Health Commissioner Levine warns Vermonters against Super Bowl super spreaders
This year, watching the Super Bowl could be more hazardous than playing in it. And a “super spread” no longer means a favorable betting line or a great snack buffet.
34 towns decline retail marijuana vote
On Town Meeting Day at least 20 Vermont cities and towns will decide whether to allow retail marijuana. At least 34 towns won’t even have the question on the Town Meeting ballot.
5-year economic plan, sentence reduction, contractor registry, firearms seizure bills get review
In February, Vermont House committees turn from January’s “welcome back, here’s what happened when you were gone” reports from state officials and lobbyists, settle into their seats, and begin to look at bills.
Schools give unequal discipline based on race, gender? Senate wants to know
A bill under review by the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday seeks more data on whether Vermont schools unfairly discipline racial minorities. Sponsors want this information to “understand what strategies are effective and to encourage the adoption of these strategies at the local level.”
Gun carry ban opponent to senator: ‘It must be nice to have guards’
A bill sponsored by Sen. Philip Baruth, D-Chittenden, to prohibit carrying guns in some public places lacks support in the Senate Judiciary Committee, committee member Sen. Joe Benning, R-Caledonia, confirmed Thursday.
U.S. House, and Welch, focused on Trump removal
All but two votes cast thus far in the 2021-22 session by Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., have addressed the removal of office and/or impeachment of President Donald Trump, according to a review of the Vermont congressman’s voting record.
Should Phil Scott leave GOP?
There have been public calls for him to leave the party he’s belonged to his whole political life. And the man elected senator, lieutenant governor, and governor as a Republican seems to be thinking about it.
$78 million in new taxes to pay for carbon reduction proposed
The state of Vermont should tax fossil fuels to fund carbon reduction programs required by carbon reduction mandates, a Jan. 15 report by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) recommends. Estimated annual revenue from three proposed revenue sources would total $78 million.
More than 100 Vermont communities get election money from Facebook Zuckerberg group
A full 112 Vermont communities received ‘coronavirus response grants’ from the Center for Tech and Civic Life, a not-for-profit formed by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan to provide assistance to local election officials.
Unpublicized Covid-19 variants may resist vaccine, Levine says
There are no reported cases of any Covid-19 variants in Vermont, Health Commissioner Mark Levine said at Firday’s press conference. That’s the good news. However, a variant in California may be fueling the current Los Angeles epidemic, he said.
Baruth gun carry ban won’t stop crime, defender general says
A bill sponsored by Sen. Philip Baruth, D-Chittenden, to prohibit carrying guns in some public places won’t prevent gun violence, is already covered by other laws, and could end up harming the people it’s meant to protect, Vermont Public Defender General Matthew Valerio told a Senate committee.
New bill seeks to fly only US, VT flags at schools; other legislation would make public transportation free, require electric buses
A bill sponsored by Rep. Brian Smith, R-Derby, would prohibit flags other than the U.S. flag and State of Vermont flag from being flown on public school property in Vermont. Also, a bill introduced in the House would reduce transportation carbon emissions by expanding public transportation.