FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Press@KidsCodeCoalition.org

“The process to arrive at this bill took years of public forums, research, broad and various testimony, and collaboration among the Legislature, my office, industry groups, non-profits, small and mid-sized businesses, and consumers. The Governor’s Office and Administration were almost entirely absent from this process and may lack the relevant and important knowledge that would have been gained had they participated.”

– Attorney General Charity Clark

“I am very disappointed that Governor Scott couldn’t get past the misinformation that national tech-supported business associations, with support from Vermont business associations, used to spread fear among our Vermont business community … Vermont citizens are the losers today.”

– Rep. Mike Marcotte (R), House Commerce & Economic Development Committee Chair

“Our collective efforts brought forth legislation that not only reflects our commitment to consumer protection from scams and identity theft but also sets a standard for the nation. It is unfortunate that so much misinformation has been spread about this bill, but we know that Big Tech and their deep pockets are fearful of no longer having unrestricted access to Vermonters’ personal information.”

– House Speaker Jill Krowinski (D)

“Despite overwhelming approval by the General Assembly and support from Vermonters who recognize the urgent need for online safety and privacy, Governor Scott has chosen to side with the tech industry over protecting young people who are most vulnerable to social media’s harms … An override of the governor’s veto is not only necessary to secure a more just digital future for our children, but also critical in establishing accountability for Big Tech’s toxic business practices.”

– Nicole Gill, Accountable Tech

“We are incredibly disappointed that Governor Scott caved to industry’s lobbying efforts and vetoed this landmark privacy legislation. Vermont consumers deserve the protections in this bill … We remain hopeful that the legislature will override this veto with the support of the overwhelming majority of lawmakers that originally passed it.”

– Matt Schwartz, Consumer Reports

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