Friday, April 27, 2018
At the same time, Senate leaders sent the governor a letter pleading for constructive action to avoid a veto session.
The gubernatorial press release, issued Thursday evening and entitled, "The Lesson of Squandered Savings for Teachers, Taxpayers & Kids," was written by Scott communications director Rebecca Kelley. She began by castigating lawmakers for "failing to take full advantage of the opportunity to save $26 million each year" by negotiating teacher health care benefits on a statewide basis — a proposal Scott floated in April 2017, and which the legislature rejected.
Tags: Phil Scott , Rebecca Kelley , Tim Ashe , Jane Kitchel , Ann Cummings , Phil Baruth , Adam Greshin , Kaj Samsom , budget , Image , Web Only
On-air talent was spared and the station has no plans for further job cuts, said Jay Barton, vice president and general manager.
The reductions are part of an effort to make the operation more efficient by training reporters to do some of their own camera work, either on station equipment or cellphones.
“It’s a very different world than it was 10 years ago," Barton said. "This is about adaptation.”
Veteran cameraman Bob Davis was among those who lost his job. The senior photographer found out at 11 a.m. Friday that his 36 years at the South Burlington station were coming to end.
Tags: Media , Burlington , local TV , WCAX , Image , Web Only
On Friday morning, the Vermont House of Representatives voted 106 to 28 to indefinitely shelve H.167, a bill that had been rewritten as a vehicle for legalizing the commercial sale of marijuana with state oversight and taxation. Earlier this year, the legislature approved — and Gov. Phil Scott signed — a bill permitting personal cultivation and possession of small amounts of marijuana.
Supporters had hoped to at least keep the bill alive for more debate next week. After the vote, legalization supporter Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman said, "I think it's over for this year."
He blamed Statehouse politics for the defeat. "There is plenty of support to legalize," he said, "but sometimes in this building, the powers that be guide legislators to do something that isn't what their constituents want."
The vast majority of Democrats and Republicans voted to shelve the bill. Democratic leadership cited the rush of more pressing business in the remaining days before adjournment.
Tags: Cannabeat , David Zuckerman , marijuana legalization , Don Turner , Jill Krowinski , Diana Gonzalez , Image , Web Only
A Burlington city council committee has directed Mayor Miro Weinberger to rethink his approach to funding early education programs.
The call came after childcare providers on Thursday criticized the current grant program, which offers money for providers to create more childcare openings, during a meeting of the council's community development and neighborhood revitalization committee.
That Early Learning Initiative, a long-languishing project of Weinberger's, has seen few tangible results, Seven Days recently reported, despite a council-approved infusion of $500,000 in funds last year.
Tags: Jane Knodell , Miro Weinberger , Karen Paul , Noelle MacKay , Sarah Adams-Kollitz , Early Learning Initiative , Image , Web Only
Thursday, April 26, 2018
González said she’s been working toward the proposal for most of the legislative session, and that recent conversations suggest there are enough votes to pass it. She said it’s got support among some Republicans who voted against January’s legalization bill because it didn’t establish a means to tax and regulate sales.
“Ultimately what we need are the votes, and in our conversations it looks like we have them,” González said.
Tags: Cannabeat , marijuana , Diana González , Image , Web Only
Inmates are currently taken off their buprenorphine or methadone after 120 days. The bill, which cleared the Senate last month, would eliminate the time limit. And it would allow inmates to get a prescription while in prison, instead of limiting treatment to those who had one before they were incarcerated.
“This is a really important step for us … in the fight against the opioid epidemic,” said Rep. Selene Colburn (P-Burlington), who pushed for the change.
Rep. George Till (D-Jericho), a doctor, said the bill underscores the fact that addiction is a disease.
Last November, Seven Days wrote about inmates who were being taken off their addiction medication and forced to endure excruciating withdrawal. Some of those inmates sought street drugs when they were released, and they overdosed.
A week after the story was published, the Department of Corrections announced that it would expand treatment, previously limited to 30 days in most prisons, to 120 days.
Tags: buprenorphine , Department of Corrections , Opioid Crisis , opioid treatment , Vermont House , Image , Web Only
House Ways and Means Committee chair Janet Ancel (D-Calais) said the “clock is ticking” on the legislative session, which is expected to last two more weeks. Committee members voiced concern and frustration that the administration has hinted at a comprehensive proposal but provided few details.
“I’d like to know if there is going to be a proposal … to use one-time money,” Ancel told Samsom. “Where would it come from, and how would it be replaced? Those are all things that would affect tax rates.”
Tags: tax , Kaj Samsom , Janet Ancel , Kurt Wright , George Till , education funding , Image , Web Only
Blume aimed to foster that connection with "Women of Cannabis," a networking event meant to encourage entrepreneurship ahead of recreational marijuana legalization in Vermont on July 1. About 30 attendees made small talk and snacked on refreshments Wednesday at the Burlington clothing store Tailfeather, where product racks were pushed aside to make way for the event.
Some women were novices, interested in exploring entrepreneurial opportunities in the cannabis industry. Kirstin Daigle, who works in quality assurance at Stone Environmental in Montpelier, said she was interested in helping labs improve their cannabis testing practices and attended "to learn." Denise Stubbs was just entering her first season selling five varieties of high-cannabidiol (CBD) hemp plants from her home in Plainfield.
Tags: Cannabeat , cannabiz , women of weed , Burlington , Heady Vermont , Kathryn Blume , Image , Web Only
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
The education-funding challenge standing between Vermont lawmakers and adjournment just grew — by roughly $18 million, according to a legislative fiscal officer.
Gov. Phil Scott has insisted that there be no property tax increase in 2019. Last week, he proposed using $40 million in one-time funds to offset a projected 5.5 cent increase in the statewide education property tax. But the legislature’s fiscal analysts are now pegging the figure at $58.2 million.
That stems partly from new information, according to Stephen Klein, the legislature's chief fiscal officer: The Agency of Education learned last week that special education costs came in about $6 million higher than expected, and general school spending is also up. That means the projected education property tax increase now stands at 6.8 cents.
In response, the administration revised its estimate to the "mid-$50 million" range late last week, according to Scott's communications director, Rebecca Kelley, who added, "We’ve been accounting for it as we finalize our recommended package for closing the gap."
Tags: Phil Scott , property taxes , Vermont legislature , Image , Web Only
The bill would have expanded the power of the commissioner of the Department of Health to regulate products that pose a risk of exposing children to toxic chemicals. The commissioner, who is appointed by the governor, would have been able to require health labeling on products or even ban their sale.
The House's vote to override the veto failed to get approval from two thirds of the representatives present, as required by the state's constitution. Ninety-four representatives voted in favor of the bill and 53 voted against it.
One of those standing with the Republican governor was Rep. David Ainsworth (R-South Royalton), who had been out sick. He returned to the chamber to help the GOP's cause, casting his first votes of the session.
Tags: Phil Scott , Don Turner , David Ainsworth , Fred Baser , William Canfield , Martha Feltus , James Harrison , Richard Lawrence , Terry Norris , toxics , consumer protection , veto , Department of Health , Image , Web Only