News

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Vt. abortion advocates and opponents explain their stances amid Women’s March

By Melissa Cooney, WCAX, October 2, 2021. Watch on WCAX.

Thousands of people across the country, including hundreds in Vermont walked in the first Women’s March of the Biden Administration Saturday. While the nation’s eyes are on the Supreme Court this week, Vermonters are looking to the legislature.

Activists here are also advocating for Proposal 5 to be added to the Vermont Constitution, which would enshrine the right to an abortion in the Green Mountain State.

“I know that no matter what happens in Washington, we have to be prepared here in Vermont to do our part to protect our reproductive liberty for all Vermonters, said Lt. Governor Molly Gray, D-Vermont.

Vermont’s lieutenant governor wraps up statewide tour

By Alexandra Montgomery, WCAX, September 29, 2021. Watch on WCAX.

Gray has been traveling across the state since June to hear from Vermonters about what it’s been like for them during the pandemic.

She says there are many issues that need attention, including access to broadband, a housing shortage, an uptick in mental health needs among young people and workforce shortages.

“In my case, that means bringing what I’ve learned back to the Statehouse, to the governor, as an extra set of eyes and ears as we move into the legislative session and setting a budget for next year,” said Gray. D-Vermont.

Lt. Gov. Molly Gray, in tour of Bennington, hears concerns, hals community cooperation as a model for the state

By Greg Sukiennik, Bennington Banner, September 29, 2021. Read in The Bennington Banner.

Gray was impressed by that collaboration and its current results and future potential, and said other communities across the state ought to look to Bennington as a model for how stakeholders can work together.

“I think the fact that there are so many different stakeholders coming together to address problems, especially young leaders in a state that really suffers from a demographic crisis,” Gray said.

“And so, to see so many young people see so many different leaders from so many different backgrounds coming together to problem solve, I think it’s pretty unique, Gray said. “There’s something about what’s happening here in Bennington, that is different than the rest of the state and can really serve as a model.”

Lt. Gov. Gray visits Brattleboro, finds innovative thinking

By Chris Mays, The Bennington Banner, September 28, 2021. Read in The Bennington Banner.

Lt. Gov. Molly Gray, who visited town Tuesday, called Brattleboro “the hub of innovation.”

She also spoke with community members and leaders at The Works Cafe, and those behind the effort to bring refugees from around the world to Brattleboro by opening a field office for the Ethiopian Community Development Council.

“I think Brattleboro can be a model for Vermont on how to rally community support, how to rally stakeholders throughout the community and to be a welcoming community for refugees coming to Vermont,” she said. “I think that Brattleboro is a model for Vermont on how to bring people together to create a really welcoming environment.”

North Macedonia leaders visit Vermont to expand partnership

By Courtney Kramer, My Champlain Valley, September 21, 2021. Watch on My Champlain Valley.

North Macedonia Defense Minister Radmila Shekerinska visited the Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier, where she met with Lt. Gov. Molly Gray and Secretary of Commerce and Community Development Lindsay Kurrle to discuss new steps toward increased civic and economic cooperation.

“Security today looks different,” said Lt. Gov. Gray. “It includes economic security, climate security, and if we’re going to have a meaningful long-term partnership, economic relationship is really key.”

“It is the human contacts with Vermont, the day to day relationships with many men and women on both sides of the Atlantic that made this goal possible,” she said.

Vermont Business Owners Continue to Face Financial Woes

By Christopher Roy, The Newport Daily Express, September 20, 2021. Read in The Newport Daily Express.

The state of emergency and quarantine might be over, but local businesses continue to feel the effects from it.

Frank and Michelle Richardi, owners of several local downtown businesses, including Lago Trattoria and the Warehouse, recently spoke to Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray.

According to Michelle, about 300 of the 900 Vermont restaurants that applied for help received assistance, but they received nothing from that round of funding. Now she hopes that Gray will successfully get a second round of financial help from Federal leaders.

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Lt. Gov Molly Gray calls on Scott administration to do more on COVID-19

By Brianna Borghi, NBC5, September 18, 2021.Watch on NCB5.

Vermont Lt. Gov. Molly Gray is calling out the Scott administration over how it’s handling a rise in COVID-19 cases.

“We just don’t see consistency in mask-wearing and maybe that’s because Vermonters don’t know what they need to do," Gray said.

“Across the state, businesses are left to figure it out on their own. A lot of schools and parents and families are left to figure it out on their own. And we just need clear guidance right now," Gray said.

Gray calls on Scott to take ‘greater measures’ to manage pandemic

By Lola Duffort, VT Digger, September 16, 2021. Read in VT Digger.

Amid a rise in cases, Lt. Gov. Molly Gray on Thursday called on the Scott administration to take “greater measures” to dampen the spread of Covid-19.

“Because the current masking guidance is not yielding the outcomes intended, until the remaining 13 percent of eligible Vermonters are vaccinated, vaccines are approved for children under 12, and boosters for at-risk adults are fully available, we must take greater measures to protect Vermonters,” Gray said

The lieutenant governor wrote that she had “strongly encouraged” Scott to “take steps to further clarify indoor masking and social distancing recommendations and to consider steps necessary to issuing mask requirements or other measures.”

Vermont National Guard Hosts 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony

By Melissa Cooney, WCAX, September 11, 2021. Read on WCAX.

It’s been 2 decades since the terrorist group Al-Qaeda hijacked four planes mid flight and changed the nation as we knew it. Two of the planes crashed in to the World Trade Center in New York City, one into the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and the other into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

2,977 people lost their lives that day and over 2,500 were people injured. To honor and remember the fallen, the Vermont National Guard held a remembrance ceremony at the Ethan Allen training site today.

“I think it’s important when we think about the Vermonters in Iraq and Afghanistan. There was a time where we had more serving per capita than any other state,” said Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray.

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Lt. Gov. Molly Gray: What I’ve been hearing from Vermonters

VT Digger, September 3, 2021. Read on VT Digger.

“From the day I took office, my commitment has been to give Vermonters a seat at the table and a voice in the conversation. For that reason, my focus since the Legislature adjourned in May has been the Recover Stronger Tour, where I spend time meeting directly with Vermonters impacted by the pandemic. Here are some of the top concerns shared with me over the past two months.”

“Like so many, I’ve been a renter all my adult life, and know firsthand how expensive it is. But the pandemic has made things worse. It’s no secret that Vermont is also facing a workforce shortage, and the two are clearly connected.”

“While it’s always been a struggle for Vermont families to find and afford child care, the pandemic has only exacerbated the crisis. In South Hero, I met with a woman named Molly, who had to leave a job that she loved because the cost of child care for her three children was simply too much to afford during the pandemic. Molly is one of the 5 million American women who left the workforce this year in large part due to caregiving responsibilities.”

Abortion-rights supporters say Vermont constitutional amendment more urgent after Texas ruling

By Grace Benninghoff, VT Digger, September 3, 2021. Read in VT Digger.

Vermont lawmakers who support abortion rights say it’s more important than ever to enshrine such rights into the Vermont Constitution following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling this week that upheld new restrictions in Texas.

Lt. Gov. Molly Gray, Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint, D-Windham, and House Speaker Jill Krowinski, D-Burlington — all Democrats — released statements Thursday decrying the Supreme Court decision.

“We are witnessing a catastrophic step backward in the fight for reproductive justice in our country,” wrote Gray, who also urged Vermonters to “remain diligent” in efforts to adopt Proposal 5.

Leahy seeks $9 million to support Vermont start-ups

By Jolie Sherman, News 10, August 21, 2021. Read on News 10.

Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy wants 9 million dollars set aside in this year’s appropriations bill for Vermont start-ups.

Leahy says this funding request is a top priority. He was joined by VCET’s many partners, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger and Lt. Governor Molly Gray.

“This is such an exciting moment for Vermont. There is so much that we know about the state that we are more than dairy farms and cover bridges, though I love both, we are founders of start-ups, we are innovators, we are entrepreneurs,” said Gray.

Vermont youth take over State House for a day

Brattleboro Reformer, August 10, 2021. Read in the Brattleboro Reformer.

Students from Windham County and all over Vermont traveled to the State House recently to meet with various state leaders and talk about important issues of the day.

The July 30 gathering was coordinated by the Governor’s Institutes of Vermont (GIV), with funding from a Summer Matters for All grant. It allowed 18 young Vermonters to meet in person with Gov. Phil Scott, Lt. Gov. Molly Gray, and a host of legislators for a day of exchanging ideas and creating real change.

“We need you. We really need you. We need the next generation at the table,” Gray told the students, who piled into her office to discuss the climate and housing crises currently facing Vermont. Scott added that “Regardless of our differences, we’re all team Vermont. And our young people — all of you — are incredibly important members of that team.”

Rep. Welch, Lt. Governor Gray and advocates call for action to lower costs and improve health care for all Vermonters

Vermont Biz, August 10, 2021. Read in Vermont Biz.

This afternoon Protect Our Care’s “Care Force One'' arrived in Burlington to demonstrate the need for lowering Vermonter’s health costs, expanding coverage, and reducing healthcare disparities. Headlined by Rep. Peter Welch and Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray, the event highlighted how Democrats are leading the charge to advance American health care and held Republicans accountable for continuing to reject measures to improve care and lower costs for all Vermonters.

"As I’ve traveled around the state meeting with communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, one thing is clear: this pandemic has not impacted all Vermonters equally and many communities and families remain in crisis," said Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray. "Access to health care and life saving prescriptions cannot be on the chopping block for Vermonters, not during a pandemic, not ever," the Lieutenant Governor continued, before celebrating the efforts of Democrats in Congress, who have been working hard to lower drug costs and expand access to care.

Labor Shortage, housing are key concerns during Lt. Gov. Gray’s county tour

By Gareth Henderson, Omni Reporter, August 5, 2021. Read in the Omni Reporter.

“I think the biggest thing the pandemic has exposed, that we're seeing in every corner of the state, is that we do have massive housing insecurity, to the point where we may have a housing crisis that deserves a particular designation and recognition as a crisis," Gray said.

Gray also said the shrinking workforce in mental health, substance abuse treatment and related services is a major problem.

"The impact of that is that more and more people aren't getting services," Gray said. "So, if we're going to make really strategic investments now, it means listening to Vermonters, listening to the need, and then investing in infrastructure."

'We Believe in Paid Leave' campaign launches

By Chris Mays, Brattleboro Reformer, August 1, 2021. Read in the Brattleboro Reformer.

Proponents of paid family and medical leave hope to make big waves with a social media campaign as Congress takes up the issue. Vermont Lt. Gov Molly Gray called it one that’s “near and dear to my heart.”

“For anyone who has navigated a family medical crisis, caregiving, pregnancy, a miscarriage or caring for a newborn, the need for paid family and medical leave is palpable, it is visceral and so deeply obvious, and particularly here in Vermont,” Gray said, remembering when her mother got sick in March 2019, when she was working as an assistant attorney general during the day and teaching law classes at night to make enough money to cover student loans and rent.

“I used up all my accrued vacation and sick leave, which wasn’t much because I wasn’t there very long, to be at the hospital helping my family navigate the medical emergency. As I ran out of paid leave, I began to wonder, what would happen if I had to take unpaid leave? How long would it be before I couldn’t make my rent or my student loans or worse? Would I have to leave my job altogether?”

Vermont small businesses launch campaign for Biden’s paid leave proposal

By Courtney Kramer, My Champlain Valley, July 29, 2021. Read in My Champlain Valley.

Lawmakers, businesses and other advocates in Vermont are joining the push for a federally funded program that would guarantee workers 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave.

Lt. Gov. Molly Gray Said that lack of support forces some employees in an already struggling workforce to leave their jobs altogether.

“Our economy and employers lose when women and caregivers leave the workforce,” Gray said. “We simply cant afford it here in Vermont.”

Goodrich digester goes live

By John Flowers, Addison Independent, July 22, 2021. Read in the Addison Independent.

The state’s top two elected officials on Wednesday helped Salisbury’s Goodrich Farm launch the Northeast’s largest farm-powered anaerobic digester, a facility that will convert cow manure, food and beverage waste into renewable natural gas.

Gray also praised the project, and voiced her hope that it could be replicated as part of a comprehensive green energy strategy for the state. “This includes continuing our efforts to weatherize homes, make solar and community solar available to Vermonters and supporting incentives for Vermonters to purchase electric vehicles,” she said.

“It’s incumbent upon all of us to make sure all Vermonters, particularly those who work our lands, can participate in reducing carbon emissions,” Gray added, including a reference to moving from gas-powered to electric trucks, including Ford’s F-150 Lightning. “But it doesn’t stop with electric trucks. Participation includes projects like this anaerobic digester. This project allows the Goodrich Farm to be part of the solution while making sure nothing goes to waste.”

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​The Northeast’s largest renewable natural gas digester begins operations in Salisbury

By Sophia McDermott-Hughes, VTDigger, July 21, 2021. Read in the VTDigger.

The largest anaerobic digester in the Northeast began full-scale production of renewable natural gas on Wednesday on the Goodrich Family Farm in Salisbury, just south of Middlebury.

The digester is an important step in reducing the state’s dependence on fossil fuels and in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural industry, which currently produces more than 10% of the state’s emissions.

The digester’s byproducts will find uses on the Goodrich Family Farm. The solid waste separated at the beginning of the digestor’s process will be used as bedding for the dairy cows, and the digestate — what remains once the natural gas has been extracted — will fertilize the farm’s corn and hay fields

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Amtrak returns to Vermont after a 16-month pandemic absence

By Kevin O'Connor, Emma Cotton, and Shaun Robinson, VTDigger, July 19, 2021. Read in the VTDigger.

Train stations drew sold-out railcars and scores of trackside celebrants Monday when Amtrak passenger service resumed in the Green Mountain State after a 16-month pandemic absence.

Lt. Gov. Molly Gray said the rail service benefits the entire state.

“If we think about Vermont’s future — a future where Vermonters can access education and work, and pleasure and leisure — it’s by trains,” Gray said.

