VPR Staff Lawmakers face a long list of bills that are ready for debate by the full House and Senate. That’s because a key deadline passed last week that required committees to complete work on bills that they want to be addressed this year. And that’s how the House found itself tied up on the [...]
VPR News Blog
From Vermont Public Radio
March
19 2013
Flinty New Englanders Take Late-Season Storm In Stride
By Kirk Carapezza A winter storm warming is now posted for much of New England. Several inches of snow had already accumulated on the ground by the time residents in Vermont rolled out of bed Tuesday. The storm moved across New England in the early morning hours, blasting fluffy, light snow on roads and rooftops, [...]
March
19 2013
Smith Says Lawmakers Need to Scale Back Spending
VPR Staff House Speaker Shap Smith says a tight state budget means lawmakers will have to scale back Gov. Peter Shumlin’s spending priorities. The governor wants to increase child care subsidies by using $17 million now spent on a tax credit for working Vermonters. Smith says that idea lacks support in the House. And the [...]
March
14 2013
Shumlin Sticks to His Budget Proposals
By Kirk Carapezza We’re quickly approaching the crossover point for this legislative session, and Governor Peter Shumlin is not backing down from his spending and revenue proposals. This week, Shumlin has been meeting with Senate and House leaders behind closed doors. It’s part of an effort to see if there’s any way the Legislature can [...]
March
14 2013
Town Meeting Wrap-up: Part III
By Amy Kolb Noyes Prior to Vermont’s 2013 town meetings, VPR News tweeted some interesting items found in the various warnings. Since Town Meeting Day we’ve been following up on and tweeting those results. Find them on Twitter using #PublicPost or follow Amy Kolb Noyes on Twitter. Here are the latest, in case you missed [...]
March
14 2013
Three Towns Weigh In On Rights Of Nature
By Amy Kolb Noyes Strafford resident Steve Marx thinks nature deserves the same rights afforded to people and, in light of the Citizens United Supreme Court case, corporations. And he aims to change the Vermont Constitution to guarantee those rights. With the help of the Vermont Law Schoolʼs Environmental Law Center, the Earth Law Center [...]
March
13 2013
Vt. Chamber of Commerce Opposes Paid Leave Bill
By Kirk Carapezza The Vermont Chamber of Commerce says a bill in the House that would guarantee paid sick days for Vermont workers goes too far. If the measure were approved, workers would gain one hour of paid leave for every 30 hours worked up to 56 total hours – or seven days – each [...]
March
13 2013
National Designation to Preserve Wild & Scenic Rivers
By Amy Kolb Noyes The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by Congress 45 years ago through the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.The law is intended to protect rivers, or river segments with “outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free-flowing condition for the enjoyment of present and future generations.” In 2009, [...]
March
13 2013
F-35 Opponents Herald Leahy Letter As Major “U Turn”
By Kirk Carapezza Some of the opponents of an Air Force proposal to base the next generation F-35 fighter jet in Vermont are sincerely hoping a letter sent by Sen. Patrick Leahy on Tuesday might indicate a striking shift in his views on the Pentagon’s program. As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, [...]
March
13 2013
Amid Shifting Landscape, UVM President Calls for Increased State Funding
By Kirk Carapezza University of Vermont President Thomas Sullivan is making the rounds at the Statehouse this week to urge lawmakers to approve $42.5 million in funding for the state’s flagship institution. Sullivan’s final push comes as administrators across the country are considering fundamental changes to the traditional higher education model. Since taking the helm [...]
Supported By
Kirk Carapezza, Vermont Legislature
Kirk blogs from the statehouse as part of VPR's news team in the capital. Follow Kirk on Twitter @kirkcarapezza and on VPR.net.
Vermont Legislature
Steve Zind, The Vermont Economy
Senior Reporter Steve Zind reports on the impact of jobs and the economy on Vermont. Follow Steve on Twitter and his reporting on The Vermont Economy at VPR.net.
The Vermont Economy
Amy Noyes, Public Post
Amy Kolb Noyes is VPR's Public Post reporter, using Vermont city and town government documents to source and research news stories and trends. Follow Amy on Twitter and at Public Post.