Vermont news

• The Deeper Dig: Conflict over chemical laws

  27-04-2018 23:37 via vtdigger.org
  Gov. Phil Scott, center, and Sen. Brian Campion, right, toast the installation of new municipal water lines to address PFOA contamination in 2017. Photo by Holly Pelczynski/Bennington BannerGov. Phil Scott’s veto of S.103, a bill to regulate toxic chemicals, was upheld this week by nearly the entire House Republican caucus.
  The move frustrated both environmental advocates and the Bennington delegation, who supported the proposal for its response to dangerous PFOA contam
  
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• The Deeper Dig: Conflict in chemical laws

  27-04-2018 23:37 via vtdigger.org
  Gov. Phil Scott, center, and Sen. Brian Campion, right, toast the installation of new municipal water lines to address PFOA contamination in 2017. Photo by Holly Pelczynski/Bennington BannerGov. Phil Scott’s veto of S.103, a bill to regulate toxic chemicals, was upheld this week by nearly the entire House Republican caucus.
  The move frustrated both environmental advocates and the Bennington delegation, who supported the proposal for its response to dangerous PFOA contam
  
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• Sanders statement on Pompeo

  27-04-2018 23:00 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Sen. Bernie SandersApril 26, 2018
  Contact:Josh Miller-LewisOffice of Sen. Bernie Sanders
  [email protected], D.C. – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement after voting against Mike Pompeo to be secretary of state:
  “Today I voted against Mike Pompeo’s nomination for secretary of state because we need someone who will be a check on President Trump’s bellicose nature, not an encourager. After 17 years of wa
  
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• Environmental justice leader Mustafa Santiago Ali to speak at Vermont Law School, May 11

  27-04-2018 22:58 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Law SchoolApril 26, 2018
  Contact:Maryellen Apelquist, Director of CommunicationsVermont Law [email protected]
  South Royalton — Nationally recognized environmental justice advocate and 2018 Vermont Law School Honorary Degree recipient Mustafa Santiago Ali will speak at VLS at 3:30 p.m. Friday, May 11, in Chase Community Center. Ali’s lecture, titled “Fighting for Environmental Justice: Law, Policy, and the Voice of Communiti
  
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• Rutland family wins $5K energy makeover in video contest

  27-04-2018 22:54 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Efficiency VermontApril 26, 2018
  Contact:Jeff BuellVermont Energy Investment [email protected]
  Burlington – The competition was fierce between 22 entries, but in the end the first video submitted in an Efficiency Vermont contest emerged as the winner.
  Customers were able to upload or share their Instagram or YouTube videos via the contest on Facebook. The public was invited to vote for their favorite and the video that received the most votes won.
  
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• As Budget Tensions Linger, A Look At Where Lawmakers And The Scott Administration Disagree dlvr.it/QR24c6 https://t.co/OpuIfcsGIj

  27-04-2018 22:54 via twitter.com
  
  As Budget Tensions Linger, A Look At Where Lawmakers And The Scott Administration Disagree dlvr.it/QR24c6 https://t.co/OpuIfcsGIj
  
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• Senate passes Leahy-led resolution urging China to respect Tibetan human rights

  27-04-2018 22:48 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Sen. Patrick LeahyApril 26, 2018
  Contact:Office of Sen. Patrick [email protected]
  Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed a resolution calling on China to respect human rights and religious freedom in Tibet.
  Introduced by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), the resolution addresses one of the most important issues for the future of Tibet: the right of Tibetan Buddhi
  
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• Green Mountain Power extends deadline to win Rutland innovation home

  27-04-2018 22:44 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Green Mountain PowerApril 26, 2018
  Contact:Kristin [email protected]
  Rutland – Rutland’s Innovation Home, a super-efficient home to be given away in a contest designed to raise awareness about available jobs, energy innovation and the community, is weeks ahead of schedule – and organizers are extending the deadline to apply to win it.
  Green Mountain Power, Naylor & Breen Builders, the United Way of Rutland County, NBF
  
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• House stalls action on plan to regulate and tax marijuana

  27-04-2018 21:15 via vtdigger.org
  Possession and cultivation of small amounts of marijuana will become legal July 1. File photo by Andrew Kutches/VTDigger
  House members voted overwhelmingly Friday to strike down an eleventh-hour revival of a proposal to tax and regulate recreational marijuana in Vermont
  In a vote of 106-28, the House postponed action on the proposal indefinitely, after Rep. Diana Gonzalez, P-Winooski, moved to bring it back on the floor Thursday, arguing that the state’s tight finances called for a bill th
  
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• Bennington’s first medical marijuana dispensary opens

  27-04-2018 20:47 via vtdigger.org
  S.J. “Wilson” Decandio, director of Bennington’s first medical cannabis dispensary, is shown in the office waiting room. Photo by Jim Therrien/VTDigger
  BENNINGTON — The first medical marijuana dispensary in one of the state’s underserved areas is being greeted enthusiastically by patients, operators said.
  They also revealed that a vacant industrial building in Bennington is one of the sites being considered for a marijuana cultivation facility that the organization,
  
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• Donations help fund VTDigger reporter in D.C.