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Lt. Gov. Gray visits with business, political leaders in islands

By Michelle Monroe and Michael Frett, Islander, July 15, 2021. Read in the Islander.

Lt. Gov. Molly Gray was in the Islands today as part of an ongoing effort to reach out and learn more about what Vermonters, businesses and communities need coming out of the pandemic. In particular, she is interested in how the state should invest the $2.7 billion coming from the federal government.

Gray’s first stop was the office of state’s attorney Doug DiSabito, where she spoke with DiSabito about how Vermonters have and have not been able to access the justice system during the pandemic. She then crossed Route 2 to talk with Walt Blasberg of the North Hero House about the impact of the pandemic on the hospitality industry, in particular the challenges with finding workers.

Gray again trekked south through the islands, arriving at two South Hero businesses before closing out with a meeting with state legislators and the county’s economic development coordinator at a picnic table near Seb’s Snack Bar.

Lt. Gov. Molly Gray Reflects On An Unusual First Year In Office

Vermont Public Radio, July 7, 2021. Listen on Vermont Public Radio.

“I think there are a lot of critical investments, be it broadband or childcare, our state colleges and workforce development— things that I see as critical to the future of our state and some of our demographic challenges and crises, which is why I ran for office. I see those investments happening and they’re happening in a way that is nonpartisan.”

“Telehealth is absolutely critical moving forward. It can’t just be a pandemic response. It has to be something that we allow Vermonters to access, be it for primary care, for certain appointments, or for ongoing care.”

“We really need people—those that do not have access [to broadband] in our state—at the center. And I just want to be clear, when we talk about broadband, we’re talking about access to healthcare… we’re talking about access to education and online learning… we’re talking about access to work.”

Vermont restaurants struggle to reopen as staff is scarce

By Fred Thys, VT Digger, July 1, 2021. Read in the VT Digger.

“It’s not just as easy as unlock the door and let people in,” Cara Chigazola Tobin told Vermont Lt. Gov. Molly Gray, who visited the restaurant to learn what she and other restaurant owners need from state and federal agencies to reopen.

Vermont restaurant owners are struggling to reestablish their businesses, even as Vermonters and tourists are returning in droves to eat out.

Gray said another reason restaurant workers are reluctant to come back to work is that they were the last to be vaccinated — a result of Vermont’s age-banding vaccination strategy, starting with the oldest and working down to the youngest. She said they are asking themselves: “Can I live with my roommates in an apartment and be working?”

See 20 photos from Lt. Governor Molly Gray's 'Recover Stronger' tour in St. Albans on Wednesday

By Kate Barcellos, St. Albans Messenger, June 30, 2021. Read in the St. Albans Messenger.

“We have $2.7 billion coming to Vermont through the American Rescue Plan, which is an unprecedented amount of money,” Gray said. “We’ve allocated about six-million of it thus far. So there’s this moment to take stock, to think about how we want to do things differently and really invest in the economic well being of Vermont...if there’s an infrastructure deal in Washington or if the American Families Plan comes up, we may see more.”

“Our plan is, at the end of the summer to put together a concrete list of priorities --be it telehealth, regular access to broadband and childcare at home for a lot of Vermonters...we have to invest in equitable, quality, affordable childcare...until we figure out how to pay childcare providers enough, make sure that there are enough childcare providers and make sure childcare is fully affordable and accessible, we are going to have communities and families that are in crisis.”

“Women have been disproportionately impacted,” Gray said. “Women have left the workforce at a higher rate here in Vermont than nationally...families have had to choose between staying in the workforce or leaving the workforce to care for children.”

Pandemic recovery efforts underway in Franklin County

By Brianna Borghi, NBC5, June 30, 2021. Read and watch on NBC5.

Lt. Gov. Molly Gray toured St. Albans on Wednesday to learn more about how businesses and services are bouncing back. Many Franklin County are hoping for support from the state as they navigate a post-COVID world.

“If we’re going to make smart investments going forward, we have to put Vermonters, the stories of Vermonters, the experiences of Vermonters, at the forefront,” Gray said.

She wants to hear directly from Vermonters impacted by the pandemic to identify how communities can recover stronger from COVID-19. As many people return to work, there is a significant need for childcare.

Restaurants still struggling to hire workers

By Erin Brown, WCAX3, June 28, 2021. Read and watch on WCAX3.

Monday, Lt. Gov. Molly Gray sat down with several restaurants in Chittenden County to hear from them first-hand.

“Honey Road is looking for a line cook and they’ve had an application process open and they haven’t had a single applicant. That’s happening in Burlington where we have a lot of young people and qualified, employable staff, so this is a statewide problem,” said Gray, D-Vermont.

Gray will be in St. Albans later this week to talk with more businesses about the recovery struggles they’re facing.

Rutland kicks off Lt. Gov. Molly Gray’s Recover Stronger tour

By Ethan Weinstein, Mountain Times, June 23, 2021. Read in the Mountain Times.

Lt. Gov. Molly Gray kicked off her Recover Stronger tour in Rutland on Wednesday, June 16. Her goal: learn what Vermonters learned from the pandemic, and what the state should do as it eases back to pre-pandemic life.

With $2.7 billion in federal funds allocated to Vermont from the American Rescue Plan Act, as well as the passage of the state’s $7.32 billion budget, Gray hopes to learn how working people want Montpelier to spend that money.

Just a day into her month-long tour, Gray is praising Vermonters and the pandemic lessons they have learned, like the vital intersection of health access and Internet access. “That’s not something I learned from being inside the State House, it’s being in contact with communities directly,” she said.

Lawson’s wins Deane C. Davis business award

By Lisa Scagliotti, Waterbury Roundabout, June 23, 2021. Read in the Waterbury Roundabout.

The Vermont Chamber of Commerce and Vermont Business Magazine this week awarded Mad River Valley brewer Lawson’s Finest Liquids with their top business honor for 2020.

Lt. Gov. Molly Gray attended and announced the results of the 2020 award. Organizers said many nominees were worthy, having persevered through the COVID-19 pandemic to not only grow but to continue their commitment to their communities, their employees and the environment -- key measures for the annual award named for the former Vermont governor.

“So many Vermont companies live these four key ideals,” said Vermont Chamber President Betsy Bishop. “You don’t get to apply if you don’t put those things front and center.”

NBC5 In Depth: Vermont Lt. Gov. Molly Gray discusses pandemic recovery, political ambitions

By Tom Garris, NBC5, June 21, 2021. Watch on NBC5.

“This is a testament to our communities, our vaccination clinics, especially vaccination clinics in more populated areas. Vermont has been selfless. we can show eth nation it is possible to get 80% vaccinated. It is wonderful to see faces again and be able to take the mask off. My heart goes out to our state.”

”We focused on the economic well-being of women. We brought farmers into the Statehouse and the ability to use the tools we have to bring more access to our Vermont democracy at a time when we need Vermonters at the table. I feel proud of that work; we’ll continue to do that.”

“Maybe we don’t want to go back to the way things were. We have an opportunity to reenvision how we want things to be in Vermont. And that’s why I ran for office.”

Telehealth not just a broadband issue

By Keith Whitcomb Jr., Rutland Herald, June 16, 2021. Read in the Rutland Herald.

The number of people seeing their doctor online through the Rutland hospital jumped nearly 15 fold during the pandemic. While the increase in telehealth visits was born out of necessity, many want to see it become a regular fixture of the health care system, but making that a reality will take more than expanding broadband service.

“Funding is obviously critical,” said Lt. Gov. Molly Gray, during a visit Wednesday to kick off the Recover Stronger Tour. Gray noted Vermont has received $2.7 billion from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and has so far spent about $600 million, with $150 million being allocated to broadband expansion.

“(I)n order for Vermonters to access telehealth they not only have to be able to access broadband, they have to be able to afford broadband, and importantly, as we learned today, be able to have the equipment and training to engage with a health care provider,” Gray said.

Gray visits Rutland Intermediate School students

By Jim Sabataso, Rutland Herald, June 16, 2021. Read in the Rutland Herald.

Lt. Gov. Molly Gray dropped in on the classrooms of teachers Sally Stacom and Phoebe Forman to talk with students about their experience learning during the coronavirus pandemic and what they planned to do during the summer.

The meeting was part of a day-long Rutland visit in which Gray also sat down with leaders and staff at Rutland Regional Medical Center and met community members for a conversation over creemees at the Village Snack Bar.

Gray told the classes that seeing them made her optimistic about the future of Vermont. “I’m really optimistic about you all and our next generation. We really need young people to stay in Vermont and stay connected to Vermont,” she said. “We need you. We need your innovation, we need your creativity, we need your big thinking, we need your optimism. I want you to know, on the last day of school, that it’s been a really tough year, but you’re super strong. You’re super resilient. You are ready for anything.”

Students Lead the Way in Hinesburg’s First-Ever Pride Parade

By Sara Fleming, Seven Days, June 12, 2021. Read in Seven Days.

A cheerful crowd of people marched Saturday in Hinesburg's first-ever pride parade, carrying rainbow flags and signs supporting the LGBTQ community.

Students and staff from the Champlain Valley School District organized the event. It included a march from Champlain Valley Union High School to a celebration at Hinesburg Community School, complete with speeches, pride-themed art and ice cream. Marchers carried signs that announced, "We embrace and celebrate you. You are amazing!" and "Hinesburg LGBTQ+ Pride."

The crowd included dozens of kids of all ages, parents, school staff and community members. Some elected officials were also on hand, including Lt. Gov. Molly Gray and several state legislators.

Broadband: The 21st Century Highway For Human Rights

By Molly Gray, Data for Progress, June 10, 2021. Read in Data for Progress.

For the 21 million Americans, including the nearly 60,000 Vermont homes and businesses without high-speed internet or broadband, every day of this pandemic has been a day without adequate access to public education, health care, economic opportunity, and human connection.

This pandemic has made it abundantly clear: broadband should no longer be considered a luxury but instead, a public good no different than water, roads, or electricity.

To ensure every student, family, residence and businesses can access affordable, reliable, high-speed internet, it is critical that Congress take up and pass President Biden’s American Jobs Plan which would allocate an historic $2 trillion for infrastructure and jobs including $100 billion for broadband.

Molly Gray: If we want to recover stronger, we have to listen to Vermonters

By Molly Gray, Bennington Banner, June 8, 2021. Read in the Bennington Banner. Read in VTDigger. Read in the Vermont Business Magazine. Read in the White River Valley Herald. Read in the Brattleboro Reformer.

Now is the time to listen to Vermonters. That is why this summer I will be spending my time in our communities, meeting directly with Vermonters impacted by the pandemic. Together, we will identify the additional resources needed by working families, businesses, communities and nonprofits to not only recover, but recover stronger from Covid-19.

It is often said that from crisis comes opportunity. This summer, we will take stock of lessons learned from this pandemic and capture stories of innovation, perseverance and resilience.

It would be a missed opportunity to let the lessons learned from this pandemic pass us by. To embrace this opportunity and to make investments that serve the needs of our communities, we have to center the experiences and voices of Vermonters in the process. This summer, I look forward to doing just that.

Ready for takeoff: Vermont nonprofit wants to put area youth in the pilot's seat

By Dan D’Ambrosio, Burlington Free Press, June 8, 2021. Read in the Burlington Free Press.

The Vermont Flight Academy is partnering with BETA Technologies and Burlington International Airport to train as many as 100 young people, ages 12-22, to fly planes over their hometowns this year. The program is free for the participants.

Beta, which is developing a zero-emissions electric aircraft at its headquarters based at the airport, will provide certified flight instructors together with Vermont Flight Academy. 

Flight VT held a kick-off event on Saturday that was attended by Lt. Gov. Molly Gray, Airport Director Gene Richards, BETA Founder Kyle Clark and others.


Exclusive interview: Lt. Governor Molly Gray discusses trip to Balkans

By Céline McArthur, WCAX3, June 2, 2021. Watch on WCAX3.

“We’re moving into a new phase where we’re going to focus on economic partnerships, so that’s been the focus. It’s been really incredible to start building some initial relationships.”

“I feel so deeply proud of the work of our Vermont National Guard.”

“Today, most importantly, I sat down with women leaders in business [and] in politics. And there are a lot of similarities around the economic well-being of women. You can’t talk about economic security without having women at the table.”

Vermont Lieutenant Governor Hosts Panel Discussion On Paid Family And Medical Leave

By Pat Bradley, WAMC, June 2, 2021. Read in WAMC.

Vermont’s Democratic Lieutenant Governor held a series of panel discussions on a variety of issues during the legislative session. Her last virtual session focused on paid family and medical leave and how the pandemic has affected caregiving.

“The [American Families Plan] in particular acknowledges the pandemic has set back 30 years of progress for women in the workforce," Gray said. "It has meant about 64 billion in lost wages and economic activity. On average one in four women in the United States return to work within two weeks of giving birth and one in five retirees depart the workforce earlier than anticipated to care for an ill family member. Here in Vermont we hear stories day in and day out about caregiving, about maternity leave, about individuals that need to leave the workforce for a time because of health issues.”

“I think it’s important for us to recognize this isn’t a new conversation. Right? This isn’t the first time we’re talking about paid family leave," Gray said. "It’s 2021. The rest of the world has had paid family leave, or many, many, many countries for a very long time yet we still don’t have it here in the United States.”

Gray, Kurrle to join Vermont Guard in North Macedonia diplomatic efforts

By Seamus McAvoy, VT Digger, May 27, 2021. Read in VTDigger.

Lt. Gov. Molly Gray and Secretary of Commerce Lindsay Kurrle will join Greg Knight, adjutant general of the Vermont National Guard, on a weeklong diplomatic mission to North Macedonia to build on the 28-year partnership between the country and the Guard. The trip’s focus will be on expanding the military-to-military partnership to include economic opportunities between North Macedonia and Vermont. 

“Economic security is critical to long-term peace and security,” Gray said, whether in response to an armed conflict or a humanitarian crisis. 

Vermont’s team will meet with leaders in agriculture, business and higher education to share expertise, and strengthen a partnership they see as mutually beneficial. 


