Saturday, May 21, 2016
It started with a campaign flier that arrived in some Vermont Republicans' mailboxes Saturday. In it, Bruce Lisman linked rival Phil Scott to retiring Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin.
"This is D.C. tactics at its worst," Scott said from the stage Saturday, holding up a copy of the flier before tossing it to the floor. "I gave Bruce a pass when he did opposition research on me ... I can't give him a pass on this. At least he's showing me his stripes."
Tags: Vermont Republican Party , Donald Trump , Phil Scott , Bruce Lisman , Image , Web Only
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Though he remains far behind Clinton in the delegate count, Sanders is hoping to inflict a “heavy blow” on Clinton by winning the California primary and is determined to have a vocal presence at the Democratic Convention in July, the Times reported.
The Times said:
While Mr. Sanders says he does not want Mr. Trump to win in November, his advisers and allies say he is willing to do some harm to Mrs. Clinton in the shorter term if it means he can capture a majority of the 475 pledged delegates at stake in California and arrive at the Philadelphia convention with maximum political power.
Tags: Senator , Bernie Sanders , DNC , Hillary Clinton , convention , presidential campaign , Image , Recommended Reading , Web Only
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Rep. Kesha Ram (D-Burlington) and Sen. David Zuckerman (P/D-Chittenden) said Wednesday they remain committed to their pursuit of the nomination in an August primary. Both said Smith gave them a heads-up Tuesday about his plans to join the race.
“I look forward to a robust debate on the issues,” Zuckerman said Wednesday morning, later issuing a press release that listed numerous issues on which he will challenge Smith.
“We have been out on the campaign trail for the last 24 weeks and we are feeling positively about the reaction we’re getting from Vermonters,” Ram said.
Some Vermont Democrats had encouraged the 29-year-old Ram, the least experienced of the candidates, to run instead for the state Senate. She declined.
Tags: cannabis related , David Zuckerman , Election 2016 , Kesha Ram , Phil Scott , Shap Smith , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Louis Meyers, a doctor who lives in Williston, has abandoned plans to run for lieutenant governor in favor of running for Senate in the Chittenden district in the Democratic primary.
Dawn Ellis, a Democrat who finished seventh in a race for six Chittenden Senate district seats in the general election in 2014, said she plans to make another run this year.
That makes at least 10 Democrats, including four incumbents, competing for six nominations to be determined in the August 9 primary.
Tags: Dawn Ellis , Louis Meyers , John Gifford , Vermont Senate , Image , Web Only
Monday, May 16, 2016
Progressives are still regretting their support of Democrat Peter Shumlin in the gubernatorial race in 2010, when he first won the office.
The Progressive Party State Committee did agree to endorse Sen. David Zuckerman (P/D-Chittenden) in his bid for lieutenant governor and to back the reelection of State Auditor Doug Hoffer, also a Progressive/Democrat. Those endorsements come as no surprise.
But most of the committee voted not to support any of the three Democrats running for governor, Progressive Party chair Emma Mulvaney-Stanak said.
All three — former state senators Matt Dunne and Peter Galbraith and former state transportation secretary Sue Minter — sought the left-leaning party’s endorsement at the meeting Saturday in Randolph.
Tags: Vermont Progressive Party , Matt Dunne , Sue Minter , Peter Galbraith , Election 2016 , Image , Web Only
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Pearson, 43, said Thursday he will run in the Democratic primary, seeking one of six Senate seats representing Chittenden County.
The field is growing increasingly competitive as the May 26 candidate filing deadline approaches. At least eight people are running in the Democratic primary. Two of the six incumbent Chittenden County senators are not seeking reelection.
Tags: election 2016 , Chris Pearson , David Zuckerman , Vermont legislature , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
“I believe it forces the legislature to prioritize,” Scott said. “I believe it’s doable.”
Scott also called on the state to go from a one- to a two-year budgeting process and pledged not to write or approve a budget that increases spending more than the economy grows in a given year. The Democrat-controlled legislature just approved a $5.77 billion 2017 budget that increases general fund spending by nearly 4.8 percent.
All of Scott’s pledges pose challenges.
Tags: Bruce Lisman , cannabis related , Jim Douglas , Phil Scott , Vermont politics , Image , Web Only
Thursday, May 5, 2016
With the legislature braced to adjourn for the year on Saturday, that defeat likely means lawmakers will leave without any marijuana legalization — or even a commission to study it.
“Fuck the commission,” a frustrated Senate Judiciary Committee chair Dick Sears (D-Bennington) said after his effort to create a public advisory vote failed. “The commission was unnecessary.”
A couple of hours earlier, Sears had been willing to go along with creating a marijuana legalization study commission if lawmakers also agreed to the public advisory vote.
Tags: Cannabeat , Dick Sears , marijuana legalization , Vermont legislature , Image , Web Only
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
“I cannot vote for Donald Trump,” Lt. Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican candidate for governor, said Wednesday during a break from presiding over the Senate. Scott has condemned Trump throughout the presidential campaign, once referring to him as “offensive.”
But Scott said Wednesday that he won’t vote for Democrat Hillary Clinton either, if she’s the Democratic nominee. He indicated he could skip that line on the November ballot or write in another name. He didn’t mention Clinton’s primary opponent, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
Tags: Bruce Lisman , Phil Scott , Donald Trump , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
“Given the fact that we’re one of the few states with no ethics regulation, this is a first step to get us where we need to go,” said Sen. Anthony Pollina (P/D-Washington), lead spokesman for the bill on behalf of the Senate Government Operations Committee.
Perhaps speaking more to the public than to his colleagues at the Statehouse, Pollina twice asserted, “Nobody should think by this proposal that we believe there is widespread corruption in state government.”
Tags: ethics , Sen. Anthony Pollina , Sen. Joe Benning , Senate President Pro Tem John Campbell , Sen. Bobby Starr , Sen. Claire Ayer , Image , Web Only