Vermont news

• Scott administration redrafting ed savings plan

  09-05-2018 23:53 via vtdigger.org
  Tax Commissioner Kaj Samsom. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDigger
  The tax commissioner pushed back Wednesday on questions raised by fiscal analysts about the Scott administration’s five-year plan to save $300 million in school spending and keep property tax rates at fiscal year 2017 levels.Republican Gov. Phil Scott says the savings would come from changes to special education, teacher health care benefits and reducing school staff. RELATED STORIES89 percent of school districts fall below Scot
  
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• Attorney who charged paralyzed client excessive fees settles case

  09-05-2018 23:51 via vtdigger.org
  Robert Parizo with daughters Liza Barron, left, and Ashley Smith, after the 2005 fall that left him paralyzed. He later sued his lawyer over a settlement for a 2010 car crash. Courtesy photoA Colchester attorney who awarded himself one-third of a $1 million settlement without obtaining his long-standing client’s written consent has agreed to pay $575,000 to resolve the years-long case.
  A Chittenden County Superior Court jury last October found that Thomas Nuovo had violated the state&rsquo
  
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• Trustees vote to keep College of St. Joseph open

  09-05-2018 23:36 via vtdigger.org
  The College of St. Joseph will keep its doors open despite concerns that a financial deficit and low enrollment could threaten the future of the school.Earlier this month, President Larry Jensen told the college community that the school could close in September because of a loss of $5 million in revenues.
  The trustees of the college voted Monday to back a plan proposed by President Larry Jensen to keep the college afloat, including marketing the history of the Catholic college, which is based i
  
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• 500 kilowatt solar array proposed in Bennington business park

  09-05-2018 22:39 via vtdigger.org
   
  Town planners are reviewing a proposed 500-kilowatt solar project in Bennington. Photo by Pixabay
  BENNINGTON — The Planning Commission made a preliminary review of a 500-kilowatt solar project Monday, raising no objections but reserving judgment until a final permit application and plan are submitted to the state Public Utility Commission.
  The planned solar array is to be located on a parcel off Shields Drive within the town’s Maneely Corporate Park.
  MHG Solar LLC of Mancheste
  
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• LISTEN: Understanding The Growing Risk Of Lyme And Other Tick-Borne Diseases dlvr.it/QSKFyM https://t.co/ciZOJR2HQq

  09-05-2018 21:58 via twitter.com
  
  LISTEN: Understanding The Growing Risk Of Lyme And Other Tick-Borne Diseases dlvr.it/QSKFyM https://t.co/ciZOJR2HQq
  
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• Farmer protests dumping of PFOA soils near his property

  09-05-2018 21:37 via vtdigger.org
  A farmer has erected a sign protesting the use of a parcel near his property to deposit PFOA-contaminated soil. Photo by Holly Pelczynski/Bennington Banner
  BENNINGTON — A Silk Road man is protesting deposits of PFOA-contaminated soil near his property as part of ongoing water line extension work in North Bennington.
  Bruce Weinfurt has erected a sign near his home, saying, “Stop dumping toxic PFOA soil here (Save our H2O)”
  A vegetable and fruit tree farmer, Weinfurt said Tuesday
  
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• Margolis: Policymaking by conjecture is alive and well

  09-05-2018 19:17 via vtdigger.org
  Gov. Phil Scott had suggested that one way to get more people to stay in or move to Vermont would be to give members of the National Guard free tuition at state colleges. Vermont National Guard photo
  Politicians tend to be very sure of themselves. So sure that they often proceed as though they merely have to state their claims. They need not do anything as outlandish as offering evidence that their claims withstand scrutiny.
  One result is policy-making by conjecture. An officeholder (or, in fair
  
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• Plugging A $58 Million Hole: Fixing Vermont's School Funding dlvr.it/QSJSVZ https://t.co/Ra1UVWIU2C

  09-05-2018 19:09 via twitter.com
  
  Plugging A $58 Million Hole: Fixing Vermont's School Funding dlvr.it/QSJSVZ https://t.co/Ra1UVWIU2C
  
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• Artist Gowri Savoor to give free talk at Brattleboro Museum & Art Center

