Vermont legislative leaders to recess Legislature next week due to coronavirus
The weeklong break will give time for a thorough cleaning of the State House and will give legislative leaders a chance to consider the next move.
Roper: Act 46 school choice ‘mega-district’ enjoys lower budgets and lower property taxes
Not only does school choice produce high quality schools such as St. Johnsbury Academy, Thaddeus Stephens School, and The Riverside School, but it is cheaper to educate children in these schools than it is in traditional public schools.
David Coates: State retirement plans need a robust stress test
The state needs an independent analysis of these plans that will test not only the state’s ability to pay for our liabilities under different market and economic situations, but will ensure that the participants will get the promised benefits. And this test needs to be conducted on a regular basis.
11 examples of Bloomberg’s folly on defensive gun use
Every day, many Americans without Bloomberg’s wealth and power rely on the Second Amendment — not private security — to defend themselves against threats to their lives and livelihoods. Americans use their firearms defensively between 500,000 and 3 million times each year.
Why ‘real’ socialism leads to tyranny
Regardless of the excuses for actual authoritarian regimes, socialists typically try to soften what their ideas would look like in reality and dodge the endless historical and present examples of the ideology’s failure. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., continually tries to thread this needle.
Legislative Joint Rules Committee ponders resolution to close for a week, Senate refuses House changes to commercial cannabis
The Vermont Legislature Joint Rules Committee decided late this afternoon to ask staffers to prepare a resolution for its review tomorrow to recess the Legislature and close the State House for a week due to the coronavirus.
Gun rights supporter asks for removal of H.610 sponsors
Jim Sexton, of Essex Junction, sought to get the sponsors of H.610 removed from the State House because they “violated their oath of office by expressly trying to make a law which denies every Vermonter the presumption of innocence” and “denies legal gun owners the constitutional right to bear arms.”
Keelan: Time to set the record straight, Bernie
The press in Vermont continues to give Bernie Sanders, the state’s U.S. senator and 2020 presidential candidate, a free pass when it comes to asking the questions that linger from the last campaign.
Steve May: Vermont should adopt a citizen initiative process
Deepening our commitment to extend voting rights to all Vermonters through ballot initiative is an urgent, thoughtful and necessary response in the face of the events of our time.
Chinese official attempts to blame US for coronavirus, despite spread’s origination in China
A Chinese official suggested Thursday that U.S. officials introduced coronavirus into China’s Wuhan region as the virus makes its way to the West from the communist nation.
Trump suspends travel from Europe, offers financial aid for coronavirus
President Donald Trump announced the United States will suspend travel from most of Europe for 30 days beginning Friday to help halt the spread of the coronavirus.
Legislature considers candy tax; Miro and McCormack feud over idling enforcement
A disagreement between Mayor Miro Weinberger and Burlington Rep. Curt McCormack, D-Burlington, over enforcing the city and state idling laws erupted into an open argument in the State House on Tuesday.