Friday, December 8, 2017
The Capitol Complex Commission, which oversees the "architectural and aesthetic integrity" of the Statehouse and its grounds, reversed a decision it made last month to not approve the rink for the upcoming winter. Among its concerns was the debatably unsightly fence built around last winter's rink.
Tags: Phil Scott , Vermont Statehouse , skating rink , Image , Web Only
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
The updated policy, which applies to all of the governor’s appointees and some other staff, also requires officials to follow Vermont’s public records laws and to be up-to-date on their taxes. Scott officials say the changes represent the first major update to the executive ethics policy in multiple administrations.
“We’ve been talking about this since day one, and he wanted to take a fresh look at it and see if there’s areas where we might strengthen it,” said Rebecca Kelley, Scott’s spokeswoman.
Tags: Phil Scott , ethics , sexual harassment , Susanne Young , Rebecca Kelley , Jaye Pershing Johnson , Image , Web Only
Friday, November 24, 2017
While the federal Canadian legislation would allow people to grow small amounts of marijuana at home, Québec wouldn't allow it, under draft legislation written by the province's ruling Liberal Party.
The federal government has mandated nationwide marijuana legalization by July 1, while leaving details to the country's provinces. Like Vermont, Québec already has legal medical marijuana and is struggling to develop a framework for broader legalization.
Tags: cannabeat , marijuana , Québec , legalization , driving under the influence , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
The case, which was scheduled to go to trial in December, dates to 2014, when Corren, running as a Democrat and Progressive, made a failed bid to unseat then-lieutenant governor Phil Scott.
Corren received about $180,000 in public money for his campaign. When accepting public financing in Vermont, candidates agree not to solicit contributions from outside sources.
Tags: Dean Corren , Bill Sorrell , T.J. Donovan , campaign finance , courts , legal , Image , Web Only
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Vermont Sen. Dustin Degree (R-Franklin) is resigning from the state Senate to accept a position in Gov. Phil Scott's administration.
Degree will serve as special assistant to the governor and executive director of workforce expansion, the governor's office said in a Wednesday morning press release. Scott also appointed Sarah Buxton, a former Democratic House member from Tunbridge, to serve as director of workforce policy and performance within the Vermont Department of Labor.
Buxton lost her seat last November and has been working in the Labor Department since March. She'll start immediately.
Tags: Dustin Degree , Joe Benning , Corey Parent , Phil Scott , Sarah Buxton , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
"You are going to see more fatalities on the roadways," Anderson said at a Statehouse meeting of the Marijuana Advisory Commission.
His conclusion came as part of a report he gave to the legislative panel in his role as chair of its highway safety subcommittee. Health Commissioner Mark Levine, another subcommittee chair, also presented Tuesday.
The commission is tasked with reporting back to the legislature with its findings in January.
Tags: Cannabeat , Ann Pugh , Marijuana Advisory Committee , Mark Levine , Tom Anderson , cannabis policy , recreational cannabis , Image , Web Only
Last week, Gill told Seven Days he was considering whether to run; now he's made up his mind.
"The big issue is I'm too interested in policy," he says. "As chair, I'm not supposed to be involved in policy."
Like the difference between an umpire and a ballplayer? "That’s a perfect way to put it," he says. "I want to be a player."
He adds that he "absolutely" plans to run for elective office "if the opportunity becomes available." Gill was a candidate for state Senate in 2016, when there were two vacancies among Chittenden County's six seats. He finished eighth in a hotly-contested Democratic primary.
Tags: Faisal Gill , Dottie Deans , George W. Bush , Terje Anderson , Peter Jemley , Tess Taylor , Brittany Cavacas , Scott Garren , Billi Gosh , Mildred LaBeur , Floyd Nease , Ed Cafferty , David Glidden , Noah Detzer , Michael Ross , Conor Casey , Image , Web Only
The four-member Capitol Complex Commission, charged with overseeing the “architectural and aesthetic integrity” of the Vermont Statehouse and its grounds, last week chose not to approve another rink for the upcoming winter, citing aesthetic and technical concerns.
✖Commission member Jireh Billings of Woodstock said he loves the concept — "the idea of people skating in front of the Statehouse is quite a postcard," he noted — but the sloped lawn creates complications.
That postcard became a reality last January when a group of volunteers called the "Put a Rink on It Committee" got the go-ahead to set up a temporary rink in one corner of the snow-covered lawn. The committee had spent more than a year lobbying for the rink.
Tags: Vermont Statehouse , ice rink , Capitol Complex Commission , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Wednesday, Vermont officials and representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will begin traveling Vermont to verify the damage. Their preliminary assessment will determine if the state qualifies for a federal disaster declaration, which would bring money to fund recovery efforts.
For Vermont to qualify for aid, FEMA must verify more than $1 million of damage, which includes restoration costs for public utilities.
Tags: storm , power , Phil Scott , FEMA , Vermont Emergency Management , Image , Web Only
Friday, October 20, 2017
In a 5-0 decision, justices reversed a lower court judge's ruling that documents stored on private accounts are not subject to public records requests. The high court said that its decision applied only to documents that meet the legal definition under the public records act, not private correspondence.
"The notion that state employees have a privacy interest in records that are by law public records — those produced or acquired in the course of agency business — is incongruous," Justice Beth Robinson said in the 20-page decision.
Tags: Vermont Supreme Court , public records , Brady Toensing , Bill Sorrell , email , T.J. Donovan , Image , Web Only