New Economic Bridge Built Between Vermont and Balkan Nation

By Jack Thurston, NECN, May 27, 2021. Read in NECN.

Two high-ranking women in Vermont state leadership are heading out on a first-of-its kind diplomatic mission, expanding a relationship that previously was focused on military and security issues.

Agriculture, higher education and tourism are on the agenda for a busy schedule of meetings and site visits, the representatives said.

“We’ll be meeting with women business leaders; the U.S. ambassador is a woman,” Gray noted. “We can’t talk about economic security in Vermont or anywhere in the world without talking about women and having women at the table.”

Pandemic reveals need for paid family and medical leave in Vermont, Gray says

By Davin Bates, My Champlain Valley, May 17, 2021. Read in My Champlain Valley.

Vermont Lt. Gov. Molly Gray joined local business owners, caregivers and other advocates to discuss paid family and medical leave in Vermont, saying the pandemic has set back 30 years of progress for women in the workforce.

“A stronger and more equitable recovery for the nation, and specifically for our aging state, with a persistent demographic crisis, must include a comprehensive paid family and medical leave strategy,” Gray said. “We need Congress to act with urgency on the American Families Plan.” 

“Vermont is not immune from the troubling national statistics on the impact of COVID-19 on women, families, and caregivers. Today’s panelists made that clear as have the countless caregiving stories of Vermonters from the last year,”she said. “A stronger and more equitable recovery for the nation, and specifically for our aging state, with a persistent demographic crisis, must include a comprehensive paid family and medical leave strategy. We need Congress to act with urgency on the American Families Plan.” 

High-speed broadband bill passes Senate unanimously

By Greg Sukiennik, Bennington Banner, May 11, 2021. Read in the Bennington Banner.

Sen. Randy Brock was answering a question Tuesday morning about the Senate’s version of H. 360, a bill setting the framework for building out universal high-speed broadband across Vermont, when his Zoom feed suddenly gave out and he disappeared from the Senate’s virtual ranks.

“We have a broadband issue right here, right now,” Lt. Gov. Molly Gray, the ex-officio Senate president, said.

“Vermonters in unserved communities cannot wait another 10 years, 5 years, or 3 years for broadband access,” Gray said in a statement. “My sincere hope is that any future funds coming to Vermont through the American Jobs Plan or other federal appropriations will be used to meet short-term affordable and accessible broadband needs of Vermonters through all reliable technological means available.”

Vermont Lieutenant Governor Holds Panel Discussion On Tax Increment Financing

By Pat Bradley, WAMC, May 7, 2021. Read in WAMC.

Vermont Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray is hosting a series of conversations on key issues affecting the state. Her most recent “Seat at the Table” looked at how Tax Increment Financing can help downtown development efforts.

Tax Increment Financing, referred to as TIF, was initially approved for use in Vermont’s largest cities and is now a funding option across the state. First-term Democrat Molly Gray noted the state will receive about $1.35 billion from the American Rescue Plan with about $197 million dedicated to local governments and infrastructure projects.

“Simply put Vermont has a lot of funding coming to our small but mighty state for our communities. And as a state that continues to struggle with a demographics crisis and I’d say divide between rural Vermont and some of our bigger towns and cities this is a really exciting moment.”

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VT LG Hosts Discussion On Economic Status Of Women

By Pat Bradly, WAMC All Things Considered, March 10, 2021. Read in WAMC.

Vermont Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray is serving her first term and is hosting a series of discussions with constituents and stakeholders across the state on targeted issues. Her latest Seat at the Table discussion focused on the Economic Well Being of Vermont Women and was timed to coincide with International Women’s Day.  Gray, a Democrat, says while the global event recognizes women’s social, cultural, political and economic achievements it also highlights a need to close gender gaps in Vermont.  

“I want to actually draw on some of the data that we know of," Gray said. "We know that in the month of November 73% of unemployment claims were filed by women in Vermont. That is the highest percentage of filings by women in any state in the nation. So today we’re going to dive into the data and the impact on women.”

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Relief Funds Could Help Women and People of Color Make Economic Headway

By Anne Wallace Allen, Seven Days, March 9, 2021. Read in Seven Days.

This time around, advocates need to keep lawmakers focused on helping groups that have traditionally been left out, said Lt. Gov. Molly Gray, who convened a virtual meeting Monday with 200 participants to talk about women and the Vermont economy.

“We have a moment to think really strategically not only about how we get relief money out the door with this next amount of funding, but also how do we recover stronger,” said Gray, who mentioned childcare and paid family leave as key examples of ways to help women stay in the workforce. “The moment is right in many ways to act.”

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Women struggling with unemployment on International Women’s Day

By Erin Brown, WCAX3, March 8, 2021. Read in WCAX3.

This is International Women’s Day, a time to reflect on the cultural, political and economic achievements and contributions of women. But in the middle of a pandemic, there is a grim reality looming over this year’s celebrations.

“But we have to have an honest conversation about the economic crisis facing women in this state, largely because of COVID-19,” said Lt. Gov. Molly Gray, D-Vermont.

Gray says 74% of the unemployment claims in Vermont in the fall were filed by women.

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Lt. Gov. Molly Gray: Vermont women are in economic crisis, and the FAMILY Act is a solution

By Molly Gray, Bennington Banner, March 5, 2021. Read in the Bennington Banner. Read in The Brattelborro Reformer. Read in VT Digger.

In Vermont and across the nation, women — and especially women of color — dominate industries hardest-hit by pandemic closures as well as jobs often lacking paid leave and the ability to work remotely. To top it off, from childcare to eldercare, women continue to undertake the lion’s share of caregiving responsibilities. Simply put, women have stepped up to care for our families and communities during this pandemic, at great economic loss.

This March, I hope you will join me in urging Vermont’s congressional delegation to work with Congress to pass the FAMILY Act — a common-sense, compassionate solution to this crisis and a smart economic investment in women, working families and Vermont’s future.

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Vermont has put women at legislative helm. Where will they steer?

By Gareth Henderson, The Christian Science Moniter, March 2, 2021. Read in The Christian Science.

One group determined to see that trend continue is Emerge, a nationwide organization that recruits, trains, and provides a supportive network for Democratic women to run for public office. Its Vermont chapter began seven years ago. Speaker Krowinski and Ms. Balint are both Emerge alums, and in November, Molly Gray became the first Emerge candidate to win statewide office with her election as lieutenant governor. 

“Here in Vermont, we know that women often are providing child care, caring for older Vermonters and family members, and are deeply impacted when the cost of child care, or the availability of paid family leave, force them to leave the workforce,” Ms. Gray says. 

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Q&A with Vermont’s Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray

By Joshua Sherman, Vermont Magazine, February 19, 2021. Read in VTMag.

Molly Gray is a politician, lawyer, professor, and proud native Vermonter. As the newly elected Lieutenant Governor of Vermont, Molly aims to use her background in human rights law to advocate for the collective interests of Vermonters from all corners of the state.

“I think there is a link between running for office and training or racing. You have to be really disciplined. You have to be mentally fit enough to avoid getting dragged down into political fights. You have to realize that there are going to be days when the press won’t report something the way that you think it should be reported (or even entirely accurately). It’s important to just stay focused, stay positive, remember the Vermonters you serve - and do what you can to address their needs. I believe that my experiences as an athlete have truly benefited me throughout this whole process and will continue to benefit me in the future.”

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Burlington students engage in nation-wide program: Reading to End Racism

By Jolie Sherman, myChampianValley.com, February 15, 2021. Read in myChampianValley.com.

Reading to end racism. That’s what young children did with Vermont Lt. Governor Molly Gray as a way to talk about diversity and discrimination in the past and present.

“‘Thurgood Marshall said equal means getting the same thing, at the same time, and in the same place,'” Gray read aloud. “And I think that still rings true today, when think about systemic racism as it may exist in access to housing or employment or healthcare.”

RER is a nation-wide effort designed to discuss racism in an age-appropriate manner

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Molly Gray's First Month As Vermont's Lieutenant Governor

By Jane Lindholm and Emily Aiken, Vermont Public Radio, February 15, 2021. Listen on Vermont Public Radio.

Molly Gray has now been in office as Vermont's Lt. Gov. for over a month. This segment, we check in with her about the two intiatives she is currently working on and find out how she's been working with Gov. Phil Scott. 

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Vermont Lieutenant Governor Launches Discussion Series To Address Key Pandemic Topics

By Pat Bradley, WAMC All Things Considered, February 10, 2021. Read in WAMC.

Vermont’s new Lieutenant Governor recently kicked off a new discussion series that is intended to bring together experts and advocates on critical topics the state is facing in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The first topic: broadband.

“From telehealth to online learning and remote work to economic opportunity and public safety broadband has been the pathway, or the highway rather, for a lot of basic human needs across the state. So today is about elevating those needs and elevating the voices of communities impacted across Vermont.”

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SPOTLIGHT: Molly Gray

By Barbara Rodriguez, Stratton Magazine, February 1, 2021. Read in Stratton Magazine.

Molly Gray, Vermont’s newly-appointed Lieutenant Governor, was raised on a farm in rural Vermont. From Molly’s earliest years, her parents went out of their way to make sure she understood the importance of hard work and determination. Those honest and industrious Vermont values were further solidified during her years at Stratton Mountain School (SMS). The lessons that Molly learned there didn’t just set her up for success – they trained her to face life’s toughest challenges with humility, resolve, and clarity.

“There’s something about the change of seasons in Vermont that brings me back to that formative part of my life. Every time the winter comes around, I get this antsy, itchy, ‘it’s time to go’ feeling. I still really look forward to the first snow and getting a good first ski in. I’ve come to terms with the fact that while my mind still says, ‘Lets go!’ my body doesn’t respond like it used to!”

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NEK Day celebrates resilience of region, highlights chronic issues

By Justin Trombly, VT Digger, January 29, 2021. Read in VTDigger.

Northeast Kingdom residents celebrated the region’s resilience through the pandemic — but emphasized the continued need for broadband, housing and more — as part of NEK Day at the Statehouse on Friday.

About 130 people tuned in Friday to the third annual event hosted by the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative, which this year was held virtually via Zoom.

“What this pandemic has shown so many of us is what people, Vermonters in the Northeast Kingdom, have known for so long: which is that there is deep inequity in our state,” said Lt. Gov. Molly Gray in an opening address. “If we’re going to overcome that inequity and recover stronger from Covid-19, we have to make strategic investments.” 

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Legislative leaders react to Gov. Phil Scott's budget proposal

By Greg Sukiennik, Bennington Banner, January 26, 2021. Read in the Bennington Banner.

 Legislative leaders were pleased to hear Gov. Phil Scott address the need for investment in broadband, housing, child care and weatherization in his budget address on Tuesday.

Lt. Gov Molly Gray said while Democrats and Scott don’t fully agree on priorities or the path ahead, “we do agree on this: Vermont is in better economic shape because of the sacrifices and hard work of Vermonters throughout this pandemic. “

“We also agree on the fundamental truth and harsh reality that Vermont’s workforce and tax base continue to decline posing a growing threat to our current and future economic stability,” Gray said.

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Women hold unprecedented power in Vermont’s statehouse. This is how they’ll lead.

By Barbara Rodriguez, the 19th News, January 15, 2021. Read in the 19th News.

Gray is part of a new generation of women leading the Vermont legislature this year, holding top positions in the state’s House and Senate and serving as majority and minority leaders. Gray, as lieutenant governor, also presides over the Senate, with tie-breaking power.

On the campaign trail, Gray highlighted the need for an “equitable” paid family and medical leave policy in the state. The issue is personal: Her mother had a medical emergency two years ago, according to Gray, that required hospitalization. Gray used vacation and sick days to help take care of her and considered taking unpaid leave from her job as an assistant attorney general.

“Women traditionally are good leaders in crisis,” Gray said. “… Women generally have an ability to bring really diverse groups together to get tough things done, and we’re in a really tough situation.”

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Sen. Patrick Leahy, Lt. Gov. Molly Gray sound off on 2nd Trump impeachment

By Cameron Paquete, Saint Albans Messenger, January 13, 2021. Read in Saint Albans Messenger.

On Jan. 6, protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol Building following a speech by Trump, disrupting Congress as legislators worked to certify the election of President-elect Joe Biden.

Vermont’s lieutenant governor and senior senator quickly sounded off in support of the impeachment.

“Like all Vermonters, I was profoundly disturbed by the fatal insurrection last week in the U.S. Capitol building instigated, fueled and directed by President Trump,” said Lt. Gov. Molly Gray. “I applaud Vermont’s Congressional delegation for their leadership, particularly Representative Peter Welch who co-sponsored today’s impeachment resolution.”

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Phil Scott; Molly Gray take oath of office, outline priorities for 2021

By Greg Sukiennik, Bennington Banner, January 7, 2021. Read in the Bennington Banner.

Lt. Gov. Molly Gray was sworn in earlier Thursday in the state Senate chambers, while Scott and the state’s other constitutional officers took the oath of office outdoors, on the front steps of the Statehouse.

Gray, a Democrat from Burlington, was sworn in by U.S. District Judge Peter Hall, of the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, for whom Gray clerked following law school. About 90 minutes later, outside on the portico of the Statehouse, Scott took the oath of office for his third term from Vermont Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul L. Reiber.

“Our history shows that as Vermonters we are brave in the face of fear, we defy the odds, we are not afraid of the unknown, and we welcome the opportunity and responsibility to lead and set a new course,” Gray said.

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Vermont Legislative Session Begins

By Pat Bradley, January 7, 2021. Listen on WAMC.

The Vermont Legislature convened this week to begin a new biennium. A new House Speaker, Lieutenant Governor and Senate Pro Tem, all women, have been sworn in over the past two days.

Democrat Molly Gray was sworn in as Lieutenant Governor Thursday morning. She recognized Vermonters who have died due to the pandemic and acknowledged the attack on the U.S. Capitol. “I commend our governor for his leadership last evening in calling for the resignation of President Trump or that he be removed from office by his Cabinet or Congress. If there was ever a time in Vermont’s history that our values are so needed in Washington it is today. Our thoughts however must be here in this space and time and moment.”

