Vermont already has a two-cent excise tax on heating oil, kerosene and dyed diesel. It raises about $5 million per year. So, a per gallon surcharge on home heating fuels would have to raise about sixty times that amount to pay for the Clean Heat Standard mandates, or $1.20 per gallon. That’s just math, folks!
Guy Page
Guy Page is the editor and publisher of the Vermont Daily Chronicle.
With House veto override set for Thursday, S.5 poll shows Vermonters opposed
A poll conducted last week shows Vermonters oppose S.5 – especially if it increases home heating fuel prices.
Outnumbered but unrestrained, GOP lawmakers bash legislative pay hike
“The senator that presented the sheriff’s bill initially stated there’s no other group in the state of Vermont that can give themselves raises the way that the Caledonia Sheriff did. And lo and behold, we’re doing it to ourselves,” Rep. Mark Higley said.
New report on Hunter Biden Laptop exposes government, Biden family corruption in detail
A new report shows the info on the Hunter Biden laptop is legit and damning to the Biden family and the government officials who covered for them.
Vax requirement at border ends Friday
Vaccination requirements to cross land ports of entry and ferry terminals into the U.S. will end on Friday.
In Senate hearing about abuse litigation, a Vermont mom’s story cuts through
A bill in the State House would limit the ability of abusive ex-spouses from continuing abuse-by-lawsuit.
California mayor says he has the solution for homelessness
Maybe this California mayor’s “accept help or get cited” approach would work in Vermont. Maybe it wouldn’t. The question is: what local or state government strategy WOULD work?
Bear sighting in suburban Shelburne – police issue advice
Bear sightings are increasingly common in Vermont. Now they’re even visiting a suburban Shelburne neighborhood.
High school has cause to keep ‘Rebel’ nickname
The ‘rebels’ to whom the mascot name refers are the Revolutionary War-era Green Mountain Boys, rebelling against British colonial authority.
Homeless hotel funding to end, barring last-minute decision in Legislature
A State of Vermont letter went out to ‘homeless hotel’ residents on May 2, warning most of them to be out by the end of the month. The rest will have until the end of June.
Thieves steal rare coins, then spend them in local stores: police
An alleged cocaine user is among the three NEK men arrested in connection with the burglary of a Derby home, in which about $30,000 of rare coins were taken.
Senate overrides Scott veto of S.5
S.5 clears its highest hurdle – the veto override vote in the Vermont Senate.
Alleged murderer of Fern Feather used grappling hook, bedsheets in prison break attempt
In a battle between razor wire and bed sheets, the razor wire won and Seth Brunell was unable to escape.
Man admits pointing loaded gun at feds
A Springfield, MA man who pointed a loaded gun at a Border Patrol officer has pleaded guilty.
S.5 veto override vote set for this week
The S.5 veto override will come before the House later this week.
Senate OKs 16-year-old voting, local office holding in Brattleboro
No more “oligarchy of older Vermonters,” one senator announced as the Senate voted 16-8 to allow teens to vote in local elections and hold local office in Brattleboro.
Church hit by gunfire / Rutland drug bust / Career crook jailed without bail
Gunfire that struck the First Baptist Church in Groton may have been the result of practice shooting at a nearby stump dump.
In Vermont visit, ‘Planet of the Humans’ filmmaker exposes corporate capture of environmental justice
Gibbs exposes dangers and deceptions within the “green” energy-related movement hijacked by corporations and investors out to make a profit.
Your letters: Control adrenaline is flowing steadily / ‘Woke’ decline / Cannabis control board overwhelmed
The control adrenaline is flowing steadily, and will until their goal is reached. They cannot stand the freedoms guaranteed by the Vermont Constitution and the U.S. 2nd Amendment.
Thurston: Deconstructionism destroying our culture
When I emigrated to this country, at age 27, I spoke French as my mother tongue and Dutch as a second language. I knew a few medical terms in English but was unable to order my groceries at the store.
House accepts Senate changes to gun control bill
House and Senate have agreed on H.230, this session’s signature gun control bill. If vetoed by Gov. Scott, it faces a likely override vote.
