Tessera

What a powerhouse panel. I have had several “ah ha” moments over the last two days which will have a direct impact on how I communicate issues. We have so much to learn from each other and I am so thankful to Aspen Institute Germany for convening these conversations. (More on my takeaways later!)

Watching Vermont’s weak data privacy bill used as leverage for the federal SECURE Data Act hearing today was hard. What we pass can affect every American. If the SDA passes as-is, it would preempt VT’s Kids Code, data breach laws, Consumer Protection Act, and more. We have to see the bigger picture.

Happy Pride Month, everyone! 😎🏳️‍🌈 This Pride hits differently for me after a year of deep reflection and self-discovery. Here’s to every person finding their way to themselves, at whatever pace, on whatever path. 💜💙💚💛🧡❤️🩷🤍🩵🤎🖤 PS Stickers/buttons available at Sunnyside Coffee and wherever you find me!

We lost some, kept more: CT 2025 floor held, PAI and Kids Code definitions largely intact, data-level exemptions survived. PRA is gone but flagged for return. Playbook documented. Allies gained across VT and nationally. Fellow legislators committed to return to this annually. The fight isn’t over.

After spending the majority of my waking hours focused on data-related consumer protection efforts in VT for the past 3 years, I ended up voting No. "I voted No, not as a criticism of my colleagues, but as a criticism of what Big Tech’s lobbying does to undermine the democratic process.”

Monique Priestley @mepriestley.com · 5mo ago

Orange County Senate Candidate forms filed for the Democratic Primary on August 11th! As soon as I filed this morning, a wave of relief and excitement flooded over me. I am so in love with our Orange County towns. I can’t wait to visit with folks, highlight needs, and celebrate OC! 🧡💪💚 #ruralpride

Legislative session is alllllmost over which means campaign season kicks off soon! If you’re in Vermont, I’d love to see you at a campaign event! If you’re elsewhere, I can use all of the help I can get fundraising and getting the word out! RSVP and/or donate at goodchange.app/donate/26lau... ❤️

Monique Priestley @mepriestley.com · 5mo ago

I am honored to be recognized as a 2026 Elected Women of Excellence Award recipient by the National Foundation for Women Legislators @electedwomen. I am grateful to serve alongside so many dedicated leaders who are committed to making a difference. I look forward to continuing this work.

Today I joined over 220 state legislators in calling for invocation of the 25th Amendment and congressional enforcement of war powers as the U.S. remains in an unauthorized war with Iran. Thank you to MI Rep. Rheingans and State Futures for leading this effort. priestleyvt.com/25thamendmen...

So proud of everyone who took to the streets, parking lots, and greens to rally this weekend. I kept things local with visits to Bradford and Fairlee. ❤️ Keep showing up and speaking out. 💪😍 #nokings

There’s a much longer story behind the scenes - and the conversation isn’t over. Keep speaking up and engaging! The biggest take away for me was an appreciation for how quickly folks sprang into action to alert tens of thousands of VTers. It’s so critical to hear from you! More in comments…

Thank you shoutout to Pete Hirschfeld and Vermont Public for covering the House passage of H.211, a bill expanding transparency and the rights of Vermonters when it comes to the sale of their personal data. I’m thankful for the hard work of the colleagues in my committee as well as the House.

Monique Priestley @mepriestley.com · 7mo ago

H.211 just passed the Vermont House. It updates data broker fees, fines, and definitions and replaces outdated entity/data-level exemptions with use-case level Right to Delete exemptions. Grateful to everyone who helped get it here. Long road ahead. 🌱 #dataprivacy

I am excited to share that I have joined the State Futures Federal Response Coalition: a growing, cross-state group of lawmakers coordinating responses to federal overreach focused on defending civil liberties, upholding the rule of law, and protecting communities.

Monique Priestley @mepriestley.com · 7mo ago

Timely as the Vermont House Committee on Commerce & Economic Development heads into another day of testimony regarding H.211, An act relating to data brokers and personal information. www.wired.com/story/data-b...

Data Broker Breaches Fueled Nearly $21 Billion in Identity-Theft Losses

A report copublished by WIRED sparked a probe into opt-out pages hidden by data brokers. Now congressional Democrats say breaches tied to the industry have cost people tens of billions of dollars.

wired.com

Spent a quick afternoon at Drexel’s Law School today, visiting with students and professors on a panel alongside Rep Scialabba (R-PA) discussing privacy and AI related policy making. I find the open-ended exploration of ideas in an academic setting to be a beneficial exercise to participate in.

Pleased to be part of the GovStack Women in GovTech Challenge 2026 as a mentor, joining 260+ women from 74 countries working to advance inclusive digital transformation. Looking forward to learning and contributing. #WiGTC26 #GovStack

The resources that David Stauss and his team create to track all of the various aspects of data privacy and AI laws across the country are invaluable. I’m grateful for an opportunity to share a few updates from Vermont. (See LinkedIn for the video.) #dataprivacy #aipolicy #techpolicy #digitalpolicy

Appreciate Austin Jenkins and Pluribus News / State Affairs for including me in DISRUPTION: 6 tech policy trends to watch in ’26. States continue to lead on AI, data privacy, and platform accountability - especially where federal action falls short. 📄 Full piece: pluribusnews.com/news-and-eve...

Big thanks to Wayne and Dave for having me on Algorithmic Anxiety last month to dig into AI regulation—what’s already happening, what’s missing, and what states are doing right now. 🎙️ Episode 26 (Dec 16, 2026): www.mixcloud.com/WBTVLP/algor...

Grateful to David Zuckerman and the team at WDEV for having me on today. We talked data privacy, the right to be deleted, government surveillance, AI chatbots, and why rural voices matter in tech policy. 🎧 Protecting Data, Protecting People (Jan 29, 2026): podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/v...

What is happening in Minnesota is a direct threat to due process, constitutional rights, and the values our country was founded on. I stand with the people of MN in calling for accountability, independent investigations, and an end to this dangerous federal overreach. priestleyvt.com/media/opeds/