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Vermont's Leaders Take Oaths, Unite in Condemnation of Trump

By Kevin McCallum, January 7, 2021. Read in Seven Days.

Vermont political leaders on Thursday condemned the violence in the U.S. Capitol and echoed Gov. Phil Scott’s call for President Donald Trump to be removed from office.

During her swearing-in ceremony as lieutenant governor, Molly Gray shared her “sadness and disbelief” at the turn of events, and she praised Scott’s leadership for his call for Trump’s removal.

“Let the record forever reflect that this was an attack on our democracy, constitution and most dearly held principles by a sitting president,” Gray said.

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Scott, Gray sworn in under heightened security

By Kit Norton and Alan Keays, January 7, 2021. Read in VTDigger.

Gov. Phil Scott, Lt. Gov. Molly Gray and Vermont’s other statewide officeholders were sworn in Thursday in ceremonies overshadowed by the chaos that unfolded the day before in Washington, D.C.

On Thursday morning, Gray was sworn in to her first term as lieutenant governor in the Senate chamber. The 36-year-old Burlington Democrat became the fourth woman to hold the state’s No. 2 job. In remarks to the Senate, members of which took part using remote technology, Gray praised Scott for condemning the president a day earlier. 

Statement on the Attack on the U.S. Capital

January 6th, 2021

Tonight, I share the sadness and anger of Vermonters as the events in our nation’s capital continue to unfold. President Trump has incited an egregious attack on our democracy, and on the very public servants who work so diligently to protect and uphold our liberty.

My thoughts are with our Vermont delegation and their dedicated staff. If ever there were a need for Vermont values in Washington, it is now. Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of a resilient democracy, and the President has executed a relentless agenda to erode public faith in Government and to attack our most valuable principles of truth and equity.

I support the efforts of Congress to certify this election, and any measures deemed necessary to remove President Trump from office. This is a dark night in our nation, and we will only meet the dawn of a brighter future by standing together as Vermonters and Americans.

Statement in Support of the University of Vermont Medical Center

December 17, 2020

The recent threat of litigation against the University of Vermont Medical center from the federal Office of Civil Rights is a brazen attempt by the outgoing Trump administration to intimidate Vermont’s dedicated health care community, and their patients seeking essential reproductive health care. 

Throughout this pandemic, Vermont’s medical community has served with compassion and professionalism under extraordinary circumstances,

and in the regular course of care UVM Medical Center has demonstrated a commitment to providing safe, quality care while respecting the religious and personal beliefs of individual providers. 

I unequivocally support every Vermonters right to reproductive liberty, and strongly condemn these actions by the Trump administration. 

Open Letter to the Biden-Harris Administration: Broadband is essential for the health and well-being of our communities

Sent by Lieutenant Governor-elect Molly Gray, December 14, 2020.

Over the last year, rural Vermont much like rural America has been hit hard by this pandemic. While our small rural state has much to be proud of in terms of the collective sacrifice of our communities in remaining socially distant and abiding by public health guidelines, these measures have most greatly impacted communities lacking proper access to broadband.

There are countless communities where shifts to remote learning have left children unable to properly connect with educators and support service providers, isolated older Vermonters unable to access telemedicine or family members, employees unable to access remote work, and citizens unable to participate in our democracy at the local, county and statewide level. We recognize this is not just the story of rural Vermont, but also of rural America.  

Simply put, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us what rural Vermonters and Americans have always known: that universal access to quality broadband is essential for the health and well-being of our communities. Broadband is the electricity of our time and to imagine homes without it, is akin to imagining homes without heat or water. 

Long before this pandemic, however, inadequate broadband access impacted our rural economy. According to the Vermont Department of Public Service, roughly 23% of Vermont, comprising 68,000 homes and businesses, have not had adequate access to broadband. Vermont is one of the oldest states in the country, with more deaths than births in a majority of counties.

Vermont’s population and workforce continue to decline, and despite robust efforts to attract remote workers, absent adequate broadband, these efforts have not realized their full potential. 

Earlier this year, using funding available through the CARES Act, the Vermont legislature passed H.966 to make needed emergency investments in Vermont’s telecommunications infrastructure. Unfortunately, the appropriation only met a fraction of the roughly $293 million needed to close Vermont’s broadband gap. As written in the bill, “With haste and precision, the State must redouble its efforts to go where the market will not.”

As the Biden-Harris Administration has stated so clearly in the “Plan to Build Back Better in Rural America” adequate access to broadband “should be a great economic equalizer for rural America, not another economic disadvantage, just like rural electrification several generations ago.” 

With federal support, Vermont can continue to deploy emergency connectivity and expand permanent access so that we recover stronger from this pandemic.

I know I speak for so many Vermonters in applauding the incoming Administration’s recognition that “high-speed broadband is essential in the 21st Century economy”. I would welcome any opportunity to discuss the work underway in Vermont, and yet to be done, in closing the broadband gap in our rural communities.

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A Look At Vermont's 2020 Election Results

By Jane Lindholm, Lydia Brown, and Emily Aiken, November 4, 2020. Listen on VPR.org here.

This hour, we spend the hour looking at the results of yesterday's historic day of voting with a focus on key local and federal races. We talk about the makeup of the next U.S. Senate and check in on some of Vermont's statewide and local races.

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Gray declares victory in Vermont lieutenant governor race

By Dom Amato, November 4, 2020. Watch on WCAX.com here.

Democrat Molly Gray has declared victory in the race for Vermont lieutenant governor after receiving a call from Republican Scott Milne.

She is just the fourth woman in Vermont’s history to become lieutenant governor. Gray said the campaign has been the honor of her life.

In what was considered the most closely contested races for statewide office this election season, Gray beat out Milne for the open seat vacated by Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman.

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Democrat Molly Gray claims victory in race for Vermont lieutenant governor

By NBC5, November 4, 2020. Watch on NBC.com here.

Molly Gray has claimed victory in the race for Vermont's lieutenant governor seat. Her opponent, Republican Scott Milne, has issued a concession.

A victory would give the Democratic nominee her first term in an elected office. Results from the Associated Press showed Gray holding an eight-point lead with 90% of precincts reporting.

"I'm deeply, deeply humbled to earn the support of Vermonters," Gray told NBC5 News. "I'm so proud of the campaign we've run."

Gray Receives Second Major Editorial Endorsement in Lieutenant Governor’s Race, Addison Independent

October 22, 2020

Today, Angelo Lynn, Editor of the Addison County Independent, published an editorial endorsing Molly Gray, Democratic Nominee for Lieutenant Governor.

Of the endorsement, Gray stated, “I am honored to receive the endorsement of one of Vermont’s foremost family-owned and independent newspapers. Local, independent journalism is a pillar of our democracy. I look forward to continuing to run a positive, issue-focused, and forward-looking campaign that puts the needs of people, families and communities at the forefront.”

The full editorial is below and runs in today’s issue of the Addison County Independent, and is available today to subscribers on the paper's website. It will be published next Tuesday in the Mountain Times and The Reporter in Brandon-Proctors-Pittsford, and will be published online through all three publications.

Editorial: Molly Gray for Lt. Gov.

By Angelo Lynn

As Vermonters consider which candidates will move Vermont forward over the next decade, the most crucial issues revolve around the state’s demographic challenges. We need leaders to not only stem the flow of young Vermonters leaving the state, but who know how to use Vermont’s inherent assets to attract a new cohort of young entrepreneurs, families and remote worker

In the race for lieutenant governor, Democrat Molly Gray has the positive energy, passion, direct answers, and the work ethic to tackle the issues head-on. 

Key to retaining and attracting new residents is extending and strengthening Vermont’s broadband infrastructure. Throughout her campaign, Gray has emphasized the importance high-speed Internet plays in the workplace, the ability to work remotely from home, telemedicine, and remote learning. She has stressed that the lack of such progress undermines hundreds of communities across rural Vermont. To make the progress the state desperately needs on this issue, Vermont would be well-served by Gray’s intensity and focus on the issue, along with her ability to work closely with Vermont’s Democratic delegation and a potential Joe Biden administration for the necessary funds to make a significant difference in the not-too-distant future.

By making broadband expansion one of her keystone issues, Gray earns the vote of rural residents throughout the state. She would be rural Vermont’s most passionate advocate. 

But that’s just the building block in Gray’s larger campaign to put Vermont on the way to a more vibrant economy. She also understands the necessity of having a quality and affordable childcare system; she understands the need to invest in higher education and find pathways so Vermont’s high school graduates can continue their training without piling up years of college debt; she knows workforce training in collaboration with Vermont businesses must be a larger part of Vermont’s higher-education focus.

Through her diverse background and work on her family’s fruit and vegetable farm in Newbury, Vt., Gray inherently understands the collaborative nature of the new economy and the potential it has for Vermont. She advocates creating a “workforce pipeline” from the state’s high schools “through to our technical schools and colleges on to the workforce.” She actively supports and would incentivize “efforts to ensure livable wages, paid family and medical leave, childcare assistance, student debt repayment, professional development and family healthcare.” She understands Vermont’s unique farm-to-plate industry and its potential to grow, as well as the specialty and value-added food-related markets that can strengthen Vermont’s farm economy.

She understands the challenges farmers face and would be an advocate on their behalf.

She would also boost the renewable energy sector, particularly in solar energy jobs which have been decimated under Gov. Phil Scott’s administration with the curtailment of community solar projects. On that issue she states in bold terms: “As Lieutenant Governor, I will work to incentivize investment in renewable energy programs that are equitable, transparent and good for our economy and support policies to make investment possible, including the Global Warming Solutions Act and the Transportation Climate Initiative.”

Like many of her generation, she understands the immediate threat of global warming and advocates a no-nonsense approach to solving the problem today, not shunting that responsibility onto the next generation.

On the issue of a woman’s right to choose, her clarity and straightforward response is refreshing: “I support every Vermonter’s right to choose or to refuse contraception, pregnancy, or parenthood. Every Vermonter should be able to choose the course of their life.” Her Republican opponent, Scott Milne, would not commit to supporting a state law that would enshrine a woman’s right to choose — an important issue if a future U.S. Supreme Court undermines the principles of Roe v. Wade.

Gray also understands the need to upgrade care for Vermont’s elders. We have heard and understand Vermont’s demographic challenges as they relate to the workforce, but I also care about our aging population as it relates to our ability to care for each other. Vermonters deserve our every resource as they look to age in dignity and good health.” 

It’s an issue that is under-reported by the state’s media and too often ignored by Vermont’s Legislature. Gray would bring the issue to the fore and help lead an overdue discussion on possible solutions.

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While Gray has tried to focus on substantive issues that will shape Vermont’s future, Milne’s campaign has done the opposite — waging, instead, what some have called one of the “nastiest, negative campaigns” in recent history, and somewhat akin to President Trump’s tactics. Rather than address matters affecting the state, Milne’s campaign has focused on Gray’s residency requirements. Most recently, Milne criticized Gray’s PAC contributions, which derive mainly from small contributors, while Milne has drawn over $200,000 in aid from the Republican Party, big tobacco, the ultra-conservative Koch brothers, while also self-funding more than $140,000 —a significant part of his campaign’s total contributions. While Milne says he won’t vote for Trump, he’s happy to take the money and, he said, be associated with those Republican causes. 

Milne’s campaign tactics speak volumes about the campaign’s integrity, which is largely a rehash of previous party positions with few original ideas.

We don’t doubt Milne’s sincerity as a candidate, but we do fault him for waging a campaign that seeks to focus on the equivalent of Obama’s birther conspiracy, rather than focus on ideas that would help Vermont thrive in the new economy of tomorrow. And we’re disappointed that Milne’s campaign is filled with the same old, tired conservative tropes that have long been discredited. 

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On the other hand, Molly Gray is the voice of Vermont’s future. She has the energy and integrity, grit and resolve to engage a new generation of Vermonters in their march for a more adaptable and prosperous economy. 

She is also a natural unifier. Throughout her campaign, she has sought to bring all sides together to strengthen the state and while she believes in investing in the state’s priorities, she’s careful to point out Vermont’s finite spending capacity and hone her policies to those the state can afford. 

One other quality of Gray’s candidacy stands out— she’s a woman. Republican Lt. Gov. Barbara Snelling was the last time a woman was elected to either of the state’s two highest offices, when she served from 1993-97, and even longer since Madeleine Kunin was governor from 1985-91. If elected, Gray would be only the fourth woman to be elected to the position of lieutenant governor, something that should motivate anyone interested in balancing the political equation.

More importantly, the challenges the state faces in the next decade will require bold and creative leadership. They will require an unabashed passion for the state, energetic optimism and a commitment to progress regardless of the difficulty. Gray embraces those very qualities — as well as the ability to collaborate, to inspire, and to bring together Vermont’s best talent to make Vermont one of the most desirable states in which to live and prosper. For the betterment of Vermont, we endorse Democrat Molly Gray for lieutenant governor. 

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Candidates for Vt. Lt. Gov. in Final Stretch of Closely-Watched Race

By Jack Thurston, watch on NECN here.

“Thirteen days ahead of Election Day, more than 166,000 ballots have been returned in Vermont, according to the office of Secretary of State Jim Condos.

That high level of early participation now has campaigns aiming to reach undecided voters or people choosing to wait until Nov. 3 to cast their ballots.

The open seat for lieutenant governor has made for what many would call Vermont's most hotly-contested race this year.”

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Candidate Conversations: Molly Gray Runs For Lieutenant Governor

With Jane Lindholm, broadcast live on VPR October 19, 2020. Listen on VPR.

“The lieutenant governor's race has been one of the closest in Vermont's 2020 election. Amid record-setting early voting, the two major party candidates — Democrat Molly Gray and Republican Scott Milne — are making final appeals to undecided Vermonters. This hour, Vermont Edition continues its series of one-on-one interviews with candidates for top offices continues with Democratic nominee Molly Gray.”

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You Can Quote Me, WCAX Debate for Vermont Lieutenant Governor

By WCAX Team News, October 18, 2020. Watch on WCAX here.

