I first announced my candidacy for the Vermont House of Representatives a decade ago. It has been an honor to represent my district for those ten years, and I hope to return to the State House in January to continue the important work of the legislature. Today I am asking for your support in my bid for reelection in South Burlington’s Chittenden-12 district.

I have had the pleasure of getting to know many of my constituents. We have discussed issues at my Saturday morning listening sessions, engaged in dialogue at the city’s legislative forums, chatted as I’ve gone door to door handing out my end of session reports, and talked to voters as I’ve stood at the polls. I have learned – and will continue to learn – how you feel about issues that are important to South Burlington and the whole of Vermont. And I hope to continue to represent you in working toward solutions to those issues.

This past biennium has been extremely busy and also extremely productive. It was my first term as Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, the committee on which I have served since I entered the legislative. I also served this session as Chair of the Special Committee on Impeachment Inquiry, which investigated accusations of misconduct by two elected officials in Franklin County, and Chair of the House Ethics Panel.

I am proud of my hard work on the House Judiciary Committee during the past decade and am eager to continue to make progress on several important issues. I have focused on criminal justice reform, including juvenile justice, bail reform, reducing collateral consequences of criminal convictions, restorative justice, drug treatment courts, and access to justice for all Vermonters. Much of my attention has been on bills that protect the most vulnerable in Vermont, such as victims of sexual assault, sexual exploitation, and domestic abuse.

I have also focused on public safety, clarifying police use of force, facilitating traffic safety, reducing the substantial court backlog so that criminal offenders can be held accountable, creating reasonable restrictions on firearms to reduce gun violence and to prevent suicides, and enabling medical monitoring for Vermonters exposed to toxic substances. And I was proud to report a bill to protect access in Vermont to reproductive and gender-affirming health care, shielding Vermont doctors, nurses, therapists, and others who are providing such health care that is legal here in Vermont.

Over my ten years in the Vermont House, I have also been involved with many issues beyond the Judiciary Committee’s jurisdiction. Environmental issues, including addressing global warming and cleaning up Lake Champlain, have been important to me, as have issues like education funding, collective bargaining, and school construction funding.

Thank you to the voters who have put their trust in me to represent their interests and the interests of Vermont. I ask for your continued support in November.