Day in the Life of a Legislative Intern
By: Kerry Brosnan
As a legislative intern with the Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC), Vermont Conservation Voters (VCV), and Vermont Planners Association (VPA), I have been tracking the movements of, and changes made to, specific bills having to do with climate, land use, biodiversity, and transportation.
I wanted to learn more about Vermont’s biodiversity and climate priorities and about the impact policies have on funding and grant opportunities. My passion for wildlife conservation and my concern about climate change led me to the University of Vermont where I received my B.S. in Natural Resources in 2021. I am particularly interested in the intersection between wildlife conservation, agriculture, and ornithology. I have researched wildlife management strategies with a local Vermont town forest and I recently served as an AmeriCorps Conservation Steward at North Branch Nature Center where I coordinated and led habitat restoration and tree planting events. After these field experiences, I felt it was important to learn more about environmental and climate policy in Vermont. I was drawn to this legislative internship eager to better understand this part of the environmental field.
Before I started in this position, I always appreciated how easy and convenient the bus system in the Burlington area is. I started taking advantage of Green Mountain Transit in 2021 after Vermont made bus rides fare free. I had been thinking about how I wanted to reduce my car use for environmental and financial reasons and fare free rides made trying out buses less intimidating.
When I accepted this internship, I didn’t think there was a bus route that would take me all the way from Burlington to Montpelier. To my surprise, a friend who grew up in Vermont told me about the Montpelier LINK Express Route; I was so excited that I could continue to reduce my transportation carbon footprint and keep my budget on transportation costs low. Fare free rides meant there was no excuse not to take advantage of this opportunity!
Through my experiences commuting and my experiences in the State House, I have learned a lot about transportation systems in Vermont.
Here is a sneak peak into a day of my life as a Legislative Intern.
6:30 AM I start my morning by feeding my cat, listening to my favorite podcast “This American Life”, and eating some breakfast.
7:40 AM I head out the door and head over to the Lakeside Avenue Park & Ride in Burlington. I get there in less than 10 minutes and I love how I am able to park my car for free.
7:52 AM The #86 bus arrives. I really appreciate how GMT is really timely and never strays too far from their schedule. While I’m on the bus, I like to read or listen to a podcast. If I have a busy day ahead of me, I am able to catch up on my emails on the bus. The GMT buses have free wifi so I can even get work done on my laptop.
8:48 AM I arrive at the Montpelier Transit Center, which is about a 4 minute walk from the State House.
9:00 AM I head into my first committee meeting of the day and take notes on the different topics of conversation. Over the past few months I have spent the majority of my mornings in the Senate Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs Committee tracking their housing bill (S.100).
A large goal of this bill is to concentrate housing in downtown areas where important resources like grocery stores, parks, pharmacies and more are within walking distance. Walkable downtowns promote community and help reduce dependence on single-occupancy vehicles and fossil fuels. This bill also attempts to limit unnecessary parking requirements that could reduce downtown housing options and availability of green space. I’ve really enjoyed learning about how Vermont is working towards planning housing in a way that benefits people and the environment.
12:00 PM I eat lunch and work on summarizing my notes from the morning.
1:00 PM I head into the next committee meeting for the day. Today I am heading to the House Transportation Committee and I’m taking notes on the Mobility and Transportation Innovations (MTI) Grant Program. The MTI Grant supports projects that improve both mobility and access to services for transit-dependent Vermonters, reduce the use of single occupancy vehicles, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
There are three people here to testify in support of continued funding for this program, all three of whom have worked on really inspiring transportation projects. During this conversation, I learned about the Chittenden Area Transportation Management Association (CATMA). It was so interesting to learn about their Reward & Benefit Programs which offer a multitude of transportation services for free to employees of businesses who are CATMA members. One program offers $15 gift certificates to members who bike/walk to work 24 days within a 60 day period. One of my friends is an employee at one of CATMA’s member businesses and she looks forward to taking advantage of these perks now!
2:30 PM The House Transportation Committee is also discussing electric bike incentives today. The committee wants to set aside $50,000 in one-time General Fund monies to continue the eBike Incentive Program. The program was a massive success last year and the committee looks to continue to support this program. Committee members are hoping to find a way to encourage more Vermonters to buy their eBikes at local bike shops instead of ordering them online. I take notes on any questions or comments committee members bring up.
4:00 PM I summarize my notes from the second half of the day and email them to VNRC, VCV and VPA staff.
5:15 PM I hop on the bus back to Burlington from the Montpelier Transit Center. After a long day I make a habit of reading on the way back home. This month I’ve been reading The Hobbit; Bilbo Baggins sure loves to make far treks by foot.
6:10 PM I arrive back at the Lakeside Avenue Park & Ride. Within a few minutes I am back home, ready to unwind and relax for the rest of the evening!
