Tuesday, March 28, 2017
The freshly inked law is a rejoinder to several of President Donald Trump's executive orders, which enhance immigration enforcement. Scott said Tuesday that the orders "introduced a significant level of uncertainty for states, law enforcement, citizens and non-citizens alike" without making the public safer.
In a conspicuous display of bipartisanship, Vermont's Republican governor was joined by Democratic Attorney General T.J. Donovan and key Democratic state lawmakers.
When it was his turn to speak, Senate Judiciary Committee chair Dick Sears (D-Bennington) stepped up to the podium and deadpanned, "I want to thank the president of the United States for bringing together a diverse group of people to agree — and quickly agree, in record time — on a bill of major importance."
The new law gives the governor the sole ability to authorize new agreements between federal immigration officials and local law enforcement. It responds to an executive order calling on local police to help enforce federal immigration law. Scott, who's said he won't enter into such agreements, described the order as "federal overreach."
Tags: Phil Scott , Donald Trump , TJ Donovan , immigration bill , Image , Web Only
The move means House leaders were unable to muster the votes to pass the legislation. Whether that kills the bill for the year or not is a matter of speculation.
“It’s not dead,” said Eli Harrington, an East Burke resident who had been lobbying for legalization.
“That kills it,” muttered Rep. Sam Young (D-Glover), also a supporter.
“We believe the bill needs some more time and some more vetting,” said House Majority Leader Jill Krowinski (D-Burlington). “I’m not going to push it out there if it needs more time.”
The legislation, H.170, would legalize possession of up to an ounce of marijuana and the personal cultivation of two mature and four immature plants. It’s based on the legalization system in place in Washington, D.C. It would not permit the sale of marijuana.
Tags: Ann Pugh , Cannabeat , Eli Harrington , marijuana legalization , Mitzi Johnson , Vermont House , Image , Web Only
Monday, March 27, 2017
Unbeknownst to Zuckerman, the company quickly incorporated his television "interview" into Shen Yun's massive marketing machine.
"Lieutenant Governor of Vermont Says Shen Yun Is an 'Incredible Presentation,'" reads the Epoch Times, a New York City-based anti-Communist China newspaper founded in 2000 by members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement.
Tags: Shen Yun , David Zuckerman , lieutenant governor , Epoch Times , Falun Gong , Image , Web Only
Friday, March 24, 2017
The fee, approved Thursday night on a 5-1 vote, would generate about $7.2 million next year, according to Senate Finance Committee chair Ann Cummings (D-Washington).
Of the $7.2 million, about $2.5 million would be used for a new affordable housing program Gov. Phil Scott proposed. The rest would go into the state’s Clean Water Fund to help reduce phosphorus in Lake Champlain and other waterways.
Scott’s spokeswoman on Friday expressed displeasure with the proposal. “This tax will unnecessarily increase the cost of hotel and motel stays, straining our tourism sector, which contributes $2.5 billion to our economy annually,” said the statement from the governor’s office attributed to Rebecca Kelley.
Tags: occupancy fee , Tim Ashe , Ann Cummings , Dustin Degree , Vermont Ski Areas Association , Phil Scott , Lake Champlain cleanup , Image , Web Only
The bill’s prospects remain in limbo, however, as senators later put the bill, S.88, on hold. Supporters indicated that while they had just enough votes to keep the bill alive, they lack sufficient backing to pass it.
“We wanted to give senators more time to be educated on the bill and address some of the concerns,” said Sen. Debbie Ingram (D-Chittenden), a leading supporter of raising the smoking age.
One of those concerns is money the state would lose by collecting less in cigarette taxes. Under the bill as written, the state would lose an estimated $1.4 million next year from cigarettes not sold to consumers under age 21.
Tags: cannabis related , David Zuckerman , Debbie Ingram , legal smoking age , Image , Web Only
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Last weekend, federal agents arrested two suspected drug dealers and seized more than a kilo of heroin — street value as high as half a million dollars —outside Almighty Peaks Painting, a business located in a Colchester strip mall owned by Sen. Dick Mazza (D-Grand Isle).
The mall is across the street from Mazza’s renowned general store, and includes nine storefronts. Mazza told VTDigger.org that business owner Darrick Holmes, who has also been arrested by the feds, had been his tenant for about seven years.
Word hit the Senate like a big ol’ blanket drenched in cold water. Mazza’s colleagues were uniformly discomfited by the news. They clearly sought to minimize Mazza’s responsibility, and wanted the story to just go away.
Tags: Dick Mazza , Darrick Holmes , Tim Ashe , Dick Sears , Phil Baruth , Doug Allen , Tyler Kinney , Shawn Alonso , Tamara Moody , Image , Web Only
Carroll, who has been a state Superior Court judge since 2000, will replace retiring Justice John Dooley when she takes her seat April 1. Her appointment is subject to confirmation by the state Senate.
Scott chose Carroll from a pool of eight candidates nominated by the Judicial Nominating Board, according to the governor's office.
Senate President Pro Tempore Tim Ashe (D/P-Chittenden) served on the Judicial Nominating Board. He anticipated no problem with confirming Carroll.
"The process at the Judicial Nominating Board is nonpartisan, thoughtful, really trying to cull from the list the very best," he said. "She wouldn't have advanced if there were reservations."
Tags: Karen Carroll , Vermont Supreme Court , Gov. Phil Scott , Justice John Dooley , Image , Web Only
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
State's Attorney Sarah George, who created the study commission, urged skeptics to keep an open mind, and stressed that current, less controversial practices have left hundreds of Vermonters struggling with addiction.
"They don't want to be committing crimes; they want to be reliable and trustworthy," George said.
She hopes the commission makes a recommendation in the next few months on whether the county should open an injection site where street drug users would have medical supervision and be exempt from arrest, she said.
Tags: Brandon del Pozo , Burlington , heroin , opiates , Opioid Crisis , safe injection , Sarah George , Image , Web Only
The House Judiciary Committee voted out the bill, H.170, by an 8-3 vote on Wednesday.
The action was delayed because House leaders feared the bill lacked the votes to pass the full chamber. That appears to have changed in the past few days.
“It sounds like we do have the votes ,” said Rep. Maxine Grad (D-Moretown), chair of the House Judiciary Committee.
Tags: Cannabeat , marijuana legalization , Maxine Grad , Vermont legislature , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
The appeal came as the House Appropriations Committee prepares to finish its budget bill by the end of the week. As the panel pared a $73 million budget gap down to $6.4 million, complaints about budget cuts began to mount this week.
The committee is building a budget based on $5 million in new revenue that would be generated by cracking down on tax-law compliance, but has otherwise avoided raising taxes or fees.
That’s not sitting well with some members of the legislature.
“We have said, ‘Don’t take the liberal wing for granted,’” Rep. Paul Poirier (I-Barre) said Tuesday, flanked by other members of the Legislative Working Vermonters’ Caucus during a Statehouse press conference. “The workers caucus is not interested in cutting the human services budget.”
Tags: 2018 state budget , appropriations , Vermont Legislature , emergency housing , Kitty Toll , Johannah Donovan , Paul Poirier , Chris Pearson , homeless , Image , Web Only