“Republican Scott Milne owns Milne travel. The 61-year-old has run for elected office twice before. In 2016, he lost his bid to unseat Sen. Patrick Leahy, and in 2014 he narrowly lost to Democrat Governor Peter Shumlin in 2014. He lives in North Pomfret and has two children.

Democrat Molly Gray is an assistant attorney general. The 36-year-old grew up on a farm in Newbury, worked on Congressman Peter Welch’s campaign, and then moved to Washington to become a congressional aid. She spent three years with the International Committee of the Red Cross. This is her first run for elected office.”

Molly Gray Earns first Major Editorial Endorsement in the Lieutenant Governor's Race, St. Albans Messenger 

October 16, 2020

Today, the Saint Albans Messenger Editor Emeritus, Emerson Lynn published an editorial endorsing Molly Gray, Democratic Nominee for Lieutenant Governor.

“Molly Gray is the leader Vermont needs as we work to step past the pandemic and position ourselves to address not only our demographic crisis, but how we reposition our economy to be more inclusive and more vibrant. It will require someone to push us out of our comfort zones; to be bold and unrelenting, to insist on moving forward. Ms. Gray is that leader,” wrote Editor Emeritus Emerson Lynn.

Gray Said, “I am proud to receive the endorsement of the Saint Albans Messenger. With over 120,000 Vermonters already returning ballots, and just 17 days remaining until the November election, it is becoming increasingly clear that Vermonters are rejecting the tired, old, negative politics of the past and are ready for bold new leadership.”

Lynn’s endorsement highlighted Gray’s focus on childcare and broadband as critical to repairing and growing Vermont’s economic infrastructure. He also drew stark contrast between Gray’s forward-looking vision, and that of her opponent’s who Lynn recognizes for running “the nastiest political campaign in Vermont”. 

“Ms. Gray is the candidate looking forward, daring to reinterpret the real needs of Vermonters in a way fundamental to how we can progress in the decades ahead. Mr. Milne, 61, is the candidate looking back, repeating the same conservative tropes that, once upon a time, were accepted but which are no longer applicable,” wrote Lynn.


The full editorial endorsement can be viewed here.

Educators’ Union Recommends Zuckerman and Slate of Candidates, Vermont-NEA Board Cites Support of Public Education and Working Vermonters

September 14th, Montpelier, VT – The board of directors of the state’s largest union this weekend strongly recommended the election of David Zuckerman for governor as well as a slate of other pro-worker and pro-public education candidates.

“What we have learned as a result of this once-in-a-century pandemic is that the needs of working families, public institutions, and people of color have been neglected for decades,” said Don Tinney, a high school English teacher who serves as the elected president of Vermont-NEA. “My fellow educators and I strongly believe this slate of candidates will work to reinvest in what really matters: people and the services they need to thrive, especially Vermont’s educators and the students they serve.”

In addition to recommending Zuckerman for governor, the union’s board is urging the election of Molly Gray for lieutenant governor; Beth Pearce for another term as treasurer; TJ Donovan for another term as attorney general; Jim Condos for another term as secretary of state; and Doug Hoffer for another term as auditor.

“At a time when our worlds have been upended by a pandemic that knows and respects no borders, it is vital that we have a team dedicated to a smart recovery at the helm,” Tinney said. “As an organic farmer who has dedicated over two decades to public service, David Zuckerman brings a keen understanding of the challenges we all face. He knows that we can’t return to the normal we knew but must recover in a way that rights many of the wrongs plaguing our society in Vermont and throughout the country.”

Tinney also pointed to Zuckerman’s steadfast support for public schools, public employees, and all working families. “David knows that Vermont does better when everyday Vermonters do better,” Tinney said.

He also noted that Gray has been an advocate for public schools and working families; Pearce is one of the most vociferous defenders of our state’s public pension systems; Donovan is pledging to ensure that rules protecting workers are enforced; Condos is a national leader in voter rights; and Hoffer continues to ensure public money is spent wisely.

The union does not formally make endorsements, and the board’s recommendations are based on interviews, questionnaires, and member-input. The union will also announce its recommendations in legislative races soon.

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Statement on The Shooting of Jacob Blake and the Arrest of Kyle Rittenhouse

Public Statement by Molly Gray, August 27, 2020

“Over the last several days we have witnessed two stark realities:

First, the shooting of Jacob Blake, an unarmed black man, seven times in the back at close range, in front of his children by Rusten Sheskey of the Kenosha Police Department. According to the Department of Justice, ‘while holding onto Mr. Blake’s shirt, Officer Rusten Sheskey fired his service weapon 7 times’. Mr. Blake remains in critical condition.

Second, the killing of two peaceful protesters and the wounding of a third by 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse. Video footage shows Rittenhouse walking along a street amongst protestors while openly carrying a semi-automatic rifle. Rittenhouse opens fire on protesters before continuing down the street engaging with law enforcement as if his actions were lawful or even deputized. 

We must ask ourselves: How is it in 2020 that an unarmed black man can be shot 7 times in the back at close range while a white, 17-year-old young man can purchase a semi-automatic rifle and open fire on peaceful protesters and feel empowered if not deputized in his actions? Not only are we witnessing the continued unequal application of the law, but also the continued acts of senseless gun violence coupled with an attack on our most fundamental right of freedom of assembly.

I want to be clear that my voice is but one among the millions who are demanding change. I share the belief, stated so eloquently by President Obama, that ‘Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time.’ Now is the time.”

Molly Gray Receives Tri-Partisan Support and Works to Unify Vermont

Wednesday August 19, 2020

Democratic nominee for Vermont Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray today welcomed tri-partisan support from ten Vermont elected officials, including Senator Patrick Leahy and Marcelle Leahy, Congressman Peter Welch, former Governor Howard Dean, Attorney General T.J. Donovan, Treasurer Beth Pearce, Speaker of the House Mitzi Johnson, House Majority Leader and Representative Jill Krowinski, former Lt. Governor and Congressman Peter Smith, Progressive leader and former Burlington City Mayor Peter Clavelle, and Vermont State Auditor Doug Hoffer.

“I'm beyond grateful for the support of these leaders who have dedicated so much to serving Vermonters,” said Gray. “I look forward to working with these dedicated public servants to put families and communities first and to keep a generation here, bring a generation home, and draw a new generation to Vermont. This campaign is about putting people before politics, bringing more people into the Democratic process, and uniting Vermont around a bold vision for the future. Thank you for standing with us as we continue this work into the general.”

Senator Patrick Leahy and Marcelle Leahy said, “Molly Gray's skills, experience and vision for Vermont's future make her the right candidate at the right time for Vermont. Her deep connection to Vermont's communities combined with her experience as an Assistant Attorney General and international humanitarian worker uniquely prepare her to lead. Marcelle and I wholeheartedly endorse Molly Gray for Lieutenant Governor.”  

“Molly will be a bold and effective Lieutenant Governor,” said Congressman Peter Welch. “I have seen Molly work hard, lead, and get things done. She will focus on the needs of working Vermonters and understands the critical importance of broadband access, our small farms and the environment to strengthen and grow our small towns and state. I am thrilled to endorse Molly as our next Lieutenant Governor.”

“We desperately need a new generation of leadership in Vermont,” said former Governor Howard Dean. “We have to address climate change, health care, and creating better jobs across the whole state. I’m endorsing Molly because I value candidates with a positive platform more than negative campaigners. I value doers more than talkers, and I value real leaders who will stand up for Vermonters instead of practicing politics as usual. I hope you’ll join me in voting for Molly Gray for Lieutenant Governor.”

Attorney General T.J. Donovan said, “I am proud to support Molly Gray for Lieutenant Governor. Molly is the next generation leader that Vermont needs. She understands the need to invest in our rural communities, to preserve our environment, and to grow our economy. Molly will be a champion for all Vermonters and I hope you will join me in supporting her this election.”

Treasurer Beth Pearce said, “Today I am honored and proud to endorse Molly Gray as Vermont’s next Lieutenant Governor. As the lone elected woman in Statewide office, I cannot wait to partner with Molly in our joint effort to bring the voices of more young people into this election and into the halls of the State House. It is always a good day to support Democratic women moving forward — today is that day. I urge all Vermonters to join me in supporting Molly Gray as our next Lieutenant Governor.”

Speaker of the House Mitzi Johnson said, “Molly Gray is committed to helping families and younger Vermonters thrive.  I know Molly will be a solid partner in building a stronger healthier future for Vermont.  I hope you will join me in supporting Molly Gray for Lt Governor.”

“Molly Gray is a hard worker who will bring people together to get things done,” said Representative Jill Krowinski. “Her wide range of experience and values is what we need as we build a plan to recover from this pandemic. I'm proud to endorse Molly for Lt. Governor and I hope you'll join me in voting for her.”

Former Lt. Governor and Congressman Peter Smith said, “If ever there were a time to leave politics as usual behind, it is 2020. Molly Gray personifies a new generation of leadership. She knows that, when you take all of Vermont into consideration, all the counties and all the people, the whole is far greater than the sum of its parts. Molly and the Governor will make a great team!”

“It is time for us to unite in supporting Molly Gray. She will be a great Lieutenant Governor,” said Progressive leader and former Burlington City Mayor Peter Clavelle. “Molly is a good listener, she’ll be inclusive, melding progressive values with pragmatism.” 

“I know Molly will be a strong voice for compassionate, sustainable and cost-effective solutions to the problems before us,” said Vermont State Auditor Doug Hoffer. “I am proud to support Molly Gray for Lt. Governor.”

Today’s slate of endorsements adds to the growing support for Gray seen across the state, including from previously announced electeds such as former Governor Peter Shumlin, former Governor Madeleine Kunin, former Vermont Lieutenant Governor Doug Racine, former state representative and current Vermont Democratic National Committeeman Tim Jerman of Essex Junction, Rep. Mary Sullivan of Burlington, Rep. Joey Donovan of Burlington, Rep. Tim Briglin of Thetford Center, Rep. Jim Masland of Thetford Center, former Vermont Commissioner of Health Harry Chen, Rep. Kelly Pajala of South Londonderry, Rep. Laura Sibilia of West Dover, Rep. Carl Demrow of Corinth, Burlington City Councilor Joan Shannon, and Rep. Chip Conquest of Wells River. 

Lt. Governor Candidate Molly Gray on Results of the Democratic Primary

Tuesday, August 11 2020

I want to say thank you. Thank you to our incredible volunteers and supporters. Thank you to our tireless campaign team. Thank you to my fellow Democratic candidates who entered this race to serve our state. Thank you to the historic number of Vermonters who voted in this primary. And thank you to the Town Clerks and our Secretary of State’s office for their hard work to protect our health and our right to vote.

I entered this race because now is the time for the next generation of Vermont leaders to step forward, and to ensure that rural communities have a strong voice in Montpelier. What I have heard from Vermonters everyday on the campaign trail is that in order to bring a generation here and keep a generation home we must commit to addressing the constellation of challenges and opportunities that will make Vermont a more equitable, inclusive and sustainable place to live. 

I ran for Lt. Governor because we are at a crossroads. We are navigating a global pandemic, economic uncertainty, and major social change both at home in Vermont and across our nation. There is no going back. This is a historic and transformative moment, which I believe we can meet if we do it together.

I believe that together we can build a future where our rural communities thrive and our economy is restored, where our families are supported and healthy, and where our land and environment are protected for future generations. 

Together, we can make quality child care, and paid family and medical leave a reality so that no one has to choose between caring for loved ones and paying the bills.

Together, we can invest boldly in higher education, address our massive workforce shortages, and lift the burden of stifling student loan debt. 

Together we can ensure equal access to the Internet and expand access to telemedicine, online learning, remote work, and economic opportunity. 

Together, we can fulfill the promise of Vermont for the next generation. We can keep a generation here, draw a generation home, and welcome a new generation to Vermont. 

As a first-time candidate, I am beyond humbled by the support for our campaign. Together we built a campaign that brought new voices into politics and that worked to unite our state around a bold vision for a brighter future. Over 1,000 people contributed to this campaign and we welcomed over 40 volunteers to our team, and together they built a truly innovative and forward looking field effort that touched every corner of our state. To have played a small part in that has been the honor of a lifetime.

This dedication to our neighbors, this strength and resilience in the face of difficult times, this gives me hope for the future and what we can accomplish together. 

We must now look forward and continue to grow the momentum that we have built.

While so much about our future is unclear, I believe in Vermont, in our communities and our people. We know who we are and we know the Vermont that we want for each other. As your neighbor, your fellow Vermonter, and now your Democratic nominee for Lt. Governor, I promise to be by your side every step of the way.

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VPR: Democratic Lieutenant Governor Primary Race 2020: Molly Gray

By Mitch Wertlieb & Sam Gale Rosen, VPR, Listen to the Interview Here

Molly Gray is a Vermont assistant attorney general and also teaches at Vermont Law School. She is among four candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor.

VPR’s Mitch Wertlieb spoke with Molly Gray, and their interview below has been condensed and edited for clarity. VPR is interviewing all of the candidates for lieutenant governor.

Molly Gray: We are at such a crossroads here in Vermont. And the lieutenant governor's office is so uniquely placed to be a statewide platform for the issues facing our state: be it the inequity that we see in access to broadband - a fourth of Vermont geographically today still doesn't have access to the internet -  which, if we think about electricity and water, we'd be outraged to think of a fourth of the state not having access to the internet. The same goes when we think about child care, paid family and medical leave, the issues that are truly facing our communities and our families. These aren't issues that relate specifically to Pownal or Swanton or Guilford or Canaan. These are statewide issues. So why not dedicate the lieutenant governor's office as a platform to address these issues and bring the voices of Vermonters into Montpelier?

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2020 Primary Debates: Democratic Candidates For Lieutenant Governor

Broadcast on VPR July 16, 2020 12 p.m. and on Vermont PBS at 8 p.m. Listen to the debate here.

Listen Thursday, July 16 for the next installment of our 2020 VPR/Vermont PBS Debates. We hear from the Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor — Tim Ashe, Molly Gray, Debbie Ingram, and Brenda Siegel — and get answers to your questions ahead of the Aug. 11 primary election.

