what doesn't get done and what gets done But I think what's missing is the voice of the people We're a citizen legislation So we don't have staff We we have some support through a legislative council and in the joint fiscal office, but We don't have the voice of the people. We have all kinds of caucuses with tons of Lobbyists who provide us information, but I'm hoping to see the formation of a people's caucus So as we go through these hard and trying times We're listening to the most vulnerable and how this impacts their lives, which ultimately impacts our lives So I think we need a different approach and how we do our budget because we have to make sure It's a moral document Thank you very much. Taylor small your approach to the budget This year and the years ahead Recognizing that this pandemic COVID-19 has really created a quite a large bill that we now need to put and so I think where we need to be going is a progressive tax reform And really making sure that all Vermonters are paying their equitable share into taxes And so when we think of something like a wealth tax, that is something that folks who hold so Majority of the money are not typically working and so when we're focusing on a payroll tax and taking that out What we're doing is we're impacting our middle class and we're impacting our working class folks who are having more and more Taking out of their funds and not being able to pay things like their mortgage or rent or food or health care So really focusing on where folks are are hoarding that wealth and making sure that it's coming back to our state In an equitable fashion because as we know folks who have wealth Are it's a drop in the bucket when they're paying a larger tax Rather than when we think of our working class and we think of our middle class where it is so much more than that And I also agree with Jordan Matt. I think there is a piece there in Legalizing the sale of cannabis and using that green revenue to come back into our state I think we've seen that in colorado where they are had an excess of funds prior to cope it Um and something that we could easily do here as well But I think again, it's a multi-step process with that I just wanted to ask a follow-up question. Do you think there are enough wealthy people in vermont to make a big difference on revenue That's a great question And I wouldn't focus necessarily on the number of wealthy people but thinking of wealth itself in the way that it's showing up So making sure again focusing on that equity piece and not putting the burden on our working class Which is so often what we are continuing to do instead of focusing on those who definitely have the means To be able to support our state Thank you very much So this next question we're going to start with hal and i'm going to go right to education, which is really important for the city of winnicki That there's a decline in the student population in most parts of vermont So how can we as a state continue to pay our teachers? Um compensate them well and continue to deliver high quality education how um That's a great question. Um, I think this pandemic has challenged us in so many different ways and I think we need to be Willing to take a step back and reboot on how we deliver education um, we have this model that was established back in the agrarian, you know age of our Country and it hasn't changed very much. You know, it's all about, you know One size fits all And I have learned from my experience with the partnership for change which uh Was a six-year grant from the nely may education foundation focusing on winnicki and burlington in particular the high school and and we were able to begin the shift from our current traditional model to a student-centered proficiency-based learning model So In a sense, we're flipping the paradigm of time So time is no longer the constant, but it should become the variable And the constant is mastery. So how do we? Reframe the way that we deliver education So that we're teaching to each and every student as opposed to the subject And I think teachers get excited about this approach Because ultimately it's a more effective way of engaging students and delivering education and and we have to look To our greater community As a source of resources and as a place where education should occur and not inside Four brick walls as it's been currently done for hundreds of years. So I think this is a moment where we can really You know explore and try different ways of delivering education And and obviously with the the eye on equity As we've learned in this pandemic Equity is still a challenge as in terms of the digital divide and how many Students come from families where it isn't the norm to have this kind of connection but if we're looking to reboot and Come up with a different approach. We have to make sure that access is available for all Thank you very much Taylor small your response to the question about how to promote high quality education That takes care of our faculty And the people that teach our children given the declining population of students Yeah, I think uh first and foremost making sure that we are maintaining our funding for our education system I think of course there needs to be an improvement there an increase But starting first by making sure that we don't continue a defunding of education And again building on what hal said really leaning into the experts here So the people the teachers the administration who are there working with students on a regular basis Know the reality of what it can be accomplished and what can be done And I think that is an integral in making this change is focusing on the the folks who are doing the work already And also understanding that we are still going through a pandemic and it may not be ending anytime soon for us So building in opportunities