(Host) It appears that a town meeting resolution in support of universal health care coverage was approved by voters in nearly all of the communities that considered it. The resolution called for local and state officials to support state-financed universal health care.
It was taken up by about twenty towns, and it passed in Burlington and Montpelier. Former State Senator Cheryl Rivers was one of the organizers of the effort. She calls the resolution a "smashing success."
(Rivers) "Many Vermonters today sent a strong message to their elected representatives that they’re ready for change and they want them to move forward to design a universal health care system that’s publicly financed and that gets rid of all this administrative red tape that’s contributing to the unsustainable cost increases."
(Host) Rivers says unless the Legislature takes action on universal health insurance this year, organizers will push for more towns to adopt the resolution next March. The resolution was defeated in at least two communities: Bennington and Stockbridge.