Biography
DAISY BERBECO grew up in a small fishing community off the road system in coastal Alaska, where she developed a deep appreciation for the importance of human connection in building community wellness.
She studied international development at Sussex and worked internationally in global health and the nonprofit sector. Daisy spent seven years at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing in Washington D.C. before moving to Winooski in 2019.
Daisy is an expert in mental health and substance use policy and practice improvement. She has worked with thought leaders in trauma-informed care, peer recovery, health care management, leadership, and care integration.
Prior to her election as a state representative, Daisy was the Senior Advisor for Mental Health Policy at the Vermont Department of Mental Health, the Secretary for the Finance & Policy Division the National Association of Mental Health Program Directors, a member of Vermont’s Substance Misuse Prevention and Oversight Council, and the Vermont Suicide Prevention Coalition. She is currently on the advisory board of the Hopi Foundation’s peer-run Substance Use Prevention Center and a member of the Vermont Judiciary Commission on Mental Health and the Courts, the Agency of Human Services Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Steering Committee, an Executive Board Member of Urban Institute’s Vermont Prison Reform and Innovation Network and the Conference of Chief Justices State Court Administrators Behavioral Health Committee Funding Workgroup. She is the Chair of the Winooski Democrats and a Justice of the Peace.
In her free time Daisy volunteers in her community and with NAMI Vermont, and enjoys fishing, hiking, gardening and painting.
Candidate occupation
Legislator
Why are you running for office?
Over the past biennium, I have had the honor of representing Winooski and working diligently to address the issues that matter most to us. From expanding access to affordable health care to protecting student’s critical learning supports to modernizing our renewable energy standard, my commitment has always been to serve you and our district with integrity, dedication, and transparency.
I am ready to continue the important work we have started. Winooski faces serious challenges in housing, affordability, and sustaining our unique businesses through a long period of downtown revitalization. These problems require experienced, collaborative and steadfast leadership. I’m running to build on the progress we have made and tackle the very tough tasks ahead.
Issues in brief
Do you believe Vermonters are better off now than they were 10 years ago?
No
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?
No
Do you believe Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election?
Yes
Issues in depth
What would you do to help grow Vermont’s economy?
To grow the economy in Vermont we need to first address the housing crisis. We have a low unemployment rate but the lack of affordable housing is a barrier to growing the business and workforce that we need to strengthen our economy. And for long-range success we have to provide a stable foundation to young residents through initiatives like the “Baby Bonds” that will ensure our young adults have a chance at financial security and a great education. In my district every student now takes a class in financial literacy before graduation, which gives them financial planning and management skills. Every Vermont student needs to enter the workforce and adulthood with a firm understanding of these so supporting legislation to expand the program to more of our future leaders is just one way we can improve the economy.
What changes, if any, would you make to the way Vermont funds its schools?
We need to create a new funding formula for education in Vermont that is streamlined and transparent, while ensuring students get the array of supports they need.
Is Vermont doing enough, too much or not enough to address climate change? Please explain.
We could always be doing more to address climate change and mitigate the disasters it causes. We have had recent successes like establishing a climate superfund to make polluters pay for their errors. We also updated the Renewable Energy Standard to put Vermont on track to be one of the strongest clean energy states in the nation with 100% renewable electricity. In 2024 I introduced legislation to support mental health related to climate change-the only public health bill specifically related to climate change. When re elected I will be introducing it again because I know we can’t afford to overlook the cost of climate change on our mental wellbeing. Young people especially are suffering from climate anxiety and providers I speak with don’t have appropriate tools to support them. We need innovative, community-led approaches that enhance local connections.
Is Vermont doing enough, too much or not enough to regulate gun ownership? Please explain.
Not enough. Firearms are the leading cause of death for young people in America. I worked on legislation last biennium that implemented a wait time to purchase a gun (72-hours) and strengthened safe storage measures, which can reduce the amount of self inflicted gun wounds and suicide. We also passed legislation that eliminated ghost guns (untraceable or without serial numbers) and prohibited guns at polling places. I will support legislation that reduces or eliminates combat style weapons. As a Gun Sense Vermont endorsed candidate, gun safety is one of my top priorities.
What would you do to help ease Vermont’s housing crisis?
We need a rental registry and to regulate short term rentals (statewide, we have started this locally in Winooski) so we can begin to strategically target areas for housing opportunities and growth. The majority of Winooski are renters, so increasing renter’s rights is a priority for me and something that’s long overdue.
How would you address rising homelessness in Vermont?
There is much to do to address the issue of houselessness but the most direct way I will impact it is to get health care including substance use and mental health supports, to people who are at risk of or are houseless. There is a high occurrence of mental health and substance use challenges for people who are houseless and I want to ensure that we are delivering the essential care that people need in order to get and stay well.
What would you do to increase access to health care services for Vermonters?
Increasing access to care is one of my top three priorities and an area I’ve worked in professionally before serving in the legislature. Access isn’t just availability of services-it’s having affordable, high quality care from appropriate providers when you need it.
Access is an issue for all of us, and it has many factors from lack of housing for care workers to provider burden from paperwork to lack of culturally appropriate care providers and inadequate reimbursement rates. As a member of the Health Care Committee last session I worked directly on the most aggressive legislation to increase access that Vermont has seen. We reduced provider burden by eliminating prior authorization for some of the most common procedures. We expanded Medicaid to 11,000 more Vermonters and in 2023 we fought to successfully pass the Reproductive and Gender Affirming Care bill which protects providers who deliver those services. Not all advances take legislation, this year the State agreed to offer pre-release Medicaid to incarcerated individuals, which is something I long advocated for including in our Global Commitment Waiver. My primary focus will be on addressing access to mental health and substance use care. We need to integrate those services into every place of care while not neglecting community-led approaches to wellness. As a member of several state and national boards and commissions that address equitable access to affordable care, I will continue collaborating to improve access because health care is a human right.
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 Berbeco’s financial disclosure here.
Disclaimer
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