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Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor Molly Gray visits Bennington

By Maria Elena Little Endara, Bennington Banner. Read the full story here.

 Molly Gray, an assistant attorney general and Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, stopped by Wassick Tire Service on Sunday to personally meet supporters and advocate for the rights of Vermonters.

Gray has a long and experienced career in human rights law and public service. After graduating from the University of Vermont, she helped elect Rep. Peter Welch to Congress, and moved to Washington to serve as a congressional aide. She later returned to attend Vermont Law School and served as a law clerk to Peter W. Hall, a judge appointed under President Bush.

Now Gray serves Vermont as an assistant attorney general and teaches night classes at Vermont Law School where she trains the next generation of lawyers and leaders on human rights.

Born and raised on a vegetable and dairy farm in Newbury, Gray is a fourth-generation Vermonter. Gray's father and brother both served in the U.S. Marine Corps.

At Wassick Tire Service, campaign manager Samantha Sheehan and supporters set up a table and gave out lawn signs. Gray took the time to get to know each person attending. This socially distancing meet-and-greet is one of five that took this place in Orange, Windsor, Windham and Addison counties on Gray's weekend "whistle-stop tour."

“We do not contract-away the health and safety of Vermonters...it’s time to bring Vermont’s out-of-state prison population home.”

Public Statement by Molly Gray, August 6th 2020

Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray today responded to reports that more than half of Vermont inmates housed in Mississippi at the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility have tested positive for COVID-19. 

"The recent reports of Vermont inmates in Mississippi contracting COVID-19 is deeply troubling. We do not contract-away the health and safety of Vermonters. This is yet another reminder that it’s time to bring Vermont’s out-of-state prison population home. We cannot continue to pay CoreCivic, one of the largest for-profit private prison and immigrant detention companies in the country, to house Vermont inmates in Mississippi. We should not trust the care of Vermonters to a company that profits from mass incarceration and has presided over inhumane conditions that have led to the deaths of migrant children. Approximately $6 million is spent on private prisons by Vermont taxpayers annually. It’s time we start putting that money toward children and families, not out-of-state for-profit cages.“

“If faced with this crisis as Lieutenant Governor, I would call for a rapid response team consisting of the Department of Corrections, the Defender General's Office, the Department of Health Human Services, the Vermont National Guard and others to provide immediate life-saving support. Specifically, I would consider what capacity the State has to safely bring inmates home for urgent treatment in a secure and safe facility.”

Molly Gray currently serves as an Assistant Attorney General and is a Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor. Between 2008 and 2011, at the height of U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, Gray worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross in government relations. Gray worked to promote the Geneva Conventions, in particular the humane treatment of detainees held at the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.

Vermont State Employees’ Association Endorses Molly Gray for Lieutenant Governor

Press Release, August 4th 2020

The Vermont State Employees’ Association (VSEA) formally endorsed Assistant Attorney General Molly Gray for the office of lieutenant governor. VSEA represents over 6,000 workers from across the state who fill over 1,200 jobs throughout Vermont’s state services. VSEA works collectively to ensure dignified wages, working conditions, benefits, and retirement plans for all Vermont state employees. The endorsement was first approved by the VSEA’s Legislative Committee, then the VSEA Council and the VSEA Board.

Gray welcomed the support enthusiastically, saying: “I am honored to receive VSEA’s endorsement. I am committed to working with VSEA and our other local unions on programs and policies to support Vermont’s workers and their families, including paid family and medical leave and a strategy for our Vermont State Colleges System. Together we will build a brighter future for our state.” VSEA members include the educators and staff of the Vermont State Colleges system, of which Gray has been a vocal supporter.

On July 29, Gray released a statement urging support for the Vermont State Colleges System, stating: “My vision for Vermont is one where rural communities thrive, which includes affordable and accessible education for every Vermonter. For too long, our legislature has ignored the needs of our Vermont State Colleges System, leaving it vulnerable to changing demographics and disruptions in higher education. We must envision a new future for our State Colleges System that meets the needs of our students, the communities they serve, and a 21st-century workforce and economy.”

VSEA’s support adds to the growing momentum of Gray’s statewide campaign. Since announcing her candidacy on January 27, Gray raised over $210,000 including contributions from more than 800 Vermonters from all 14 counties. Gray approaches primary day with a host of endorsements from Vermont leaders, including Governor Peter Shumlin, Governor Madeleine Kunin, Lieutenant Governor Doug Racine, former Green Mountain Power CEO, Mary Powell, former VT Commissioner of Health Harry Chen, and others.

The statewide primary is August 11th. Vermonters may vote absentee, vote early, or vote on election day before the close of polls at 7pm. Learn more about how to register to vote and where to cast your ballot at https://sos.vermont.gov/elections/voters/.

Investing in our State Colleges and our Economic Future

Opinion Editorial by Molly Gray, July 30th 2020

I have a deep appreciation for our Vermont schools. I grew up in Orange County, home to Vermont Technical College where my mom studied agriculture. After high school, I was able to attend the University of Vermont because of an athletic scholarship where I raced as a Division I cross-country skier. After working in Washington D.C. for Representative Peter Welch and for the International Committee of the Red Cross, I returned home to earn a law degree from Vermont Law School while working nights at the Worthy Burger. 

I have been educated by Vermont schools from pre-k through law school and now, as a candidate for Lt. Governor, supporting our local education system is one of my top priorities. In order to overcome the economic impacts of COVID-19 and to solve our demographic challenges, we must invest in our higher education system and workforce development. Our future depends on it.

Despite having one of the highest high school graduation rates in the country, Vermont ranks at the very bottom when it comes to higher education investment. Today, 41% of Vermont's high school graduates do not go on to further workforce training or education of any kind. This diminishes earning power for individuals and hurts Vermont businesses  who are looking for well trained and educated employees. Vermont continues to face recruitment and retention challenges across the workforce. According to the McClure Foundation and the “Pathways to Promising Careers” initiative, there are 62 high-pay, high-demand careers in Vermont that pay a median wage of at least $20/hour. 

The mission of the Vermont State Colleges is to provide “affordable, high quality, student-centered, and accessible education...consistent with student aspirations and regional and state needs.”  The truth is, for too long our legislature has ignored the needs of our Vermont State Colleges System, leaving it vulnerable to changing demographics and disruptions in higher education. We’ve also ignored the needs of our students and the communities they serve.

My vision for Vermont is one where rural communities thrive and we have built pathways for our students from our classrooms to good paying jobs in our communities. 

A June report to the Vermont Joint Fiscal Office commissioned by the legislature outlines vulnerabilities in our Vermont State Colleges System and the immediate need for meaningful support. Urgent investment has the dual impact of seeing these critical institutions through the uncertainty brought by COVID-19 and readying our State Colleges for the future. Here are a few immediate actions we could take: 

First, a public commitment to allocate by October 1, 2020 the $40.3MM in bridge funding identified in the report for the Vermont State Colleges System.

Second, the creation of a statewide emergency Task Force to devise a specific and actionable plan for the future of our higher education institutions. The Task Force should consist of public and private officials of diverse backgrounds and experience. At a minimum, the Task Force should include officials with an understanding of and commitment to Vermont’s rural communities and workforce development. 

Third, a public commitment to flip the 80-20 tuition-state investment ratio and to properly fund Vermont Community College making it accessible to all Vermonters. Right now, 80 percent of the community college budget comes from student’s tuition and 20 percent from state investment. As a result students are shouldering more debt.

These are difficult times, but out of our greatest challenges come our greatest opportunities. It is time we embrace higher education and workforce development as one of the greatest economic opportunities of our time, not something to ignore for future leaders to solve. 

We can rise from the economic devastation of COVID-19 by acting with urgency to prepare Vermont’s workforce for the high-paying high-demand careers that are available today and that will be necessary for a diverse 21st century rural economy. Workforce development means great economic security for our families and communities, and an expanded tax base for our state. 

We must envision a new future for our State Colleges System and our state, and act now to ensure that future.

Statement on a Sustainable Future for the Vermont State College System

Assistant Attorney General and Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray, July 29th 2020

“My vision for Vermont is one where rural communities thrive, which includes affordable and accessible education for every Vermonter. For too long, our legislature has ignored the needs of our Vermont State Colleges System, leaving it vulnerable to changing demographics and disruptions in higher education.

Despite having one of the highest high school graduation rates in the country, Vermont ranks at the very bottom when it comes to higher education investment. Today, 41% of Vermont's high school graduates do not go on to further workforce training or education of any kind

Yet, Vermont continues to face recruitment and retention challenges across the workforce. According to the McClure Foundation and the “Pathways to Promising Careers” initiative, there are 62 high-pay, high-demand careers in Vermont that pay a median wage of at least $20/hour. 

We have failed Vermonters and the Vermont State Colleges System in meeting its mission to provide “affordable, high quality, student-centered, and accessible education...consistent with student aspirations and regional and state needs.”

A June report to the Vermont Joint Fiscal Office commissioned by the legislature outlines vulnerabilities in our Vermont State Colleges System and the immediate need for meaningful support. Urgent investment has the dual impact of seeing these critical institutions through the uncertainty brought by COVID-19 and readying our State Colleges for the future. Today, I am calling for the following immediate actions: 

  1. A public commitment to allocate by October 1, 2020 the $40.3MM in bridge funding identified in the report for the Vermont State Colleges System.

  2. The creation of a statewide emergency Task Force to devise a specific and actionable plan for the future of our higher education institutions. The Task Force should consist of public and private officials of diverse backgrounds and experience. At a minimum, the Task Force should include officials with an understanding of and commitment to Vermont’s rural communities and workforce development. 

  3. A public commitment to flip the 80-20 tuition-state investment ratio and to properly fund Vermont Community College making it accessible to all Vermonters. 

We must envision a new future for our State Colleges System that meets the needs of our students, the communities they serve, and a 21st-century workforce and economy.”

Statement on a Safe and Equitable return to school

Assistant Attorney General and Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray July 28th 2020

“I support Governor Scott’s order to delay the start of instruction to September 8. 

Schools are essential places, and teachers are essential workers. It has become clear that we have not given our schools the support they need to reopen this fall. 

Although the Vermont Department of Health and Vermont Agency of Education worked with a diverse group of individuals and organizations before issuing safety and health guidance for the reopening of schools, it remains unclear how each of Vermont’s 54 supervisory unions will be able to adapt to these guidelines without perpetuating existing inequities in our school system. 

COVID-19 has amplified inequity in access to education. As a result of a ten-year moratorium on spending on school buildings, many do not have the HVAC and ventilation systems necessary to safely reopen.

With roughly 70,000 homes and businesses across Vermont still unable to access adequate internet, online learning remains off-the-table for numerous districts. We also know that not every school has a school nurse or sufficient staffing of substitute teachers. These inequities and challenges are extensive and varied, and finding solutions will take creativity, collaboration, and strong communication. The individuals with the best expertise on how to deliver learning safely and equitably are those who work in our schools every day. 


Today, I’m again calling on our leaders in education to work directly with our front-line workers in our K-12 education system, and to follow Vermont-NEA's phased approach to allow school boards, administrators, teachers, school staff, and parents adequate time to identify and address the diverse needs of our students and communities.”

Molly Gray for Lt. Gov.

By Emerson Lynn, Editor Emeritus, St. Albans Messenger. Read the full endorsement here.

Political candidates come in two stripes: The first is someone who has the vision to see the world about them, the humility to understand the needs of others, the energy to drive change and the persistence to weather the opposition. The second is someone who puts themselves at the center, who insists the world adapt to them, and whose energy is rhetorical and forever inwardly directed. The first is the leader for whom we search, that diamond in the rough; the second is a politician, the ordinary sort, the one more common to the times.

In Vermont, we don’t typically have leaders who step into the spotlight, largely unknown, and surprise us with an instant sense of credibility and a strong sense of hope for the future. But Molly Gray, a Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor, has done just that. Ms. Gray is far and away the most qualified Democratic candidate running for Lt. Gov.

For those looking to the years ahead, and who doesn’t, Ms. Gray embodies the leadership qualities essential for the generations to come. At age 36, and with the experience she has already gained, she has put together a profile that Vermonters can celebrate as we move from one generation of leaders to the next. For a state that has been run by a group of “old white men” for almost 30 years [since Madeline Kunin was governor], it’s beyond refreshing to see a woman candidate of Ms. Gray’s caliber stepping forward. [Remember, too, that Vermont has never elected a woman to Congress.] Ms. Gray serves as Vermont’s Assistant Attorney General and she teaches night classes at the University of Vermont Law School, where she got her law degree. She worked on the staff of Rep. Peter Welch in Washington D.C., and was a law clerk to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Peter Hall. She worked abroad for the International Committee of the Red Cross and on global initiatives centered around human rights issues throughout the third world. In other words, she’s applied her intellect to become well-rounded in her understanding of Vermont, the country and the world in general.

Editorial: Molly Gray for Lieutenant Governor

By Angelo Lynn, Addison Independent. Read the full endorsement here.

What makes Molly Gray such an appealing candidate for lieutenant governor is the freshness of her voice, her energetic enthusiasm, a determined drive and her unabashed love of the state. As a political novice but entrenched in the duties of upholding Vermont’s laws, she comes from outside the inner circles of the Legislature or any gubernatorial administration, and offers the hope and aspirations of those seeking positive change with new voices in the room.

“If we have the same people at the table, we get the same outcomes,” she said in an editorial board meeting with the Addison Independent last week. Among her motivations for running is to bring Vermont “out of the past and into the future” propelled by new voices she has seen working hard in their communities and making real progress.

“There are young professional groups in towns like Bennington, Rutland, Woodstock and many others who are problem-solving in their communities right now,” she said, adding that her campaign has been tapping into those ideas and energy, building new solutions to long-term problems.  “We’re doing it,“ the former UVM Nordic skier and daughter of a farm family in Newbury, said of her campaign and the enthusiasm she has found among these groups of young entrepreneurs. She hopes to use the Lt. Governor’s office to amplify those ideas and energy to build engagement and make government accessible to them.