  09-05-2018 19:01 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Brattleboro Museum & Art CenterMay 8, 2018
  Contact:Erin [email protected], ext. 113
  Gowri Savoor with her exhibit “We Walk In Their Shadows” at BMAC
  BRATTLEBORO, VT — The Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) presents a free artist talk by Gowri Savoor on Thursday, May 17 at 7 p.m. Savoor will discuss her installation, “We Walk in Their Shadows,” on view at BMAC through June 17.
  Gowri Savoor is an artist of B
  
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• Main Street Alliance of Vermont and VT FaMLI Coalition celebrate paid family leave bill progress

  09-05-2018 18:58 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Main Street AllianceTuesday, May 8, 2019
  Contact:Kyle [email protected]
  Paid Family Leave Bill Clear Major Hurdle in Senate
  MONTPELIER, VT. — The paid family leave insurance bill passed second reading in the Vermont Senate on Tuesday. Main Street Alliance of Vermont (MSA-VT) and the VT FaMLI Coalition celebrated this major step forward.
  The Senate gave final approval to H.196 , a bill that would create a statewide paid family leave program p
  
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• Champlain College Online opens interactive digital experience at Burlington International Airport

  09-05-2018 18:52 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Champlain CollegeMay 8, 2018
  Contact:Ara HaganHagan Associates802-863-5956, ext. [email protected]
  South Burlington – On Tuesday May 8, Champlain College Online unveiled two interactive kiosks in both terminals of the Burlington International Airport as part of its campaign to increase access to higher education in Vermont and across the country.
  In April, Champlain College Online announced a 50% reduction in tuition for its undergraduate online degree progr
  
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• Steve May to run for Vermont Senate

  09-05-2018 18:31 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Steve MayMay 8, 2018
  Contact:Steve MayE: [email protected]
  Steve May has entered the primary race for the Chittenden Senate. A long time Progressive Party activist and former Richmond Selectboard member, May will be entering the August 14th Democratic Party primary and hopes to be nominated simultaneously by a meeting of Progressives in August to stand as one of the party’s six candidates for State Senate.
  May comes to the political process having previously run for
  
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• House Republicans call on legislative leaders to pass balanced budget without taxes or fees, fill education fund hole

  09-05-2018 18:12 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Rep. Don TunerMay 8, 2018
  Contact:Rep. Don Turner, 802-373-5960
  Montpelier, VT – The Vermont House Republican Caucus issued the following statement calling on Democratic legislative leadership to support House Republicans’ and Governor Scott’s commitment to a balanced budget without taxes or fees. Additionally, the Caucus is calling on Democratic leaders to work with the Governor on his comprehensive, five-year plan to revitalize Vermont’s education s
  
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• Democratic candidate for governor James Ehlers slams Scott education plan

  09-05-2018 18:08 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — James Ehlers for Governor of VermontMay 8, 2018
  Contact:Communications Director, Sarah [email protected]
  Winooski, VT — Democratic Candidate for Governor James Ehlers responded to the initial review of the Joint Fiscal Office regarding errors in Governor Scott’s education proposal today. He issued the following statement:
  “It’s unacceptable to make a mistake of more than $100 million on a proposal to cut the budget for the schools
  
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• Professors will take their ‘Fund the Faculty’ message to students and trustees

  09-05-2018 18:04 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — United AcademicsMay 8, 2018
  Contact:Tom Streeter, President, United Academics, 802 598-9348
  UVM Faculty Say “It’s Nuts We Still Don’t Have a Contract”
  Burlington, VT—Full-time faculty at the University of Vermont, frustrated that after fifteen months into bargaining no contract has been settled, will take their message to students and to the trustees in two upcoming events.
  Wednesday, May 9, 12 to 1:30 pm outside Bailey-Howe Library, faculty wil
  
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• Norwich University and Lyndon State College students help CVEDC market local small business

  09-05-2018 18:00 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Central Vermont Economic Development CorporationMay 8, 2018
  Contact:Jennifer Burchell, Bus. Support CoordinatorPhone: (802) 223-4654Email: [email protected]
  Northfield, VT – Central Vermont Economic Development Corporation (CVEDC) and Norwich University hosted a press conference on Tuesday, May 1, to celebrate student achievement and mark the successful collaboration between CVEDC, Norwich University and Lyndon State College in supporting economic development in Cent
  
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• Southwestern Vermont Health Care named one of Becker’s 150 Great Places to Work in Healthcare

