Rep. Selene Colburn: Victories for Harm Reduction | May 10, 2021
Friend,
This is Rep. Selene Colburn from Burlington with another Legislative update. This week, I want to focus on a topic that I’ve been working on since my first day in the legislature: harm reduction. We’ve had a few recent victories this legislative session that I want to celebrate, but our work is far from done. I also have updates for you on the unemployment bill that has just passed out of committee in the House.
Harm Reduction Victories
Harm reduction is a philosophy and set of practices designed to minimize the harm associated with risky behaviors. A very simple example of harm reduction is wearing a seatbelt when you drive a car. When it comes to drug use and substance use disorder, Harm Reduction International tells us, “Harm reduction is grounded in justice and human rights. It focuses on positive change and on working with people without judgement, coercion, discrimination, or requiring that they stop using drugs as a precondition of support.”
H.225 decriminalizes the possession of small amounts of non-prescribed buprenorphine, a drug commonly used to treat opioid addiction. Non-prescribed buprenorphine is often used to self-treat opioid dependence by people who can’t access medically-supervised treatment, for whatever reasons. It reduces the risk of fatal overdose associated with heroin and fentanyl and has actually been shown to help people succeed when they do choose medically-supervised treatment. H.225 is based on a bill I introduced in the 2019 session. It recently passed the House on an emotional vote of 126 to 19. On Friday, the Senate Judiciary committee voted unanimously to move it to a vote of the full Senate. After three long years, this first-of-its-kind bill is just a few steps away from passage. Please let your legislators and the Governor know that H.225 is an important support for Vermonters struggling with opioid dependence.
The House and Senate recently approved important protections for sex workers and trafficking survivors who are the victim of or witness to a crime. Because sex work is illegal in the state of Vermont, workers have been put in a position where they cannot report crimes against themselves or crimes witnessed while working without fear of being prosecuted themselves. H.18 allows survivors to come forward without being charged with prostitution, prohibited conduct, or drug possession.
What’s Next for Harm Reduction?
I’m so excited to celebrate the victories that we’ve made in the field of harm reduction and there is still so much work to be done. Here are some other harm-reduction policies that I introduced this year:
H.397 expands the locations where syringe-exchange services can operate and establishes a recovery stabilization study committee, to better understand the kinds of support people need when they relapse. Currently, relapse can trigger loss of housing, diminished access to treatment, or reincarceration, even though it is a normal part of recovery for the majority of people with substance use disorder.
H.419 allows for the creation of safe consumption sites in the state of Vermont, in an effort to reduce fatal overdose and increase access to healthcare, treatment, and other supports.
H.422 decriminalizes drug possession and reframes drug use as a public health issue, building on lessons in Portugal and the state of Oregon.
Many of my colleagues in the House Progressive caucus have also introduced bills in support of decriminalization and harm reduction. I am so grateful to be among colleagues who understand and value this important work!
Call to action on Unemployment Bill
Last week the House Commerce Committee voted to eliminate a modest proposed dependent benefit for unemployed parents in S.10, a bill on unemployment insurance (UI). At the same time, they gave hundreds of millions of dollars in additional relief to employers. This upends long-held agreements between workers and employers to maintain balance in our UI system. Please contact your legislator and let them know they should vote against any version of S.10 that doesn’t reinstate the dependent benefit or comparable support for workers. Huge thanks to Rep. Emma Mulvaney-Stanak for her steady advocacy for working and vulnerable Vermonters in this debate.
Thank you for joining me this week! The legislative session is set to end on May 22nd, so we’re nearing the end until we adjourn next year. We’re hoping to do more outreach and events between sessions to be able to talk to Vermonters about the issues that they care about the most, so be on the lookout for more things soon!
In solidarity,
Rep. Selene Colburn, Chittenden 6-4