Retired pharmacist: lethal dose not “swallowing a magic pill, lying down, and dying”
Reporting of side effects isn’t required under Vermont’s “ostrich-head-in-the-sand” aid-in-dying law.
Senate approves pharmacy Covid-19 vaccinations for five-year-olds
The House version of H305 allowed pharmacy techs to administer Covid-19 vaccinations to adults only.
Formal veto of S.5 cites progress already made, check back confusion
S.5’s ‘check back’ language is confusing, easily misconstrued, and contradictory to multiple portions of the bill, Gov. Scott said in his veto letter.
Property dispute leads to shooting, arrest
During an argument, Morrell produced a .22-caliber revolver and shot Temple one time in the torso, police say.
Three die in head-on crash
Three local people died in a head-on crash on Rte. 14 in Albany Thursday.
House launches impeachment investigation against Franklin County Sheriff, State’s Attorney
The House announces beginning of impeachment proceedings against two Franklin County elected officials.
Bill would mandate all firearms licensing, registration and insurance
Vermont is a gun registration-free state – but that would change if a bill introduced yesterday becomes law.
Huge underground power transmission line proposed for Northeast Kingdom
A transmission line carrying twice the output of Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant would run underground from the Canaan to Lunenburg.
S.5 uses sticks when carrots are what’s needed, Scott says
Spending thousands of dollars on a new heat pump or paying more for heating fuel “doesn’t seem like much of a choice to me,” Scott said.
Vermont House Rep. goes Libertarian
A freshman lawmaker is now the only Libertarian legislator in the Vermont State House.
Burlington gets House OK for ranked choice, non-citizen voting
Burlington got the go-ahead from the Vermont House on a pair of progressive-minded electoral charter changes. The bills now go to the Senate.
Former lawmaker and alleged stalker was first VT Peeping Tom law conviction in 2006
According to an April, 2006 news report by unforgettable Inside Track columnist Peter Freyne, Alan Bjerke was found guilty that month of using a cellphone to capture images of a woman at a Burlington tanning salon.
Bradley: Legislature’s lawyers wouldn’t sign off on constitutionality of H.230, gun control bill
Law-abiding citizens who are under threat have a right to defend themselves, and to quote Martin Luther King: “A right delayed is a right denied”.
New spending would raise state, local tax burden to 14.6%, Scott tax man tells Ways & Means
Vermont will take the bronze medal in the High Tax Olympics if the Legislature gets all it wants in increased spending, Gov. Phil Scott’s lead tax man said today.
VT Headlines: Franklin County State’s Attorney asked to resign over alleged misconduct
Newly elected Democratic State’s Attorney John Lavoie should resign, the state office overseeing sheriffs and state’s attorneys says.
Vermont per-resident state spending almost 3X more than New Hampshire
Democrat rule has placed Vermont in hospice while we wait for it to die like every other Democrat-run hell-hole in America.
S. 5 veto session planned for June 20-22
Carbon-taxing S.5 will be the main event of a veto session in June. The possible undercard looks pretty interesting, too.
Thurston: Rep. Sibilia admits S.5 won’t dent climate change, talks from Alinsky playbook
A key lawmaker admits S.5 won’t do much to reduce global carbon emissions. So why does she still support it?
Gun storage, waiting period bill passes Senate
This session’s gun control bill has passed the Senate and now returns to the House for reconciliation.
Men released by judge after St. J drug raid now charged with shootings – including murder
Released by a Vermont judge on minimal bail, two accused St. J drug dealers went home to Connecticut and shot store clerks, police say. A woman 22 months pregnant survived. Another clerk didn’t.
More on No-Mow May
If you’re considering ‘tactical mowing,’ remember the dandelions.
Grafton lawyer’s firm won $1 billion settlement after interstate accident death
Seth Pajcic, son of founding partner Gary Pajcic, is licensed to practice law in Vermont, is a Vermont resident and has expanded the firm to Vermont with an office in his hometown of Grafton.
Housing bill would bar towns from limiting emergency hotel housing
It’s not the most discussed feature of this year’s housing bill, but the ban on town restrictions of homeless housing may have highly visible consequences.