for folks to have access to technology and more importantly access to broadband internet so that they are able to have high speed internet And be able to actually participate in their classes instead of having to juggle with parents or family members Around who gets to use what device when or what takes a priority my learning and my schooling or the work of my parents Thank you so much. Jordan Matt. How would you approach this? Problem of high quality education for Vermont students. And how can the state continue to afford to deliver it? All right, so the way it's funded now, you know is based off 25 years ago, I believe when when that bill went through I think it's a little It does benefit when you ski when you ski does benefit the way it is funded The way it is funded. I'm currently funded But I think it's you know when that was implemented it covered core classes and You know science math English all that stuff and not really services which have been growing and growing Over the past decade or so, especially here in one of the skis and Burlington and pretty much everywhere. So it has to be another way to To approach it and build a different way to fund the system. I'm not sure what that is I think there's a lot of good ideas out there, but I You know again the pandemic has brought out the need for the big push for broadband and access to education maybe not so much in urban settings, but We're not an urban state. So a lot of people are struggling with that To have some kind of access to education ongoing education instead of You know if they can't go into a physical place then you know, you're really You're really screwed All right, thank you. I'm going to go on to the next question just to remind our viewers We're here with the three candidates for the democratic primary for District seven which covers Winniski and part of Burlington for the House of Representatives to Two candidates will ultimately after the November election go to the state house representing this district in the house So this question i'm going to go right to the opiate epidemic and taylor you would start with this Are you satisfied with the headway vermont is making with the opiate epidemic and what else must be done? Well, I think again, we are making great headway But do I think that we've reached the peak of what we need to be doing? No, I think Addiction is so closely tied to our mental health services And so making sure that we're leaning into the evidence-based practices of those folks who are in the social work field who are doing the mental health work and Are they're working directly with community members is exactly where we need to go And so I think the the piece that comes up so often is the way that we police this use And opiate use and making sure that we are shifting our systems away from a system of policing our community members and instead supporting our community members and getting the mental health services that they need And moving them away from a long-term addiction And also holding education with our health care providers and making sure that opiates are not being prescribed at the high rates That they have been and making sure that we're finding alternatives to both manage pain For folks who are experiencing that while also not sending them into a direct pipeline into addiction Thank you very much. Jordan Matt your approach to the epidemic The epidemic of opiates. Do you think we're making progress? What else must be done? I think the Vermont is trending in the right place. Um in the right path, uh, obviously more can be done. Um I would have to agree with Taylor that people should be need to be educated instead of punished for use. Um, uh, I believe that you know places like the Howard center and spectrum and places like that Should have more and more people. Um You know people social workers there to educate people on on um The pros and cons and what they should do, uh, of you know, if if if Of opiate use not that there's much for pros of that, but um, uh, you know It shouldn't be policed By law enforcement, um You know not to the point where it's you know incarceration and they should be using social workers to Uh To enforce it, I guess is what I'm saying Um for me, it's been kind of on the not on the forefront because it's not really Uh in the media as much. So I think that's a problem people aren't aware that it is still an issue Uh Here in Vermont and everywhere Thank you, Jordan Hal colston, what's your view of the headway? Vermont is making with the opiate epidemic and what else do you think must be done? Well, I think we're moving in the right direction in terms of trying to Um turn this issue around and I think we have a a gem in our own backyard in burlington With their approach, which is called constat. Um, it's been in place for several years Um, I believe it was borrowed from a similar effort in in new york city in brooklyn Um, and essentially what it does it brings together all the right people around the table Including the mayor The police chief and all the major nonprofits that are involved with supporting people who are struggling with opiate abuse And they work off of data It's all about finding the right data and pulling together and early on in their process Uh, they were able to pinpoint that there was over prescriptions being done by a certain physician From the uvm medical center and as taylor suggested, you know, we have got to focus on that end of the problem Because if you're over prescribing Then you're putting out far too many drugs into the community and as we know these are very addictive drugs and boom That's what it takes. So I think we need to um have a a collective community approach And and understand what are we doing to help this particular individual to move into a different path and off of opiates It's