  09-05-2018 17:26 via vtdigger.org
  News Release – Southwestern Vermont Health CareMay 9, 2018
  Media Contact:Ashley Brenon JowettCommunications & Marketing SpecialistPhone: 802.447.5019 | Fax: [email protected]
  BENNINGTON, VT—May 9, 2018—Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) has been named by Becker’s Healthcare—publisher of Becker’s Hospital Review, one of the industry’s most influential sources of news for hospital leaders—to the 2018 list of “1
  
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• Norwich receives $100K from Vermont Mutual for bicentennial campaign

  09-05-2018 17:20 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Norwich UniversityMay 9, 2018
  Contact:Daphne [email protected] us on Twitter @NorwichNews
  NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Norwich University has been awarded $100,000 from Vermont Mutual Insurance Group Giving Fund to be paid over the next five years in support of “Forging the Future,” Norwich’s $100M, five-year fundraising campaign scheduled to conclude in 2019, Norwich’s bicentennial.
  The Forging the Future campaign is committed to
  
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• Understanding The Growing Risk Of Lyme And Other Tick-Borne Diseases dlvr.it/QSH5T5 https://t.co/af6EerZfy6

  09-05-2018 15:09 via twitter.com
  
  Understanding The Growing Risk Of Lyme And Other Tick-Borne Diseases dlvr.it/QSH5T5 https://t.co/af6EerZfy6
  
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• What You Get for $1.895 Million

  09-05-2018 15:00
  A colonial-style house in Raleigh, N.C.; a 117-acre estate in Kirby, Vt.; and a 1968 home in Healdsburg, Calif.
  
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• $1.895 Million Homes in North Carolina, Vermont and California

  09-05-2018 15:00
  A colonial-style house in Raleigh, a 117-acre estate in Kirby and a 1968 home in Sonoma County.
  
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• LISTEN: The Ups And Downs Of Rural Life For LGBTQ Vermonters dlvr.it/QSH077 https://t.co/8rKarc9Xdd

  09-05-2018 14:50 via twitter.com
  
  LISTEN: The Ups And Downs Of Rural Life For LGBTQ Vermonters dlvr.it/QSH077 https://t.co/8rKarc9Xdd
  
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• Senate advances paid family leave bill

  09-05-2018 04:45 via vtdigger.org
  Sen. Jane Kitchel, D-Caledonia, in the end would not support the bill. File photo by Erin Mansfield/VTDigger ​The Vermont Senate on Tuesday advanced a bill that would allow employees as many as 12 weeks of paid parental or family leave.The paid leave bill, H.196, which won preliminary approval on a voice vote, would allow employees to be paid 70 percent of their wages for a maximum of 12 weeks of combined parental leave, or six weeks of family leave. The state-administered program would be
  
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• Minimum wage survives narrow vote in House

  09-05-2018 03:53 via vtdigger.org
  Members of the House of Representatives in session on Wednesday, May 2, 2018. Photo by Colin Meyn/VTDiggerThe House advanced a bill Tuesday that would raise the minimum wage from the current $10.50 an hour to $15 an hour by 2024.In a narrow vote of 77-69, representatives gave preliminary approval to S.40, a proposal Democratic lawmakers have championed as a vehicle to boost income for tens of thousands of Vermonters and lift many low-wage workers out of poverty. Get all of VTDigger's political n
  
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• Lawmakers seek streamlined lead law to protect children

  09-05-2018 02:37 via vtdigger.org
  Danger: Lead Paint. Creative Commons photo
  State lawmakers want to consolidate and clarify regulations designed to prevent lead poisoning, a problem that affects hundreds of Vermont children every year.
  The Senate and House have approved H.736, which says Vermont’s Department of Health should take charge of lead-based paint rules for property maintenance. Currently, that authority is split between the state and the federal Environmental Protection Agency.Get all of VTDigger's health care n
  
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• ACLU sues for immigration records in Vermont, NH and Maine

  09-05-2018 01:47 via vtdigger.org
  Border Patrol at Canadian border in Beebe Plain. Photo by Mike Kalasnik/Wikimedia CommonsThe American Civil Liberties Union affiliates in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking information about immigration enforcement in the three states, which all share borders with Canada.
  The ACLU first requested the documents from the Department of Homeland Security and two of its arms, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement in September.Get all
  
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• John Klar: Values — not birthplace — define a Vermonter

