Biography
My family moved to Vermont in 1985 when I was ten years old, and I’ve been in love ever since. I went to college at St. Lawrence University, started my career in Boston, and went to graduate school at the City College of New York. When my kids were young I lived in New York and Florida, but I always wanted to come back, which I did fourteen years ago.
My education and career path wandered through fiction writing, publishing, and journalism until I landed in politics just two years ago when I first ran for office. I am about to complete my first term as the state representative for Charlotte and a section of Hinesburg.
I served on the House Government Operations and Military Affairs committee during the last biennium and in addition to my regular committee work, focused much of my time and energy on two bills, one of which concerned government ethics and the other which established a Department of Animal Welfare in Vermont.
I’m a single mom with three teenage boys and two large dogs; when I’m not cooking, doing laundry, or driving someone somewhere, I like to hang out with my friends and family, read, play tennis, needlepoint, and watch garbage television.
Candidate occupation
legislator, writer
Why are you running for office?
My first term as a state representative was eye-opening in so many ways, from the little things like, How exactly does one caucus? to the bigger things like, How do I best vote to represent this large group of people who often have wildly varying viewpoints? It was an exciting and slightly overwhelming couple of years, but as I learned where to get a sandwich and how to talk to constituents, and more importantly, how to listen to them, I realized that this job is exactly what I’ve always wanted to do.
The first time I ran for office, I did it because I was centered on an opponent and an issue–reproductive freedom–that was super important to me. This time, I’m running for office because of all of the other uncountable issues that are now also really important to me. More often than not, those issues became important to me because of communication and conversation with constituents.
It’s a complex time in our state’s governance, and an unprecedented time in history. As we navigate the after-effects of covid and floods; face immediate challenges like affordability and housing; and look a little farther into the future on climate change and tourism and commerce, I’m confident I can make a difference. That difference isn’t because of me, or who I am, though–it’s because of the people who live in my district who are passionate, thoughtful, and forceful, and who have trusted me to stand up for them. I want to continue the good work we’ve started.
Issues in brief
Do you believe Vermonters are better off now than they were 10 years ago?
Yes
Do you believe Vermont needs a new education funding formula?
Yes
Do you support imposing new taxes on the wealthiest Vermonters?
Yes
Do you support the establishment of overdose prevention centers?
Yes
Do you support a ban on flavored tobacco products?
No
Do you support increasing penalties for property crimes such as shoplifting?
Yes
Do you believe Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election?
Yes
Issues in depth
What would you do to help grow Vermont’s economy?
No answer
What changes, if any, would you make to the way Vermont funds its schools?
No answer
Is Vermont doing enough, too much or not enough to address climate change? Please explain.
I think we’re doing exactly enough–in the moment–to address climate change. There’s a lot we need to work on in the future, especially related to climate change-related natural disasters, which we’ve already seen the stressful and expensive effects of.
The reality of the moment, for me, though, is that oftentimes measures to combat climate change have a cost. Although the immediate cost may save us money in the long run, the truth is that we’re in an affordability pinch at the moment, so those longer-term efforts might need to take a back seat until we can stabilize individuals’ and families’ financial situations.
Is Vermont doing enough, too much or not enough to regulate gun ownership? Please explain.
The work we’ve done so far is good.
I believe in the second amendment wholeheartedly. I also believe in our kids’ rights to go to school without worrying about getting murdered. I’d love to see a day when every parent who sends their kid off to school in the morning doesn’t have that small, nagging terror in the back of their mind that today, something could happen.
I’d like to see a total re-think of the system. My kids are at the ages where they’re new drivers, and the rigorous system for obtaining a driver’s license seems about right for driving a car, and would be great for gun owners, too. My youngest just took a test and got his hunting license. I think it would have been just fine if he had to go through a 40-hour shooting practice drill, take a weeks-long course with a certified instructor, pass a written test as well as a practical test, and then have a trial period of a year before he could operate a gun on his own. That’s what you have to do to drive a car.
What would you do to help ease Vermont’s housing crisis?
I’m in Chittenden County, where the “affordable” houses for sale are currently hovering around $600,000 to $800,000. To ease the housing crisis, I think we need to create movement in the current housing stock. Seniors are struggling to maintain their current family homes because there’s nowhere to go–I think a good start would be creating 55+ neighborhoods where there are significant property tax breaks, limits on resale value, and incentives for developers who want to build these single-family homes. This model works in many other states.
We made some strides in the last biennium with Act 250 reform, but I think it’s important to continue looking at that process. We have that fine line to walk–we don’t want to look like New Jersey (no offense to New Jersey, it’s a great place) but we also need to accept the fact that we’re growing, and when we grow, people need a place to go. Support for municipalities to develop and implement their town plans is critical, as is offering incentives and assistance to creative developers and landowners who want to create housing but can’t afford it because of lengthy and unnecessary review processes or red tape.
How would you address rising homelessness in Vermont?
1. Universal health care. 2. Give people somewhere to live.
Homelessness is often accompanied by addiction, mental health challenges, and other health issues. If we had a better healthcare system, we could tackle all of these problems.
If we re-frame the way we think about offering financial assistance to people who are struggling with homelessness, I think we’ll see that housing people will not only help people, but makes good financial sense. If we spend the money up front, we’re going to save it in a million ways down the line.
What would you do to increase access to health care services for Vermonters?
No answer
Financial disclosure
Candidates for state and legislative offices are required to submit a financial disclosure when filing to run. These disclosures include each source, but not the amount, of personal income of each candidate, and of their spouse or domestic partner, that singly or jointly totals more than $5,000 for the previous 12 months. The information provided is an opportunity for voters to learn about candidates’ potential conflicts of interest.
You can find Evans’s financial disclosure here.
Disclaimer
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