The Crisis at Our Doorstep Vermont’s judicial system has become a revolving door for out-of-state traffickers. While law enforcement works tirelessly, the current laws act as a "slap on the wrist," making our quiet neighborhoods high-profit, low-risk targets for cartels. We are losing our neighbors. In 2018, it was Shaun Kennedy. In 2020, it was Jefrey Cameron. In 2024, Stephanie Landry left three children behind. In 2025, we lost Katelyn Grant and Jeremy Stone. The story is always the same: out-of-state poison flooding our streets while traffickers exploit our legal loopholes. A Message to Those Still Struggling If you are currently trapped in the cycle of addiction, this petition is for you, too. We recognize that you are the primary targets of these out-of-state predators. You are being exploited, your safety is being traded for their profit, and you deserve a Vermont that is hostile to traffickers but welcoming to your recovery. Your signature is a stand against the people hurting you. We see your humanity, and we want you safe.
This petition isn't against you—it’s for you. It’s against the people exploiting you. We are 78 signatures away from a major milestone. Stand with us. The "Cuckooing" of Vermont Traffickers aren't just selling drugs; they are hijacking lives. Through a predatory tactic known as "Cuckooing," out-of-state dealers are: • Forcibly taking over Vermonters' homes to use as "trap houses." • Commandeering personal vehicles for drug transport. • Exploiting Airbnbs and short-term rentals to hide in residential neighborhoods. Our Demands to the Vermont Legislature: We, the undersigned, demand that the Legislature move beyond "minimums" and enact real consequences. We call for: 1. Maximum Sentencing for H.780: Amend H.780 to include the highest possible felony penalties for trafficking that results in death or serious injury—with no early release. 2. Create "Cuckooing" Laws: Establish standalone felony charges for out-of-state residents who occupy a Vermonter’s home or vehicle for drug distribution. 3. Short-Term Rental (STR) Accountability: Mandate stricter identity verification for platforms like Airbnb and levy heavy fines on properties used for trafficking. 4. Campaign Finance Transparency: End the influence of "dark money" and PACs. Our lawmakers must answer to Vermonters, not opaque financial networks. Sign Today to Protect Tomorrow Vermont will not be dimmed by a broken legal system. We demand justice. We demand maximum penalties. We demand our safety back. Prevention starts in the home with a single thought. Through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), we can reframe our internal dialogue to prove that sobriety and healing are achievable. Sign today to reclaim our state. Sign this petition to tell Montpelier: Vermont is NOT open for trafficking. In light of recent news reports about the state’s drug trafficking problem, I have updated and added to the demands to cover loopholes and deeper issues our state is facing. Updated Demands: Our Demands to the Vermont Legislature We, the undersigned, demand that the Legislature move beyond "minimums" and enact real consequences that disrupt the high-profit, low-risk business model of out-of-state cartels. We call for: 1. Pass and Expand House Bill 780 (H.780): We demand the immediate passage of H.780, with amendments to include Maximum Sentencing Guidelines for out-of-state "kingpins." If an out-of-state trafficker’s product results in a Vermont fatality, the penalty must be a life sentence with no possibility of early release. 2. Codify "Cuckooing" as a Major Felony: Establish a new standalone charge for the Criminal Occupation of a Dwelling for Trafficking Purposes. This law must explicitly protect the resident (the victim of exploitation) and shift the full weight of the law—including mandatory maximums—onto the out-of-state trafficker taking over the home. 3. Fund the Prosecution "Bottleneck": Eliminate the $649,126 "vacancy savings" mandate for the State’s Attorneys. Our 14 counties cannot continue to be "soft targets" simply because we refuse to fund the prosecutors needed to keep traffickers behind bars. 4. Closing Vehicle & Retail Theft Loopholes: Reclassify vehicle thefts tied to distribution networks from "operating without owner’s consent" to Grand Larceny. We must stop treating the tools of the drug trade as minor offenses. 5. Short-Term Rental (STR) Accountability: Legislate stricter identity verification for platforms like Airbnb and establish heavy civil and criminal penalties for traffickers using these properties as temporary "trap houses."