  27-04-2018 19:53 via vtdigger.org
  Thank you so much for helping us meet the Vermont Journalism Trust Board Match!
  Thanks to those of you who have already given this spring, we have been able to raise $40,000 which combined with a Match Challenge from our board of trustees, brings our total donations to $80,000 thus far and 40 percent of the way toward reaching our ultimate goal!
  Support dogged digging in Washington, D.C., and Vermont
   
  VTDigger is the only Vermont news outlet with a presence in Washington, D.C., and it make
  
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• Democratic groundbreaker former Gov. Phil Hoff dies

  27-04-2018 19:17 via vtdigger.org
  Gov. Phil Hoff, center, greets Vice President Lyndon Johnson in Burlington in the fall of 1963. At right, shaking Johnson’s hand, is University of Vermont President John Fey. Photo courtesy of University of Vermont Archives
  Philip Hoff, the first modern-day Democrat elected Vermont governor by popular vote, has died at age 93.
  Back before Bernie Sanders, Ben & Jerry’s, the interstate and the internet, Vermont was the only state in the nation to have supported the top of every Rep
  
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• SCOV Law Blog: Determining threat when revoking bail

  27-04-2018 19:08 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This piece from the SCOV Law Blog is by Elizabeth Kruska.State v. Stimpson, 2017 VT 97 (mem.) 
  This is a bail appeal, so it’s fairly short and was heard by three justices.Get all of VTDigger's criminal justice news.You'll never miss our courts and criminal justice coverage with our weekly headlines in your inbox.Daily
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• YWP: ‘Why I don’t play sports’

  27-04-2018 18:30 via vtdigger.org
  Young Writers Project, an independent nonprofit based in Burlington, engages young people to write and use digital media to express themselves with clarity and power, and to gain confidence and skills for school, the workplace and life.Check out the most recent issue of The Voice, Young Writers Project’s monthly digital magazine. Click here.Each week, VTDigger features a writing submission – an essay, poem, fiction or nonfiction – accompanied by a photo or illustration from Yo
  
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• Lawyer seeks to withdraw as Hermitage counsel

  27-04-2018 18:22 via vtdigger.org
  This story by Chris Mays was published in the Brattleboro Reformer on April 27.
  NEWFANE — A lawyer for the Hermitage Club and its founder is seeking to withdraw as counsel in three cases.Get all of VTDigger's criminal justice news.You'll never miss our courts and criminal justice coverage with our weekly headlines in your inbox.Daily
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• Former Randolph co-principal pleads not guilty to sexual exploitation

  27-04-2018 18:04 via vtdigger.org
  Former Randolph High co-principal David Barnett, right, stands with his attorney, Brooks McArthur, as Barnett is arraigned on a sexual exploitation of a minor offense at Orange Superior Court in Chelsea on Wednesday. Photo by Geoff Hansen/Valley News
  This article by Jordan Cuddemi was published in the Valley News on April 26.
  CHELSEA — Former Randolph Union High School Co-Principal David Barnett pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to engaging in sexual misconduct with a student several years a
  
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• Sawyer released on bail

  27-04-2018 15:42 via vtdigger.org
  Jack Sawyer, of Poultney, sits in Rutland criminal court during his bail review hearing Wednesday morning April 25, 2018.To his right is defense attorney Marshall Pahl. (Robert Layman/Staff Photo)
  Jack Sawyer, the 18-year-old accused of plotting to kill students at Fair Haven Union High School, has been released into the custody of his father.
  Sawyer’s bail was reduced Wednesday by a Rutland County Superior Criminal Court judge from $100,000 to $10,000 after prosecutors dropped two counts
  
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• Senate jettisons Vermont National Guard tuition assistance, ThinkVermont initiatives

  27-04-2018 11:49 via vtdigger.org
  Sen. Jane Kitchel, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, responds to Gov. Scott’s budget address. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDiggerThe Senate budget proposal does not fund a new National Guard tuition assistance program orthe governor’s economic development proposal.Gov. Phil Scott hoped to launch the two initiatives in the next fiscal year.
  The Senate Appropriations Committee’s budget, voted out Wednesday, prioritizes spending on the state’s mental health and crim
  
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• Senate jettisons Guard tuition assistance, ThinkVermont initiatives

