Biography
Jana Brown of Richmond, Chittenden County, Democrat, grew up in Fair Haven, VT a rural town in Rutland County. She is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University and The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. Her public service career began at the Ohio Attorney General’s Office before she moved back home to Vermont to continue her legal career. Jana spent four and a half years working in Montpelier for the Vermont Attorney General’s Office in the Civil Litigation Division. She joined the nonprofit sector in 2014 and currently works for a nonprofit focused on providing literacy programming and books to economically disadvantaged children and families throughout Vermont and New Hampshire. Jana serves the Richmond community as Chair of the Richmond Democratic Caucus and a board member of a local summer enrichment program.
Candidate occupation
Nonprofit professional
Why are you running for office?
As a working parent with a young student in our local school district, an employee of a nonprofit organization, a former state employee, and an active member of our community, I bring a valuable perspective to Montpelier. I’ve lived in rural Vermont and Chittenden County and I care deeply about our state. I am honored to serve as Richmond as our community’s voice in the State House and to seek re-election to continue this work.
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?
Yes
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?
Vermont continues to experience a significant workforce shortage, especially when it comes to skilled workers. In recent years, I’ve supported our efforts in the legislature to upskill our current workforce and encourage skilled workers from other states to work and live in Vermont. We have significant ongoing needs in the areas of healthcare, construction, education, and more. In this recent legislative session, the legislature established an Office of Workforce Strategy and Development led by an executive director who will serve on the Governor’s cabinet. This office will provide central oversight to workforce programs across state government and comprehensively examine our workforce training system. Workforce housing also remains a critical need and I will continue to support efforts to combat our housing crisis and bring more workers to our state.
What changes, if any, would you make to the way Vermont funds its schools?
This year school districts across the state experienced unprecedented increases in education costs in their FY25 budgets, and this challenging year created urgency around establishing a modern vision for public education in Vermont. It is critical that we both support our schools, students, teachers, staff, and education leaders but also take a hard look at how we can deliver an excellent education to our students at a cost that Vermont taxpayers can afford. A significant part of the legislature’s work this year was to create a Commission on the Future of Public Education. This Commission will start work this summer, and it is charged with examining our public education system: the structure, cost drivers, scale of the system, and the services provided in schools. Examining our current funding system is part of this work, and I will be following the Commission’s work closely to prepare for our work in the next legislative biennium to support public education and equal access to educational opportunities for all our students.
Is Vermont doing enough, too much or not enough to address climate change? Please explain.
Climate action remains one of my top priorities. We’ve done significant work over the last several years to support Vermont’s Climate Action plan and there is more work ahead of us. We must continue to transition away from fossil fuels and support low and middle-income Vermonters in making that transition, particularly in the heating and transportation sectors. Protecting those Vermonters from the price volatility of fossil fuels is an important part of our climate work. We’ve also made historic investments in weatherization, electric vehicle incentives and infrastructure, and public transportation. The updated Renewable Energy Standard passed this year raises electric utility requirements for renewable energy to 100% by 2030 with a longer timeframe for smaller utilities. This updated standard will double the amount of new renewable energy built in the state, create good paying clean energy jobs, and offer better protection for Vermonters from rising fossil fuel prices. To make sure all Vermonters have access to the benefits of renewable energy, there will be further study on current and needed programs for affordable housing developments and customers with lower incomes.
Is Vermont doing enough, too much or not enough to regulate gun ownership? Please explain.
Vermont has adopted several important gun safety reforms in recent years, but there is more we can do to combat the crisis of gun violence in our country. By banning ghost guns, implementing a waiting period for gun purchases, and passing a safe storage law we are continuing to make progress in the area of gun safety.
What would you do to help ease Vermont’s housing crisis?
Making progress to ease the housing crisis is going to take continued state investment. From March 2020 through June 2023, Vermont invested over $1 billion (mostly through federal stimulus funding) into expanding our affordable housing supply and providing emergency housing assistance and supports. Highlights of these investments include constructing and rehabbing affordable housing units through the Vermont Housing Conservation Board; bringing rental units online through VHIP; supporting recovery housing; providing emergency rental assistance to tenants and landlords; supporting first-generation and missing middle homebuyers; and providing non-congregate housing and services to homeless Vermonters. I’ll continue to support efforts to build housing where it is most needed and support development in the right places.
How would you address rising homelessness in Vermont?
This year, the Vermont House passed a bill, H.879, to modernize the General Assistance Emergency Housing program. This bill created a comprehensive plan for the future of this program, and I voted in favor of this bill. Although H.879 didn’t pass both bodies, important elements were passed as part of the FY25 budget and work in this critical area continues. The Budget Bill created a General Assistance Emergency Housing Task Force to help move this work forward. I’ll continue to support efforts to protect our most vulnerable citizens.
What would you do to increase access to health care services for Vermonters?
One important step the legislature took this year to promote health care access was increasing eligibility for the Medicare Savings Program. This step allows the benefit of this program to reach older Vermonters with incomes up to $29,367 or $39,858 for married couples. Through an investment of state funds, this increased eligibility will also draw down significant federal support and result in nearly $50 million in benefits for Vermonters and providers.
Future significant steps in increasing access to health care services for Vermonters are expanding Medicaid eligibility for Vermonters and increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates to our providers so they can keep their doors open to all patients.
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 Brown’s financial disclosure here.
Disclaimer
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