Statehouse Headliners: Legislators warned they must find $60 mil to pay old bills
This $60 million in required 2020 spending is made necessary because previous legislatures incurred debt or committed future legislatures to pay for mandated programs.
Roper: We can stop pretending pre-K is ‘for the kids’
These programs are not about what’s best for kids; they are not about what’s best for parents. They are, in fact, damaging to both. Government-funded pre-K is about what’s best for employers — forcing taxpayers to subsidize employees’ childcare expenses.
AFL-CIO says Green New Deal ‘not realistic,’ predicts ‘immediate harm to millions’
The largest organization of labor unions in the U.S. slammed the Green New Deal Friday for combating climate change by threatening the livelihoods of millions of Americans.
Trump 2020 budget cuts EPA spending to pay for border wall
Trump’s budget would cut the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office, an office within the Department of Energy, from $2.3 billion to about $700 million — a 70 percent reduction.
Vermont Racial Justice Alliance calls for more powerful executive director of racial equity
The Vermont Racial Justice Alliance is urging legislators to advance a bill before crossover that would give more power to the new executive director of racial equity in the state.
Statehouse Headliners: Youth voter law could impact marijuana legalization, school budgets
H.418 would give all 16- and 17-year-olds who register to vote in their towns and cities the right to vote in all municipal elections.
EAI’s carbon tax stance attacked by left wing Media Matters
Some folks are getting anxious that “progress” on passing carbon taxes at the state level has stalled nationwide. Media Matters, a nationwide left-wing group which got $10 million in contributions last year, decided it was time to place part of the blame on the Ethan Allen Institute.
Moore: It’s sugaring time
Daylight saving time is officially in place. The vernal equinox will be here next week. Baseball officially begins in two weeks. That can mean only one thing: It’s sugaring time.
Dark money organization gave $2 million to group working with Fusion GPS, Steele
A dark money group with links to several high-profile liberal activists contributed $2 million to The Democracy Integrity Project, an organization founded by a former Dianne Feinstein staffer that has contracted with Fusion GPS and Christopher Steele to investigate President Donald Trump.
Biden and Bernie are leading the field in Iowa by enormous margins
The two septuagenarians are so far besting their younger, female Democratic opponents in the race to unseat President Donald Trump.
Statehouse Headliners: Senate ‘tax and regulate’ bill moves to House; Colorado gov to speak at Flynn Center
Some Statehouse insiders say S.54 will go first to the Government Operations Committee, because ‘tax and regulate’ would require extensive an “government operation” to oversee marijuana cultivation and sale.
Orleck: H.57 is legislative malpractice that should not be countenanced
The question then becomes, should current practice now affirmed in this language of H.57 be allowed to go forward, or is there enough reason for the Senate to work a change that, if not done, would be enough reason for Gov. Phil Scott to veto the bill?