  09-05-2018 01:31 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by John Klar, a Vermont grass-fed beef farmer, and an attorney and pastor who lives in Westfield.
  On the walls of the combination Subway/Mobil station in Randolph are black-and-white photos of area farms from the early 1900s. One of them, a classic dairy farm on a ridiculously steep hillside in Barnet, is where I bought my first Percheron mare some 20 years ago. The spartan subsistence of old Vermont reflected in that display of photos contrasts dramatical
  
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• Shawn Shouldice: Legislation too costly for small businesses, residents

  09-05-2018 01:25 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Shawn Shouldice, of Montpelier, who is Vermont state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, which represents more than 1,000 small businesses in Vermont.
  As the Vermont General Assembly closes out this legislative session, the National Federation of Independent Business, which represents more than a thousand small-business owners in the state, urges the Legislature to consider the cumulative impact of the costly mandates being cons
  
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• Michael Shank & Matt Cartwright: Toward sustainable diets and food security

  09-05-2018 01:22 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Michael Shank and Matt Cartwright. Shank, of Brandon, teaches at NYU’s Center for Global Affairs and is the communications director for the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance and the Urban Sustainability Directors Network. Cartwright represents Pennsylvania’s 17th congressional district and serves on the House Appropriations Committee.
  The latest developments in the food industry show how fast the world is moving forward in countering climate ch
  
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• Walter Carpenter: Primary care bill is about lives

  09-05-2018 01:18 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Walter Carpenter, of Montpelier, who is a single-payer health care activist.
  On April 25, the Vermont House Committee on Health Care voted out S.53 by a narrow vote of 6-5. According to VTDigger, it represented a vote to “support a version of S.53 that explicitly endorses publicly financed primary care, available to Vermonters “without cost-sharing.”
  I was among the spectators that crowded into the room for this historic discussion and
  
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• 89 percent of school districts fall below Scott’s ratio target

  09-05-2018 01:17 via vtdigger.org
  Note to mobile users: an interactive map is available for tablet and desktop readers.Use one of these devices to explore ratios by geographic location.The Scott administration has made a cutoff for staff to student ratios a centerpiece of his plan to contain education costs.
  The governor’s target for teaching staff to students is a ratio of 1 to 5.75. The plan, which would go into effect in 2020 and lead to the elimination of about 1,000 positions for teachers and paraeducators over a per
  
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• Withdrawal from Iran deal draws ire from Vermont delegation

  09-05-2018 00:55 via vtdigger.org
  Delegates meet on Iran nuclear talks in March 2015. State Department photo
  WASHINGTON — Vermont’s delegation sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s decision Tuesday to withdraw from an agreement brokered by the Obama administration to halt Iran’s nuclear program.
  The president has been a consistent critic of the deal for years, and it was a frequent punching bag at his campaign rallies during the 2016 campaign. However, since taking office, he has so far upheld the d
  
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• Scott’s education funding plan fails legislative math test

  09-05-2018 00:40 via vtdigger.org
  Mark Perrault, analyst for the Joint Fiscal Office, tells the House Committee in January about predicted increases in the statewide property tax rates. Photo by Amy Ash Nixon/VTDigger
  An analysis by the Legislature’s Joint Fiscal Office has poured cold water on the Scott administration’s claim that it can hold the line on school taxes while also generating hundreds of millions of dollars in savings over the next five years.
  A draft report, which Joint Fiscal Office analysts presented
  
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• Governor’s education funding plan fails legislative math test

  09-05-2018 00:40 via vtdigger.org
  Steve Klein, director of the Joint Fiscal Office. File photo by Elizabeth Hewitt/VTDigger
  An analysis by the Legislature’s Joint Fiscal Office has poured cold water on the Scott administration’s claim that it can hold the line on school taxes while also generating hundreds of millions of dollars in savings over the next five years.
  A draft report, which JFO analysts presented to the House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday, described as “questionable” the assumptions on
  
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• Commission reduces fees for popular renewable energy program

  09-05-2018 00:11 via vtdigger.org
  Renewable energy advocates say the rate reduction will discourage net metering projects such as the one shown here in East Montpelier. File photo by Roger Crowley/for VTDigger
  Owners of solar energy systems will see a reduction in the fees they get for energy they return to their local utility, under an order issued by the state Public Utility Commission.
  The systems, generally known as net-metered projects, will see a 2-cent reduction in the rates they receive for selling renewable energy credi
  
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