got to be a collective effort Thank you very much. I want to um, I'm going to start with uh, jordan on the question about equity But the next question is going to be our last one and that's I'd like if you want to ask each other a question We'll see if we have enough time to do that So vermont pass some racial equity legislation in the past few years Are you satisfied that the vermont legislature is doing enough to dismantle systemic and institutional racism in the state? jordan matt Well, not at this point. I think that they That they can do more obviously there's more that can be done. Uh, they do have their plate full Right now, but I think If you're gonna get anything in the works that you that you want to see come to fruition Sooner rather than later you have to start working on it now. I'm not sure what is in uh, legislation what is uh In the house right now that's being pushed through to help with uh racial equity and But I I feel that you know, you could do more It's a great start that they do, you know, that they've they've passed some bills In the last few years, uh, but again, they can you know more can be done always can be done Are there examples from other parts of the country that you think are interesting for vermont to consider? I have not I cannot think of one off that one. Okay. Yeah. All right. Thank you. Um How your view on? Whether we're doing enough to dismantle systemic and institutional racism in vermont And what else needs to be done? Well being involved in a part of the legislature, um I think we have a ways to go and I I can see doing a lot more Um in my first year in the biennium um, I believe We had an unprecedented first time um Engagement of all the legislators 150 of us through like a two-hour diversity equity inclusion 101 workshop I thought that was a great first step But I think we need to do a lot more work in smaller groups committee size to dig deeper because if majority of those serving the legislature are white and have white hair and maybe not quite in touch with our current status of racial injustice Then we need to do the work We need to do the work first so that it shifts our attitudes and our behaviors And I can see from my vantage point in the legislature um There's a lot of opportunity And I'm hoping that as we go forward in the next biennium That the speaker will continue this work And I I believe her heart is in the right place But I think we need to do the work first That will impact our thinking and how we approach legislation Because if you don't understand how and why this systemic racism impacts me Impacts you as a white person Then we really can't work well together as equals to do the work So I think that's the work that needs to be Approached and my hope is that We'll have the leadership in place. We have a very robust social equity caucus that just got formed less than a year ago We have about 75 legislators involved and 75 community members and that's been a great Way to push us as a body To do the work that needs to be done Thanks so much. Taylor small your view on this question Yeah, the short answer is no We need to be doing more and I think the piece that I hold is that we're we're working on centuries of racism That has happened both in our state and nationwide And so when we think of it that way and we think of systemic and institutional racism What we are saying is that these are embedded within our systems embedded within the structure of our legislature That makes our bills inequitable or the historical bills that we've made have been inequitable So I think there's a piece in looking at the past harm that has been caused by previous legislation I think there is work in reparations and supporting our black and brown community members And understanding the impacts that we as white folks here in the state of Vermont Are causing for those folks And also holding that it uh, we haven't created safe pathways necessarily for people of color to serve in the state legislature And I hold so close the fact that we had a representative just a few years ago who received death threats purely for the fact that she was going to serve in our state legislature And that really uh underscores the piece that hate can and is growing in the rocky soil of Vermont And we need to do some tilling to get it out of there Thank you so much We're going to move on. Um, if you have i'm going to start with Hal Do you have a question for either of or both of The other candidates Sure, um, it's it's a question that either one of them can can respond to but What do you think is the most pressing issue facing Vermont today? And how might our legislative process be part of its solution? Thank you. Why don't we start with you Jordan? Now it's budget gap. I would think is the most pressing but um before uh I still think the education funding is one of the More pressing issues. Uh, I think there's probably a few on the forefront, but um You know if if people can't afford to fund the school system then Really, where does that leave us? Um, you know The way it's uh the way it's currently funded. I don't think it's sustainable and um That's that's what I think is currently the the issue on the forefront Thank you Taylor small but issue most pressing issue and your approach to it Yeah, recognizing that we are currently living through a global pandemic and understanding that our healthcare systems are still not set up to support all Vermonters We as a state are really great at getting folks connected to health insurance But we also know that access to health insurance doesn't mean access to equitable care And especially when we think of co-pays deductibles and all of the other hidden fees that come up with health care So my my priority in getting into the state house would be focusing on medicare for all And really underscoring