Dear Constituents-

As we Legislators settled into a new routine of phone briefings and remote committee meetings, the House of Representatives was unexpectedly and abruptly summoned back to Montpelier to vote on several Resolutions dealing with our future ability to vote remotely. This was rather shocking, given the Governor’s “stay at home, stay safe” order, but approximately 80 of us arrived and promptly social distanced ourselves from each other, spreading out throughout the Statehouse until voting commenced.  

Dear Constituents –

This week, our world is a very different place. Many of us are navigating the challenges of working from home, often with children present, without access to conveniences like our daily coffee run, restaurant meals, gyms, day cares, or full shelves at the grocery store. We are being tasked with learning how to use technology for our everyday work, for religious services, communication, and for ordinary purchasing. It can be frustrating, frightening, and even feel frivolous in the case of ordering online and having it delivered to your door – but it’s what we must do in order to remain well and safe for the folks we interact with who may be at risk for COVID-19 infection. One of the best statements I heard this week was from a Millennial I won’t name who said, “I am not afraid of being sick myself, but I want to be part of the solution, not the problem, and I’m doing my part to stay home, so I don’t get sick or infect someone and take up a hospital bed that would be better used by someone else who needs it more than I do”.  This spoke volumes to me, and I hope we all can take this advice to heart and do the right thing by our friends, family, and neighbors.

Dear Constituents,

After the pleasure of meeting with many of you at Town Meetings last week and having a few days of downtime, this week rapidly evolved into a very different week than last. Our concern over the COVID-19 state of emergency is heightened, and many of our efforts have been directed towards addressing those concerns. For the latest information on the Legislature’s response to this crisis, and to avoid duplication,  please refer to the update being developed by Rep Fegard and myself on her website https://www.charenforhouse.com/updates.html

It is an honor to serve you in the Vermont House of Representatives.

We have been in Montpelier now for eight weeks, and during that time, we have seen a number of bills that have great impact on all Vermonters, so I’ll update you on their status: