Paul Dame: Flags should be used to unite us, not divide us
The House stripped Barre City of their solution to a problem that has divided their community — because that’s better for the agenda of the Progressive Democrats. It is truly a shame.
McClaughry: Legislature pushing through major changes
The Legislature is moving to put an astounding 170,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2030, create a $1,200 per-child child tax credit, conserve 50 percent of Vermont’s total land area by 2050, pass a “clean heat standard,” and more.
John Klar: Vermont’s green coup d’état
Vermont’s Senate has embraced an “act relating to environmental justice,” which seeks to redistribute the costs of environmental pollutants from the city mice to the country mice, while punishing white people who live where there is fresh air for the sin of country living.
Roll Call: Senate fails to override governor’s veto of Brattleboro 15-17 year old voting
Some of those voting no believe that children who are not legal adults are not ready to make fully informed decisions relating to voting or mature enough to hold positions of authority and responsibility over critical municipal decisions, such as property taxes.
Critics of ‘free’ school meals say lawmakers should focus on teacher shortages, special ed, other challenges
Lawmakers are considering a bill that would expand food services at public schools to include “free” meals for all — regardless of the ability to pay — as a way to achieve greater equity within Vermont schools.
Lawmakers hear clean heat standard to create ‘winners’ and ‘losers’
“Anyone that sells an electron, produces an electron, counts an electron, distributes an electron or sells a device that needs electrons, they are winning, big time,” Cota said. “Who are the losers? Don’t look that far.”
John Klar: In Vermont, S.265 a raw attack on free speech
These legislators do not seek to shield public servants from unprotected threatening speech, but to intimidate the public for engaging in protected speech that criticizes social justice.
Roper: Clean heat credit system unworkable for Vermont
How is the PUC going to be able to verify that these half a million actions take place all over the state, assign a unique credit value and shelf life to each, and broker sales, track the ownership of, and then retire those credits when they expire?
DPS planning director: ‘We really don’t know’ impact of clean heat standard on businesses and families
The planning director for the Vermont Department of Public Service told the Senate Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday that while some estimates can be made, officials ultimately don’t know the impact a clean heat standard will have on Vermonters.
Roper: Clean heat standard moves to Senate — will Gov. Scott veto?
The good news is that the administration seems to be laying the groundwork for a potential veto of the clean heat standard if it doesn’t contain a second vote threshold. The bad news is, many members of the Scott administration have been advocates for the CHS.
With just one dissenter, Vermont Senate OKs ‘environmental justice’ bill
“It discriminates against other poor people,” Sen. Russ Ingalls said. “I don’t want to discriminate against anyone. If you have two poor people, and one is a person of color, the person of color is more than likely going to be helped before that other equally deserving person.”
Proposed bill aims to enshrine Abenaki use of state lands
Since they were stewards of the land long before Europeans colonized the area, the tribe wants the right to use it as they did then — free of restrictions imposed by the state government.