Gray’s energy is infectious, and her political views are articulated without a touch of cynicism or self-aggrandizement — a welcome change from the current times. But she also is thoroughly versed in Vermont’s political past, its challenges and the reality of how hard it is to make positive change.

Time for Young Blood

Letter to the Editor, by Tom Rogers, published by Times Argus, June 24th. Read the full letter here.

Vermont should elect the next generation of strong female leadership. I believe one of the great lessons of 2020 is that political leadership matters. Like me, you may have spent the Trump era participating in marches on issues such as climate change, Black Lives Matter or the MeToo movement, and you’ve likely posted on social media many times. But those things are not enough — you also have to vote. And you have to convince others to vote, too.

While it’s true Vermont will surely vote against Trump in the presidential election, we are not immune from the need for a change in our politics. Vermont has elected only one female governor ever and we have sent zero women to Washington in Congress or the Senate — zero.

All over the world, from Finland to Germany, Taiwan to New Zealand, nations led by women have consistently been the most successful in fighting coronavirus. Now Vermont has the opportunity in 2020 to elect a woman to statewide office who is a rising star — a young, charismatic leader, brilliant human rights lawyer, and assistant attorney general.

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Teachers, students worry about being forced back to online learning

By Calvin Cutler, WXAC, July 13th. Watch on WCAX.com.

The Department of Education published guidelines for reopening schools for in-person learning which include temperature checks, staggered drop-offs and pickups, and strict sanitizing rules.

On Monday, Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Molly Gray held a press conference to bring attention to the need for universal high-speed broadband for Vermont students returning to school in the fall. Some educators who gathered at the press conference questioned the logistics of bringing students back for in-person instruction in the fall.

"How do you keep a mask on a first-grader? How do you manage complex pickup and drop-off situations that fluctuate daily? How many teams of individuals will it take for us to check in our student population each morning?" wondered Michael Livingston, the principal of Tunbridge Central School.

 
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Assistant Attorney General and Lieutenant Governor Candidate calls for reinvestment of corrections spending into childcare

By Courtney Adelman, Local ABC 22, June 23, 2020. Watch on MyChamplainValley.com.

On Tuesday, Assistant attorney general molly gray urged lawmakers to bring Vermont’s out of state prison population home. She said around $6 million is spent on private prisons by taxpayers annually, and she wants to use that money for childcare.

“Now is the time to invest in children and families and not unnecessary and costly incarceration, said Gray. “We continue to pay CoreCivic, one of the largest private security companies in the United States to house Vermont inmates in Mississippi.”

Gray called for specific action to expand the Child Care Financial Assistance Program and for distribution of PPE and other health supplies for childcare providers.

“According to Let’s Grow Kids, an approximate $33 million is needed to address the pervasive inequity and fragility of our childcare and early education system,” said Gray.

 

Statement on Emergency Broadband Need

Assistant Attorney General and Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray, June 22, 2020

 

“Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, my greatest concern has been, and remains, Vermonters who are unable to access critical services and information while they comply with the Governor’s “Stay Safe, Stay Home” Order. While COVID-19 has impacted Vermonters in myriad ways, for 23% of Vermont comprising 68,899 businesses and residential locations without access to broadband, the pandemic has been particularly isolating. 

H.966 as passed by the House will make a significant and needed investment in Vermont’s telecommunications infrastructure and bring relief to many Vermont families. Unfortunately, the appropriations in H.966 only meet a fraction of the up to $293 million needed to close the broadband gap and bring equal access to high-speed internet and opportunity to every community. As written in the bill, “With haste and precision, the State must redouble its efforts to go where the market will not.”

With each passing day, families and children are left behind in rural and low-income communities across Vermont. This crisis has exposed why access to high-speed internet should be no different than access to water, heat or electricity. We must face and end this deep inequity.”

Statement condemning acts that led to the death of George Floyd

Assistant Attorney General and Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray, May 30, 2020

 

“As an Assistant Attorney General, human rights lawyer, and member of our Vermont community, I strongly condemn the acts of Minneapolis police officers that resulted in the death of George Floyd. As the incident is reviewed, prosecutors should widen the lens to examine the totality of the circumstances. From de-escalation to excessive use of force, and failure to render aid, we must address where police failed the community they are sworn to protect and serve. 

The responsibility to act belongs to all of us, but especially our elected leaders, to prevent any future conduct like this anywhere. This conduct has no place in Minneapolis, Vermont, or our nation. I extend my deepest condolences to, and solidarity with, any person impacted by the loss of George Floyd, in particular those who knew and loved him well. 

These acts cannot continue. We must see all people as human beings entitled to equal protection and lifesaving assistance. We must unite for human dignity in our communities, in our state and across our nation.”

Our Farms: The Root of Our Local Economy and Community-Level Recovery

Opinion Editorial by Molly Gray, Published in the Brattleboro Reformer April 29, and in the Bennington Banner May 4th

Over the last several weeks, Vermonters have been thinking a lot about food—where it comes from, who harvests it, how far it travels, what it costs and how much is available.

I was not one of those kids who grew up wondering where her food came from. My brothers and I were born and raised in Newbury on a diversified fruit, vegetable and dairy farm, where my family still farms today. Growing up, my family sold produce at our farm stand, to stores and restaurants and at farmers markets. Not only did farming provide a modest income for our family and food for the community, but it also kept us fed and self-reliant.

We stocked the cellar with potatoes, froze vegetables, pressed cider, made jam, butchered pigs, cows and chickens and made sure we had enough to get through the winter.

As the Vermont National Guard and Foodbank distributes hundreds of thousands of meals-ready-to-eat (MREs) in response to the emergency needs brought on by COVID-19, food is looming in our nation’s consciousness in a way it has not since the Great Depression.

As we ‘flatten the curve’ and ‘open the spigot’ let us not return to the approach to food of recent decades. Instead, let us take stock of what we have learned and take concrete action toward a healthy and secure future:

First, local farms are crucial to community-level recovery from the economic impacts of COVID-19. As a State, we can help our economy rebuild by supporting local, diversified agriculture.

Second, economic security and food security are linked. In order to provide for all Vermonters during a global pandemic, climate change, or any other future disruptor to national supply chains, we must invest in our local food system. We can do this by strengthening a Vermont-based supply chain where fresh, healthy, and safe produce, meat and dairy can continue to reach our homes, schools, stores and restaurants.

Finally, as we gear up for this growing season and our markets re-open, our farmers and workers, food producers and distributors deserve our every support. As Vermonters, we can commit to purchasing locally grown, sourced and prepared food as much as possible.  

Lieutenant Governor Candidate Molly Gray calls on candidates, elected officials to ensure the health and safety of Vermonters by supporting vote-by-mail in 2020 elections.

Public Statement by Molly Gray, April 23, 2020

Assistant Attorney General Molly Gray, a Democratic Candidate for Lieutenant Governor issued the following public statement:

“Earlier this week Milwaukee health officials confirmed that new cases of COVID-19 in Wisconsin were linked to in-person voting. Wisconsin also pared-down its 200 voting locations to five locations which resulted in voters waiting hours in line to cast ballots.

We should recognize the lessons from Wisconsin and ensure every Vermonter has the ability to safely participate in our primary and general elections this year. I agree with Secretary of State Jim Condos who earlier this week stated, ‘No Vermonter should have to choose between their health and casting a ballot.’

Today, I am inviting candidates and elected officials to join me in calling for a move to vote-by-mail in Vermont to ensure we can protect our public health and our democracy.

Moving to vote-by-mail will require lead time for implementation. We need to act now to ensure we have adequate time to prepare. We need to utilize the funds our Congressional delegation secured through the federal stimulus package to make the transition. Now is the time for swift, decisive action.

From our participation in town meetings to our response to a humanitarian crisis, we have a tradition in Vermont of service and civic engagement. As a state we have a historic opportunity to meet these challenging times with decision making that brings more Vermonters into the process of shaping the future of our state. An early and timely decision to make a historic move to vote-by-mail would be aligned with our values and would ensure every Vermonter can safely access the primary and general election.” 

Candidate for Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray, Calls on Legislature to Immediately utilize Higher Education Trust Fund and to Establish Statewide Task Force

Public Statement by Molly Gray, April 22, 2020

In response to Chancellor Jeb Spaulding announcing the potential closure of three campuses last week, and the Legislature’s consideration of funding, Assistant Attorney General Molly Gray who is a candidate for Lieutenant Governor made the following statement:

"This morning, I’m calling on the leaders in the legislature to immediately pledge the use of Vermont’s Higher Education Trust Fund established under 16 V.S.A. section 2885 to support the immediate financial needs of these institutions. These funds should be returned as soon as other state or federal resources are provided. This action can be taken immediately and will allow time for a phased and responsible set of decisions for Vermont, the colleges, the communities, students, staff and faculty at Vermont Technical College and Northern State University.

I am also calling on the Legislature to establish a statewide Task Force mandated over the next 60 days to devise a specific and actionable plan for the future of these institutions. The Task Force should consist of public and private officials of diverse backgrounds and experience. At a minimum, the Task Force should include officials with an understanding of and commitment to Vermont’s rural communities and workforce development. 

To be clear, these institutions cannot continue as they are. We must envision a new future that both meets the needs of our students and the communities where these institutions reside. My commitment is to the vitality of our rural communities which includes affordable and accessible education for Vermonters that promotes critical workforce development and solving our demographic challenges.”

Gray was born and raised on a farm in Orange County and her mother studied agriculture at Vermont Technical College.

Statement from Molly in response to potential closure of Northern Vermont University and Vermont Technical College’s Randolph Campus

A Statement from Molly Gray, April 19th 2020

Chancellor Jeb Spaulding announced last week that on Monday he will propose to close three campuses. This plan could lead to the loss of 500 jobs. The State College system which has faced declining enrollment over several years due to Vermont’s demographic challenges, also sees disproportionately low higher education investment from the State compared to nearly every New England state school system.

"It should not take a global pandemic for our leadership to recognize the essential role that Northern Vermont University and Vermont Technical College fill in serving our students and communities.”

"I grew up in Orange County, home to Vermont Technical College. My mom studied agriculture there. I understand the diverse ways in which these colleges fulfill the needs of our workforce. For years, leaders in education have called for a coordinated statewide strategy for higher education investment. As I've said throughout this campaign, my commitment is to the vitality of our rural communities which includes the presence of these institutions and affordable and accessible education for Vermonters that promotes critical workforce development.”

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Immediate Need for Access to Broadband for Vermont’s Communities, Families and Children

A Statement from Molly Gray, April 16th 2020

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Vermont the Vermont Department of Public Service published a map of public locations where Vermonters can access free Wi-Fi, a review of that data found that 38 small towns and gores had no “suitably socially distant and publicly available” internet access. On April 5, Vermont Public Radio reported that 7% of Vermont addresses lack access to basic internet and 23% of Vermont addresses cannot get speeds that meet the federal definition of broadband. Many Vermonters cannot afford connectivity. As reported by VPR, up to half the students in the Orleans Southwest school district live without reliable broadband, 15% of students in the Lamoille South school district lack adequate internet and in the town of Newbury 30% of students do not have internet access.

 Today, Governor Phil Scott and the Department of Public Service announced an important and needed collaboration with several partners to expand internet connectivity to several rural Vermont towns. This partnership will strengthen remote access to essential services such as telemedicine, banking, and government resources.

 "The whole world has changed. We are aware now more than ever of our vulnerability and inequity particularly as it relates to access to education for our children at home. Children are being left behind in my hometown of Newbury and in rural and low-income communities across Vermont. This crisis has exposed why access to broadband should be no different than access to water, heat or electricity. I commend our superintendents, principals and teachers for all they are doing to provide distance learning and to remain connected with students. While service providers are taking steps to provide wireless routers and mobile hotspots, we need to support a coordinated response that includes our communications union districts and superintendents in conducting a rapid needs assessment. Additional telecommunication providers as well as hardware companies (laptops and tablets) should be called upon to support immediate relief efforts so that no student, family, or community is left behind.”

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U.S Contributions to the essential work of the World Health Organization during COVID-19

A Statement from Molly Gray, April 16th 2020

President Donald Trump has stated that he would suspend all funding to the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO’s work is essential to the health and safety of Americans at home and abroad. US Government funding for WHO supports access to essential health and nutrition services, vaccine preventable diseases, health emergencies preparedness and response, as well as polio eradication activities.

WHO is on the front lines of the international COVID-19 response. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak the WHO has shipped: 800,000 surgical masks; 54,000 N95 masks; 873,000 gloves; 15,000 goggles; 24,000 face shields to 75 countries; they have also shipped testing kits to 126 countries. WHO works to support research and production in partnership with private companies in an effort to mitigate the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Among the lessons we are learning from the COVID-19 health crisis is that the virus knows no geographic boundaries. President Trump’s decision to suspend our contribution to the World Health Organization (WHO) is dangerous, against our Vermont values, and will make the pandemic over the world and here at home far worse. What I learned from my experience working for the International Committee of the Red Cross in humanitarian situations is that we must put our differences aside and focus on our greatest needs. I also know from working with Congress, the Department of State and international partners, that in situations like this we will not succeed if we go it alone.

In these unprecedented times, from our essential workers to our National Guard, Vermonters are showing the nation and the world that Vermont is resilient because we commit to the understanding that we take care of each other and we are all in this together. As a global community, we can succeed in combating COVID-19 if we stand by our Vermont values. President Trump’s go it alone approach has been counterproductive and shortsighted. All of us should support our own Senator Leahy and his role on the Appropriations Committee to ensure WHO gets the resources it needs to accomplish its mission.”

Our Common Humanity: Remembering Vermont’s Values and Core Principles in Unprecedented Times

Opinion Editorial by Molly Gray, March 16th 2020

Published in the Times Argus ; Bennington Banner; VTDigger

Vermonters have always brought our values to the nation and the world. Today, as we figure out how to navigate through this pandemic, these Vermont values will help our communities endure the challenges we face.

