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Racial Equity Task Force

Establishing Executive Order: 02-20

Department:  Office of the Governor and the Agency of Administration

Description: The Task Force is hereby ordered to undertake the following three projects in the following
order of priority:

1. Evaluate structures of support for racially diverse populations, particularly in light of
the disparities in health outcomes highlighted by COVID-19:

  • a. Structures that currently exist in Vermont;
  • b. Models that have succeeded in other jurisdictions;
  • c. Policy changes Vermont should consider or efforts the state can promote;
  • d. Tools the state can provide to communities;
  • e. Language access; and
  •  f. Economics, housing, healthcare and access to credit.

2. Review current state and federal law on hate speech and freedom of speech and
consider:

  • a. Changes to state law that would facilitate prosecuting harassment, hate speech and other bias-motivated crimes; and
  •  b. Changes to State law necessary to ban Confederate flags or other similarly incendiary flags/images from being displayed in places that receive state funding. If all such proposed changes are determined by the Task Force to be highly likely to be found by a state or federal court to unconstitutionally restrict speech, after consultation with experts in constitutional law, the Task Force shall identify the entity most appropriate to conduct training and education in this regard.

3. Study and present options for encouraging Vermonters from diverse, marginalized, or
underrepresented racial and ethnic groups to run and serve in public office at all levels
(local, state, including boards and commissions and federal). The Task Force shall
determine:

  • a. Who, or what, organization(s) should conduct the training;
  • b. Whether there is grant funding available to support this effort; and
  • c. Whether there is a program in Vermont or elsewhere that could be replicated

Composition and Appointments:

The Governor’s Racial Equity Task Force may consist of up to eight members or
approved alternates, including:

1. the Executive Director of Racial Equity who shall be Chair;

  • Xusana Davis

2. one member representing the Governor’s Office, appointed by the Governor;

  • Brittney L. Wilson 

3. one member of the public, appointed by the Governor from among three individuals
recommended by the Task Force;

  • Pending Recommendations 

4. one member from the law enforcement community, appointed by the Governor;

  • Chris Brickel

5. one member representing the Vermont chapters of the NAACP, appointed by the
Governor;

  • Tabitha Pohl-Moore

6. one member from the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs, appointed by
the Governor;

  • Carol McGranahan

7. one member representing the Vermont ACLU, appointed by the Governor; and

  • James Duff Lyall

8. the Executive Director of the Human Rights Commission.

  • Bor Yang

Executive Order 02-20 shall continue in full force and effect until May 31, 2021 unless extended by the Governor