  27-04-2018 11:49 via vtdigger.org
  Sen. Jane Kitchel, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, responds to Gov. Scott’s budget address. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDiggerThe Senate budget proposal does not fund a new National Guard tuition assistance program orthe governor’s economic development proposal.Gov. Phil Scott hoped to launch the two initiatives in the next fiscal year.
  The Senate Appropriations Committee’s budget, voted out Wednesday, prioritizes spending on the state’s mental health and crim
  
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• Statewide teachers health benefit folded into legislation

  27-04-2018 11:44 via vtdigger.org
  Sen. Phil Baruth listens to debate on S.55. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDiggerA year long legislative impasse over statewide teacher health care is beginning to come to resolution. The Senate Education Committee is sorting through plans from stakeholders to find a path forward.Earlier this month, the Vermont teachers union proposed a single statewide health care benefit that features a new health care commission that would administer a statewide health benefit and cost sharing arrangement for all
  
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• Progressives make ‘hail mary’ move to vote on marijuana regulation

  27-04-2018 05:01 via vtdigger.org
  Marijuana. Photo by Andrew Kutches/VTDigger
  This legislative session began with a major victory for proponents of marijuana legalization. They are hoping it ends that way, too.
  Rep. Diana Gonzalez, P-Winooski, moved on Thursday to vote on a bill to tax and regulate recreational marijuana, explaining that the state’s tight finances called out for a bill that would generate new revenue.“We have legalized marijuana and are just leaving money on the table,” Gonzalez said in an inte
  
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• Vote on attempt law delayed amid concerns over civil liberties

  27-04-2018 03:39 via vtdigger.org
  Martin LaLonde, left and Maxine Grad, center, listen to Bill Lippert’s concerns about a new attempt law during a House Democrats caucus on Thursday. Photo by Colin Meyn/VTDigger
  The longtime chair of the House Judiciary Committee told his successor on Thursday that he understood the immense pressure on the role after Vermont has been shaken by alleged crimes. But he cautioned about pressing ahead without careful deliberation.
  “I understand what it means to have the public have high,
  
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• More layoffs loom at Vermont Yankee

  27-04-2018 02:26 via vtdigger.org
  A transporter carries a 200-ton fuel storage cask from Vermont Yankee’s containment access building to a concrete storage pad. Cask loading should resume soon, and when it is done all but about 10 of the current employees will depart. File photo courtesy of Entergy
  Another round of job cuts will hit Vermont Yankee later this year, further shrinking a workforce that once exceeded 600.
  Only 10 to 15 employees will remain at the idled Vernon nuclear plant after the cuts, expected before year&
  
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• Welch presses Pruitt over spending on travel, offices

  27-04-2018 01:51 via vtdigger.org
  EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt at a congressional hearing Thursday.
  WASHINGTON — Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt took hours of questions about alleged but widely-reported ethical violations at a congressional hearing Thursday.
  Rep. Peter Welch, R-Vt., joined other Democrats on the panel in pressing Pruitt to explain expenses the administrator has reportedly racked up related to his travel, security detail and office upgrades.Get all of VTDigger's political news.Y
  
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• Lindsay Kurrle: Current minimum wage increases better for low-income workers, economy

  27-04-2018 01:05 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Lindsay Kurrle, who is the commissioner of the Vermont Department of Labor and a small business owner.
  As the commissioner of the Department of Labor and the former owner of a small gas station and convenience store, the conversations on minimum wage are something I’ve followed and evaluated closely for years, understanding both the impact on hard-working Vermonters and small businesses.
  I don’t know anyone involved in these discussions who
  
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• Chelsea Catherine Wait: Returning millennial finds job search tough

  27-04-2018 01:00 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Chelsea Catherine Wait, a writer living in Montpelier.Moving back to Vermont after 10 years away was difficult, especially when it came to finding a job. Having lived in metropolitan areas for the majority of my working life, I was used to a variety of job options, and being hired or receiving callbacks for most vacancies I applied to.
  Vermont was different. I searched in Montpelier and Burlington, trying to find anything that might match the skills I&r
  
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• Mark Crow: Responsible solutions to irresponsible debt

  27-04-2018 00:55 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: The commentary is by Mark Crow, the president of Tenth Crow Creative who serves on the Vermont Business Roundtable’s board of directors. He resides in Shelburne.
  Relatively recently, I learned that the state of Vermont (so, we taxpayers) is incurring vast and ever increasing amounts of liability for obligations the state undertook to fund retirement plans for teachers and state workers; plans that include pension and retirement health care benefits. As of June 30, 2017
  
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• Karen Gross: The privilege of public service

  27-04-2018 00:50 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Karen Gross, the former president of Southern Vermont College, who is now an author and educational consultant in Washington, D.C.
  While I consider Vermont my home state, I currently live in Washington, D.C., where I am seeing lots of people losing their jobs at all levels within our government. Some of these departures involve holdovers from the prior administration; some are the result of departmental and agency reorganizations or downsizing; some are
  
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