McClaughry: Global Warming Solutions Act needs a Scott veto
Six weeks from now the Global Warming Solutions Act will likely be on Gov. Phil Scott’s desk. There are five compelling reasons for him to veto it.
Legalizing prostitution in Vermont would increase demand for young prostitutes
The COVID-19 shutdowns have created a tsunami of child exploitation, and proposed Vermont legislation would progress the situation to a perfect storm.
Opinion: Pulling down Ethan Allen’s statue
There is no record of Ethan ever engaging in hostilities with the Abenaki. He was reported to have claimed that there were no Indians left in the Grants, which may not have been entirely true. To take down Ethan’s statue from the State House is totally unmerited.
Shannara Johnson: Banana peels, egg shells, and unintended consequences
Today I went into the backyard to deposit the second load of food scraps and found the compost bin smashed to pieces. So apparently now we have bears in our backyard, which we didn’t before.
Flemming: Merit versus diversity in the Vermont Senate
The Vermont Senate considered a bill for amending the selection process behind the board of trustees at the University of Vermont. One senator lambasted the new approach, calling into question why diversity should take precedence over merit to be on the board.
Lawmaker admits that ballot harvesting is legal in Vermont
During a debate over mail-in voting Wednesday, the chair of the House Committee on Government Operations said Vermont law does not prohibit ballot harvesting, a controversial practice in which third parties collect and submit ballots on behalf of others during an election.
Roper: As economy struggles, Vermont Senate moves to ban mini-shampoo bottles
In a spectacular example of fiddling while Vermont burns, the Senate Finance Committee voted 6-1 to advance a bill, S.227, to “to prohibit the provision by lodging establishments of personal use products in small plastic bottles.”
Legislature back to ‘business as usual’
Lawmakers are voting on vote-by-mail, role of Fish and Wildlife, surface water, ivory trafficking, recovery home guidelines, probation and parole, and a ban on little plastic bottles in hotels.
Crowd fills State House lawn to protest police brutality
The event was billed by organizers as a peaceful, socially-distanced event in which all participants were asked to wear masks. It remained calm and peaceful throughout. Virtually everyone wore masks. But attempts to keep social distancing failed as the crowd swelled.
Billado: Let the Vermont legislative computer games end
It costs the taxpayer $250,000 each week extra for the lawmakers to stay home and play legislative computer games with your tax money. They need to let the dust settle on the damage caused by the shutdown ordered as the result of the COVID-19 scare.
Sen. Joe Benning: To mail or not to mail
This bill (S.348) is unnecessary because we already have a secure system in place that enables voters to be and feel safe when exercising their right to vote. Potential unforeseen consequences that could dilute the sanctity and security of our election cannot be dismissed.
Video Commentary: Blame Democrats and Progressives for everything
Who is responsible for Vermont’s unaffordable health care, education mess and job-killing renewable energy and Act 250 policies? The answer is straightforward.