the peace that health insurance should not be tied to employment As we are seeing folks facing unemployment for possibly the first time in their life during this pandemic And losing health insurance when they could potentially be getting sick That's just leaving me with a pit in my stomach and not what I want to see for Vermont's future Thank you. Jordan. Do you have a question for the other candidates? You don't okay Both their platforms and they're pretty thorough. All right very good. Thank you Taylor. Do you have a question for either or both of the other candidates? Yeah, um, it was actually listed in our questions for the evening But definitely when that comes to the forefront for me Of what does the the future of our policing systems or criminal justice reform look like for you? Or what would you like to see here in the state of Vermont? How why don't we start with you? Thank you. Taylor. Sure. Thank you. Taylor What I like to see is How do we Have a serious conversation with all the parties Um, you know years ago in burlington. I was part of this effort called uncommon alliance and it was an effort to bring together all the players in the criminal justice system and law enforcement and community advocates and community organizers and many of the people who were experiencing the disparity that has been delivered through law enforcement and That was a really rich and healthy process because we all sat at the table and we all shared through a process to be honest to be open and to be creative about how do we solve these issues of of racial disparity by our law enforcement officers and I think if we dig deeper We need to examine how does the Vermont criminal justice council Deliver its programming for inducting and training new officers And and I think therein lies some really interesting opportunities to change our system to make sure We're properly betting and hiring the the potential officers who are there to serve and protect the community and not for Command and control as we've seen it grow throughout our country and even in our state So I think we need to have a serious conversation about how do we view changes with all kinds of community input and And hopefully We can all agree That we can change this this model So that police do policing and not social service work or not mental health advocates, but you're not equipped to do So we need to figure out how do we configure the system? Thank you Taylor. Would you mind repeating the question for Jordan? Yeah, absolutely So really focusing on where what the future of policing looks like in our state and your ideals for criminal justice reform Thank you. Jordan. Matt So I think what's important, especially in one of your ski and diverse populations is Demilitarizing the police. Um, I think that should be statewide is that, um Police here are very Militrized with flat jackets and baseball caps and stuff. I think, you know, more of a soft Uniform would be beneficial, especially for appearance-wise. There can be a bit intimidating Especially for, you know, new new americans and refugees um, also They're um I'm not sure they're uh training You know, I think I believe it's a 16 week police academy to become a Officer, I don't think that's long enough. Also, you're not paid to go through that process. Um, I so I think that's Not that's our reach for a lot of people that can't just take 16 weeks off and go and try and become police officer Which hurts into diversifying our police forces um and you know Taking You know say next year you come up with a budget for the police and uh, do your negotiations with the police union I think that the money that would be spent on um The police union would like should be spent on social services, whether it be in-house social worker or using against uh A place like the Howard center to um take that burden off the police shoulders So they don't have to do that part of the job Thank you, Jordan So we don't have time for everyone to do a minute closing statement But if you would like to do 30 seconds, I'm going to start with you. Howl colston your closing comments Well, thanks again for this opportunity to um to share my thoughts about how do we go forward as a state? I believe in when you ski for all and and I believe we need to have all of the voices possible at the table Thank you very much Taylor small your closing comments I think howl did a wonderful job earlier highlighting what our current legislature looks like it's primarily white It's primarily older folks. It's primarily straight folks, and it's primarily cisgender folks And so if we're truly looking for equity on the state house in the way that bills are being formed And we need to make sure that representation is in the state house And is at the forefront of our conversations of who is most marginalized and impacted Thank you very much. Jordan matt your closing comments trending in the correct direction. I'd like to see that Keep going that way and hopefully not have a downturn appreciate you letting uh joined the forum and Finally actually meet Taylor. So that's nice, um Yeah, I think I could do I think I could I could push along bills there that would uh Help when you ski in burlington and the rest state out As much as possible Thank you so much We've been with three candidates for the democratic primary for state representative for chitin and six seven Which covers when is ski and a small part of burlington the primary is on august 11th So if you haven't yet requested your ballot or are planning to go august 11th is the date And I want to thank our three candidates for the two positions in the democratic primary Taylor small pal colson and jordan matt Thanks so much and be sure to stay tuned to continuing coverage Of the primary and general elections here on town meeting television. Thanks for watching