We heed the advice of experts. We look out for one another. We stay connected to our communities and each other. We support those who need help—be it looking in on a neighbor or supporting a local business. We stand together.

This is also a time to take pride in Vermont’s history of leadership when it comes to humanitarian response. The late Senator George Aiken who served as a ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and helped shape U.S. foreign policy from 1969 to 1975 once stated, “I have always felt that we could do more with food than bullets.”

As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Patrick Leahy has, for decades, fought to address human suffering at home and abroad. Like so many, I am grateful for his leadership on the Appropriations committee that provided emergency funding to fight the spread of the Coronavirus.

Congressman Peter Welch has served as a Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform where he has worked to investigate and prevent waste, fraud and abuse so that assistance reaches the most vulnerable.

Just days ago, he was leading the effort to get emergency relief funding through the House to help mitigate the economic impact of the virus. Aiken, Leahy and Welch join countless men and women from Vermont who have worked—at one time or another—to address human suffering here in Vermont and around the globe. 

Inspired by Vermont’s leadership and humanitarian tradition, years ago I went to work for the International Committee of the Red Cross where I led delegations of U.S. policymakers into conflict and post-conflict zones to help them understand humanitarian needs and response. I led missions into Haiti where the healthcare system was fragile, to Uganda where Red Cross clinics provided emergency maternal care, to the Republic of Georgia where economic security projects ensured displaced persons could provide for their families, to the Democratic Republic of the Congo where victims of sexual violence received support, and to the Western Balkans where families of the missing were supported in obtaining and burying the remains of loved ones.

Years later, while working to obtain a specialized degree in the protection of vulnerable groups, I led teams into Iraq, Nigeria, and East Africa as part of an effort to launch a global initiative to oversee the compliance of security forces with human rights and humanitarian law.

What I know from work in humanitarian situations is that we must put our differences aside and focus on our greatest needs. Our response should be guided by the core principle of humanitarian action—humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality. We should provide assistance on the basis of need alone, giving priority to the most urgent cases and making no distinction on the basis of nationality, race, gender, religious belief, class or political opinion.

We must protect our most vulnerable by following recommendations on social distancing and on coming together in service.

Already, in communities across Vermont, we are mobilizing aid and support. We must keep it up. While respecting the physical distance, we must make every effort to stay connected—by phone, email or text. We must not only check in on each other but also maintain the social connections that are essential for our personal and community health.

In these unprecedented times and growing humanitarian crisis, Vermont can continue to lead by example. We can show the nation and the world that Vermont is resilient because we commit to helping our most vulnerable while staying connected through the belief that we are all in this together.

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A call to service on Molly’s Birthday

A note from Charlie Gray, March 18th 2020

Today is my sister Molly’s birthday. We were born and raised on a farm in Newbury. We went to Newbury Elementary School and Oxbow High School. In 2007, while my friends started college, I enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. I was drawn to service and wanted to experience the world outside Vermont. Little did I know that within months of completing basic training, I would be deployed to Iraq. My time in Iraq has made me more grateful for our Vermont. Today, I help run the family farm and grow food for our community.
 
I have watched my sister commit her life to service and to our state.  
 
While I served our country in Iraq, my sister went to work for the International Committee of the Red Cross. She helped our government understand the importance of humanitarian action, and led delegations into Haiti, Uganda, the Republic of Georgia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Western Balkans. In these uncertain times, I’m comforted by my sister’s candidacy for Lieutenant Governor because of the skills and experience she earned while upholding our Vermont values through her work. She cares deeply for others; particularly those in need. While the pandemic requires us to stay apart, it is more important than ever that we work together.

So, in the spirit of service that has motivated Molly and me, I invite you to join me in recognizing Molly's 36th birthday with an act of service today.

Here are a few ideas:

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Looking Forward, Saying Thanks

A note from Molly, March 15th 2020

We all are struggling with how to maintain a sense of normalcy while dealing with the challenges presented by COVID-19. The focus of our campaign going forward is to serve as a platform for sharing stories, resources and challenges facing our communities. This weekend, while working to find ways to support Vermonters, we also prepared our required financial disclosure for the Office of the Vermont Secretary of State. I wanted to express my deepest appreciation and most sincere gratitude for the outpouring of support for this campaign, and share with you what you have accomplished.

Over the last seven weeks, you joined 445 early supporters from all 14 counties across Vermont. From Canaan to Pownal and Fletcher to Putney and everywhere in between, you came together and sent a strong message about the future of Vermont and the leadership you want. We look forward to continuing our conversation with you. Together we will support each other through these challenging times.

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Molly Gray, running for lieutenant governor, sees greater opportunities in the office

Tommy Gardner, News and Citizen, Mar 12, 2020 

Inside Vermont state government, the duties of lieutenant governor are largely ceremonial. Outside the Statehouse, the job is more ambassadorial.

Molly Gray, a farmer-turned-criminal prosecutor who is running for the office, sees opportunities in having perhaps the second-largest soapbox in state government.

“We’re going to reinvigorate and demystify the lieutenant governor’s office and make it a statewide platform that gives Vermonters a voice as we face our greatest challenges,” said Gray, a Democrat, during an interview at the newspaper’s offices. Read the full story at vtcng.com

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Samantha Sheehan hired as Campaign Manager

Campaign News, March 9th

We are excited to announce that Samantha Sheehan has joined the team as Campaign Manager. Samantha founded and owns Valley.Works coworking space in Waitsfield, Vermont and formerly ran communications for Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the Hancock-Granville Unified School Board, as Chair of the Hancock Planning Commission, and on various non-profit boards and economic development initiatives in Vermont. Samantha is a 2020 graduate of the Emerge Vermont Signature Training Program. Molly said: “This campaign is about telling a positive story of Vermont, and lifting the voices of community leaders from across the State who are doing the hard work of building a prosperous future for our communities. Samantha has proven to be committed to that work, in addition to having all of the skills and qualities necessary to lead a broad and inclusive statewide campaign.” “As someone who moved to Vermont in my early twenties and has since bought a home, started a business, built a life, career, and community here, I have lived through the challenges that young Vermonters face and am committed to contributing to a positive and sustainable future for our state,” said Samantha, “Molly understands those challenges and knows how best to invest in our future. I am confident in her ability to lead and excited to support her path to the Lieutenant Governor’s office.”

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Gray brings campaign for lieutenant governor to county

By Jim Therrien, Bennington Banner, March 9th

Molly Gray believes her background, experience and age well qualify her to help reverse Vermont's aging and shrinking demographic by attracting more young people and families to the state.

Gray, who recently launched her campaign for lieutenant governor, said that initiative would be a prime focus for her if she is elected.

The candidate was in Bennington over the weekend, meeting with residents at the Southern Vermont Winter Homebrew Festival in Bennington and later at Prospect Mountain Nordic Ski Center in Woodford.

"We continue to talk about the demographic problems we have in Vermont, that our rural communities are shrinking, the economy is shrinking, our work force is shrinking," Gray said during an interview. "I decided to run because I think we need the next generation of bold Vermont leadership in statewide offices that's committed to helping us solve our demographic challenges." Read the full story at BenningtonBanner.com.

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Gray launches LG bid with pitch to bring younger Vermonters home

By Xander Lander, VTDigger, February 28th

When Molly Gray walked into Queen City Brewery Thursday evening to officially launch her bid for lieutenant governor, she was wrapping up an already busy day of campaigning across Vermont. 

Gray, an assistant attorney general who is running on the Democratic ticket for lieutenant governor, started the day where she grew up at Four Corners Farm in Newbury. 

She met with community leaders and business owners in Bradford, stopped at the Cochran’s Ski Area in Richmond before traveling to the King Street Center, a community center for children and families in Burlington. 

Gray is a newcomer in the crowded race for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor. But she’s entering the campaign with a network of political connections and a focus on retaining and attracting young people to the state. 

The crowd she walked into at the brewery, the site of her campaign kick-off, was young-ish: filled with campaign volunteers, friends of Gray’s and Burlington politicos, drinking beer and wine and eating pizza. It was also dotted with state officials like Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George and Vermont State Treasurer Beth Pearce. Read the full story at VTDigger.com.

Molly Gray Announces Campaign for Lieutenant Governor of Vermont

Campaign News, January 27th, 2020

“Vermont is at a crossroads. Our rural communities and workforce are shrinking and the next generation is struggling to live in Vermont. There is a generation plagued  by student loan debt that not only struggles to afford housing, keep healthy food on the table and start a family, but also care for aging parents. I am running for Lieutenant Governor to reinvigorate Vermont’s rural communities, to ensure Vermont is the best place to raise and support family, and to protect the land and environment for future generations. Now is the time for the next generation of bold leaders in Vermont.”

Molly was born and raised on a farm in Newbury, Vermont and graduated from the University of Vermont in 2006. Following graduation, Molly helped elect Congressman Peter Welch and went on to serve as a Congressional aide in his Washington, D.C. Office. She later worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross before returning home to attend Vermont Law School and be closer to her family in Newbury. Over the last decade she served as a law clerk to Vermont’s judge to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals and managed the  launch of the first global initiative mandated to oversee the compliance of private security contractors with human rights. Now Molly serves as an Assistant Attorney General where she brings her unique background in human rights to her criminal justice work. 

Molly earned the endorsements of Vermonters from across the State including former Governor Madeleine Kunin, Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George, Shelburne Resident and Attorney Mary Kehoe, former Democratic National Committee (DNC) Finance Chair Jane Stetson, and Olympian John Caldwell.

Former Governor Madeleine Kunin said “I have known Molly to be a dedicated and hard working Vermonter since we first met when she was a student of mine at the University of Vermont. She knows first hand the challenges facing communities across the state and is uniquely qualified to address them. To me, Molly is the face of the next generation of Vermont leaders. I’m excited to see her enter the race and look forward to what she will accomplish as Lieutenant Governor.”

Former DNC Finance Chair and Norwich resident Jane Stetson said, “Having worked with a lot of candidates in Vermont, I am very excited about Molly Gray’s race for Lieutenant Governor. She was raised on a farm in Orange County, educated in the State and following her work abroad, centered around human rights and international humanitarian law and now she is an Assistant Attorney General. I am wholeheartedly supporting her candidacy for Lieutenant Governor.” 

Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George endorsed Molly saying, “Many politicians use the struggles of rural communities, young professionals and women as talking points to get themselves elected, yet few of them actually know those struggles personally and even fewer follow-through on their promises to relieve such struggles,” State’s Attorney George said. “Molly Gray not only has the life experience to fully understand these struggles, but she has the passion and commitment it takes to use those experiences to make an actual difference in the lives of Vermonters.”

Mary Kehoe will serve as Molly’s treasurer for the campaign. Ms. Kehoe said “I am pleased to serve as treasurer. I first met Molly when she was working for Peter Welch’s 2006 Congressional campaign. I was immediately impressed by her thoughtfulness and capacity to get things done. Her energy and dedication have continued to serve her well, first as a staffer for Peter Welch, then at the Red Cross, at Vermont Law School, as a Law Clerk for Judge Peter Hall on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, as a human rights monitor, and back home as an Assistant Attorney General for T.J. Donovan. I know Molly will bring that same level of dedication to the Office of Lieutenant Governor. I am proud to support Molly and be part of her campaign”

John Caldwell, a Putney native, Olympian, and former US Ski Team coach said, “I’ve known the whole Gray family since 1941, starting with Ed and Mabel Gray. Their granddaughter, Molly Gray, is pure Vermont. Molly has always supported and appreciated life as Vermont presents its possibilities—lifestyle, good working environment, winter sports, agriculture, strong communities, good educational system—and she will continue in that role when elected.”

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VTDigger: Assistant Attorney General Molly Gray announces run for lieutenant governor

By Xander Lander, January 27, 2020

Assistant Attorney General Molly Gray announced Monday that she is running for lieutenant governor, joining a crowded field of Democrats seeking the post this year.  

Gray, a prosecutor in the attorney general’s criminal division who previously worked as a congressional aide to U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., and as a law clerk with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, has never held elected office.  

But her announcement Monday came with several major endorsements, including the backing of former Gov. Madeleine Kunin, Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George, and Jane Stetson, a former finance chair of the Democratic National Committee and large Democratic donor. Read the full story at vtdigger.org

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NBC5: Molly Gray begins campaign for lieutenant governor of Vermont

With Stewart Ledbetter

Assistant Attorney General Molly Gray, a newcomer to elective politics, has launched her candidacy for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor of Vermont.

Gray, 35, grew up in Newbury and spent a few years working in Washington for U.S. Rep Peter Welch before returning home.

She said she represents a new generation often talked about at the Statehouse.

"We're at a crossroads as a state," Gray said Tuesday. "We keep talking about how we need to keep the next generation in the state but we haven't figured out a way to do that. I am that generation, a generation that has student loan debt, can't afford to buy a home, who was thinking about having a family but who also wants to take care of my parents and our farm." Watch at myNBC5.com

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Molly Gray Announces Bid to Become Lieutenant Governor of Vermont

By Colin Flanders, January 27th 2020

Assistant attorney general Molly Gray has announced her bid to become lieutenant governor of Vermont.

Gray, a political novice who works in the AG's criminal division, had been planning a run for several weeks and declared her candidacy in a press release Monday. She said she's seeking the state's No. 2 office because she believes Vermont is at a "crossroads." 

"Our rural communities and workforce are shrinking and the next generation
is struggling to live in Vermont," wrote Gray, who was born and raised on a farm in Newbury. "There is a generation plagued by student loan debt that not only struggles to afford housing, keep healthy food on the table and start a family, but also care for aging parents."

Gray, who is running as a Democrat, graduated from the University of Vermont in 2006 and worked for Rep. Peter Welch's (D-Vt.) congressional campaign that year. She then served as a Welch aide in Washington, D.C., before returning to the Green Mountain State to attend Vermont Law School.  Read the full story at sevendaysvt.com

“I am running for Lieutenant Governor to reinvigorate Vermont’s rural communities, to ensure Vermont is the best place to raise and support family, and to protect the land and environment for future generations. Now is the time for the next generation of bold leaders in Vermont.”

— Molly Gray 2020