FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 17, 2024
Contact: Emily Hagan-Howe, Communications Director, ACLU of Vermont, [email protected], (802) 223-6304 x121
(Montpelier, VT) – Today, the legislature convened for a one-day session to reconsider bills that were vetoed by Governor Scott.
Among the legislation vetoed by Governor Scott this year was H.72, an act relating to authorizing and funding overdose prevention centers (OPCs). Although the House successfully overrode the veto, it failed in the Senate by one vote.
The following statement was issued by ACLU of Vermont Advocacy Director Falko Schilling:
“With Governor Scott’s cruel veto of H.72 and the Senate’s failure to override that veto, our leaders have missed yet another opportunity to respond to the substance use crisis with the urgency that it deserves.
Public health problems require public health solutions. Overdose prevention centers save lives, and they would make a meaningful difference in our communities by expanding access to essential medical treatment and building new pathways to recovery. It is disappointing that Vermonters will have to continue to wait to gain access to this essential harm reduction infrastructure.
We are grateful to the lawmakers and advocates who worked to advance H.72 during this legislative session, and we urge legislators to take action in the next biennium to authorize overdose prevention centers alongside other life-saving harm reduction strategies.”
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