Wednesday, August 30, 2017
The “Dear Taxpayer” letter reads, “Most Vermonters owe use tax, however many don’t fully understand what use tax is or how much they owe.”
Use tax is what Vermonters pay in lieu of a sales tax collected at the time of purchase — usually when buying something online, over the phone, in a state such as New Hampshire that doesn’t charge a sales tax, or by mail. The letter is meant to inform Vermonters that they are responsible for paying that use tax when filing their annual income tax form.
Tags: Vermont legislature , Vermont Tax Department , sales tax , online retailers , Kaj Samsom , use tax , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
“We’ve reached an agreement in principle and now we’re trying to document it,” Long Trail’s attorney, Kevin Henry of Primmer Piper Eggleston & Cramer PC, told Seven Days.
The news last week that the two Vermont-born companies were battling in court generated plenty of buzz. The Bridgewater Corners-based beer company alleged Burton used its motto on clothing in violation of a decades-old trademark it held. Burton’s website at the time sold at least two pieces of clothing, a hoodie and a T-shirt, with “Take a Hike” emblazoned across the bottom. The phrase was accompanied by an illustration of a tent with a person’s legs sticking out.
Tags: Long Trail Brewing , Burton Snowboards , lawsuit , Image , Web Only
Thursday, August 24, 2017
The Long Trail Brewing Company filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday alleging that Burton Snowboards infringed on its “Take a Hike” trademark.
“Long Trail is engaged in a variety of socially and environmentally conscious efforts in the Vermont community and has used its trademark ‘Take a Hike’ in support of those efforts,” the company writes in its suit, filed by Kevin Henry of Primmer Piper Eggleston & Cramer PC. “As a result, the trademark has achieved a high degree of recognition among consumers, especially in Vermont.”
Tags: Long Trail Brewing , Burton Snowboards , lawsuit , Take a Hike , Image , Web Only
Friday, August 18, 2017
Assistant Attorney General Megan Shafritz said three complaints citing alleged "electioneering" came in Thursday but would not comment on whether the AG's office was investigating.
She also would not say if the AG had any role in the sudden disappearance of the phony site, jamesehlersforgovernor.com.
It portrayed Ehlers, a clean-water advocate, as ineffective and unstable with the motto "Crazy You Can Believe In," and listed the Vermont Psychiatric Care Hospital in Berlin as his campaign address.
Tags: James Ehlers , Vermont Attorney General's Office , Image , Web Only
Monday, August 14, 2017
But the three locales share a dark designation: They’re among dozens on the Southern Poverty Law Center’s “hate map,” which tracks hate-group activity across the U.S.
Various places on the map are marked with insignias associated with racist, xenophobic and anti-Semitic groups. The map drew renewed attention after the weekend’s violence in Charlottesville, Va., during a rally of white supremacists.
Tags: Senator , The Daily Stormer , Burlington , Andrew Anglin , David Duke , Southern Poverty Law Center , Donald Trump , Bernie Sanders , Patrick Leahy , Image , Web Only
Friday, July 28, 2017
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
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
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 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
Monday, July 17, 2017
The school district on Monday sought the dismissal of a lawsuit brought in June by supporters of the controversial Rebels moniker who want a public vote on the name change. In the filing, school district attorney Pietro Lynn argued that the school board had every right to make its decision, despite a successful petition drive by Rebel Alliance members who demanded the name change be decided by residents.
The "elected school board, not the electorate, has the authority to make operations and budgetary decisions and properly exercised its discretion in declining to put the Rebel name articles before the voters," reads the motion filed in Vermont Superior Court.
The school board voted unanimously to drop the name on February 1 after critics called it divisive and tainted by racist associations with the Confederacy. Supporters saw it as a harmless and unifying tradition.
That group founded an advocacy group — the Rebel Alliance — and launched the petition drive as part of their bid to retain the name.
One petition asked for a vote on the name itself, while a second called for a prohibition on spending public funds to change the name. Students, and later the school board, voted on and approved the new mascot: the Wolves.
The board announced at a May meeting it would not put the questions to a vote, which triggered outrage. Rebel Alliance leaders called the decision cowardly and argued that it violated due process.
Four Rebels supporters filed the June lawsuit: Robert A. Skiff Jr., Benjamin E. Nye, Stacey Savage and Marcy Brigham.
"South Burlington Rebels were taught to fight for what they believed was right and to never give up, and we are continuing that proud tradition," Savage, who serves as the Rebel Alliance spokeswoman, wrote in a press release shortly after filing the suit.
Savage on Monday did not immediately return a request for comment.
The district's motion argued that the lawsuit asks the school district to hold a vote about a symbol that "many consider racist." To retain such a symbol could alienate students and families, and put the district in violation of state and federal laws designed to prevent racism, the motion said.
On Monday, South Burlington High School principal Patrick Burke unveiled images of new sports jerseys, bearing the Wolves name, on Twitter.
They're here! First @SBHSWolves uniforms (volleyball) arrived today! SB AD Mr. Jabour proudly showing them off! #GoWolvesGo pic.twitter.com/CUwtFK9qqK
— Patrick Burke (@pburkevt) July 17, 2017
Tags: Rebels , South Burlington , race , Rebel Alliance , Image , Web Only