Friday, July 28, 2017
Like his district-mate, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Leahy was among the 51 senators to oppose Republicans' last-ditch repeal measure.
The senior senator was clearly fatigued as he held a press conference at the Burlington International Airport. "I wore a tie only because you guys are here," he told reporters. "Halfway to Middlesex, this tie is gonna be off, let me tell you."
It had been a long, long night, to be sure. But Leahy had borne a heavier burden than most, due to his long friendship with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who had cast the deciding vote against his own party's bill.
Leahy and McCain have known each other for more than 30 years and have bonded over — of all things — skin cancer. Both McCain and Leahy's wife, Marcelle, are skin cancer survivors who have had to maintain constant vigilance against the disease's return. And now McCain is in the fight of his life against brain cancer.
The Arizona Republican's vote early Friday morning was a bit anticlimactic for Vermont's senior senator. "Many of us had talked with him," Leahy said. "Those of us who knew him well knew how he was going to vote."
Tags: Senator , Patrick Leahy , John McCain , Marcelle Leahy , Bernie Sanders , Phil Scott , Affordable Care Act , Image , Web Only
Judge Mary Miles Teachout's ruling is the latest development in a long-running dispute between the industry-funded Energy & Environment Legal Institute and state attorneys general investigating ExxonMobil.
E&E Legal sued the Vermont Attorney General's Office in June 2016 after then-AG Bill Sorrell categorically refused to hand over any documents related to the multistate climate-change investigation. Sorrell's successor, Attorney General T.J. Donovan, inherited the case. In March, his staff argued in court that because the office represents the state, it could invoke attorney-client privilege and only release documents when doing so is in the state's interest.
While such an argument could have broad implications for the state's public records law, Donovan and his deputies later insisted to Seven Days that their office would honor most public records requests.
Tags: Bill Sorrell , TJ Donovan , Energy & Environment Legal Institute , public records act , Vermont Superior Court , Image , Web Only
Thursday, July 27, 2017
In addition to paying the fines, Danial Emmons and Marcy Brigham agreed in a July 17 settlement with the Vermont Attorney General's Office to refile their campaign finance reports.
The AG office's investigation found that the two had violated several state statutes during their write-in campaigns for the March 7 election. Both decided to run after the school board voted in February to drop the Rebels nickname over concerns that it has racist associations with the Confederacy.
Tags: Danial Emmons , Marcy Brigham , South Burlington School Board , Rebels , election , campaign finance violation , Image , Web Only
Environmental activist James Ehlers is running for governor of Vermont.
The Winooski resident on Thursday registered as a Democratic gubernatorial candidate with the Secretary of State’s Office and confirmed his candidacy to Seven Days via text message. If he wins the party’s primary, he would presumably challenge first-term Republican Gov. Phil Scott, who is expected to seek reelection in 2018.
At his weekly press conference later Thursday, the governor delivered an ambiguous answer when asked about his political plans.
“I’m trying to get through this next term, so I’m not ready to acknowledge my candidacy today, but I’m intending to run in the future,” Scott said. “But I’m not announcing today.”
Got that?
Tags: James Ehlers , Phil Scott , Faisal Gill , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) joined their 46 Democratic and independent colleagues, along with two Republicans, in opposing the effort, but Vice President Mike Pence broke a 50-50 tie. That allowed debate to go forward on legislation that could fundamentally alter the country’s health care system.
The vote came as a surprise to many, who assumed President Donald Trump’s effort to do away with Obamacare had failed last week after four key Republican senators announced they wouldn’t support a proposed replacement bill. Tuesday’s vote allows the debate on new health care legislation to proceed, but it’s unclear what version, if any, will actually pass.
Tags: Senator , Patrick Leahy , Bernie Sanders , Obamacare , U.S. Senate , Trumpcare , Image , Web Only
Monday, July 24, 2017
The Public Utility Commission issued a four-page ruling on Monday saying the application for the project, which was filed in June after years of debate, is incomplete and missing crucial information. The project calls for two turbines capable of powering 2,000 homes.
But the commission said central information, including specific locations of the turbines and an access road, an assessment of natural resources in the area, and whether blasting will occur, is missing.
The commission said it considers the application to have never been filed, forcing the project's backer, AllEarth Renewables CEO David Blittersdorf, to begin the process again.
Tags: wind , Irasburg , Lowell , David Blittersdorf , public utility commission , Image , Web Only
Owner Craig McGaughan changed the name in June after coming under pressure from some in Vermont's LGBTQ community, members of which slammed the name Mister Sister as a transphobic slur. Despite the branding shakeup, the place was shuttered earlier this month during a failed GoFundMe campaign to raise capital.
"FAKE SOCIAL JUSTICE TERRORISTS PUT US OUT OF BUSINESS," reads a message on the bar's website. The story on the GoFundMe page — which raised nearly $2,000 of a $100,000 goal — reads, "Unfortunately, we're permanently closed." And the business' Facebook page, where McGaughan frequently got into heated discussions with commenters, appears to have been deleted as well.
Tags: Mister Sister , The Bridge Club , gay bar , Winooski , Craig McGaughan , Image , Web Only
Friday, July 21, 2017
The Charlotte-based Youth Catalytics has provided training and research to youth services organizations around the country for 35 years. During Barack Obama’s presidency, the group won a five-year federal grant for pregnancy prevention work that began in 2016 with $564,000 in funding. Earlier this month, the Office of Adolescent Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services informed the organization that it had terminated the remaining four years of the grant — a loss of about $2.25 million.
“Due to changes in program priorities, it has been determined that it is in the best interest of the federal government to no longer continue funding for the Providing Capacity Building Assistance to OAH Teen Pregnancy Prevention Grantees program,” the July 5 letter read.
Tags: Donald Trump , Youth Catalytics , teen pregnancy , Meagan Downey , Image , Web Only
The action came after economists — one hired by the governor's administration and another hired by the legislature — warned that all is not rosy with the economy, nationally or in Vermont.
The state is expected to see $28.8 million less in general fund revenue this fiscal year, economists Tom Kavet and Jeff Carr said.
Tags: Phil Scott , budget cuts , Vermont legislature , Jeff Carr , Tom Kavet , economy , Donald Trump , Image , Web Only
Tyler Austin, who graduated in June, was cited Friday to appear on the charge in Vermont Superior Court on August 26. He was released after being cited and remains free until the arraignment.
South Burlington Police Chief Trevor Whipple issued a statement Friday saying the pending charges came after a "lengthy investigation involving numerous interviews, evidence collection and forensic analysis." He did not say specifically what led police to Austin.
Tags: Austin Tyler , Rebels , Isaiah Hines , Trevor Whipple , South Burlington , Image , Web Only