Pregnant deer shot, left alive by poachers
The pregnant doe was found alive and was euthanized due to its injuries.
Essex mother charged in highway death of son
Vermont suffers its second gravel bike race fatality in eight months. And a mom charged with DUI, resulting in the death of her 11-year-old son.
Roper: Sen. Dick Sears holds fate of Clean Heat Standard in his hands
In addition to announcing that thousands of Vermonters have urged him to oppose S.5, Sen. Dick Sears appears to have a clearer understanding of how the carbon-reduction bill will harm businesses.
Hydro-Quebec can’t meet expected demand without more dams, wind power
Hydro-Quebec could run out of power. Oliver Stone pro-nuclear film screens tonight in Montpelier. More on State spending, appointments.
Including students in anti-harassment bill gets attention of education establishment
More anti-harrassment protections for employees? Check. For renters? Check. For students? Wait a minute…..
No-Mow May movement gathers steam
The Thetford Selectboard has an item related to No Mow May on tonight’s meeting agenda after at least one town committee endorsed the strategy.
Scott vetoes S.5, carbon tax bill – House override session in the works
Gov. Scott has vetoed S.5, the carbon emissions reduction bill he says punishes rather than helps Vermonters, and has a confusing and contradictory check-back provision.
Bill would allow STD treatment for 12-year-olds without parental consent
A Senate bill would give 12-year-olds the right to access medical care for sexually-transmitted diseases without parental permission, and in most cases without parental knowledge.
VT opioid overdose deaths have doubled since 2019, Health Dept. says
Fatal drug overdoses are up 500% since 2010. And Narcan may not work as well in reversing overdoses when other drugs are added to opioids.
Bill to remove residency requirement for aid-in-dying drugs goes to governor
“There shouldn’t be anything unique about this care,” a VT Health Dept. advisor said. “It’s simply the last decision made between a patient and a doctor through the lifetime of the patient.”
“A private little club” making big decisions in S.5, analyst Annette Smith says
“That is the problem, we have this elite group who nobody knows how they were formed, who chose who to be in it, ” Annette Smith says.
Video: Zuckerman calls for expanded U.S. Supreme Court with term limits
As a result of Pres. Donald Trump’s appointment of three conservative Supreme Court justices, Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman said. “We are seeing the traditional institutional norms and balance and respect for the system being completely upended by a tyrannical minority.”
Former lawmaker arrested for stalking / college sex assault arrest / strangulation at homeless hotel
A lawyer, former legislator and self-described expert in debt collection was cited yesterday for placing an Airtag tracker on a woman’s car.
Lion-hearted RFK Jr. exposes history of vax mandates to Dartmouth crowd
Speaking of rats, Kennedy ties a bow around his expose by mentioning the captured agencies and names of those who knowingly lie about their culpability.
Essex-Westford school won’t use ‘male’ and ‘female’ in sex ed
A Chittenden County school is teaching sex ed to middle schoolers without using the words male and female, or man and woman.
Pleads guilty to buying alpaca farm with Covid ‘Paycheck Protection’ $$
A pizzeria owner spent $660,000 in federal ‘paycheck protection’ money to buy an alpaca farm.
Eight Democrat/Progressives break ranks, vote No on S.5
Eight Democrat/Progressives broke ranks last week with House leadership’s support for S.5, the carbon-taxing ‘Affordable Heating Act.’
‘Hate-free forum’ in Randolph May 8
“Many community members have told us they do not feel comfortable reporting bias incidents to the police or feel that is not an effective option,” a Hate Free Forum organizer says.
High school teacher gets 10 years for voyeuristic videos
A middle school teacher took voyeuristic videos of female students at school and had secret cameras installed in several residential bathrooms.
Vermont GOP creates Election Integrity subcommittee
A new Vermont GOP subcommittee will study the effect of universal mail-in ballots, drop boxes, and other innovations on election integrity.
Cocaine decrim, safe injection sites to get House committee review
Decriminalizing hard drug use is a good idea because ‘we know from our history that prohibition doesn’t work,’ a state senator says. Actually…..
Keelan: $121 million Efficiency Vermont should stand alone
Efficiency Vermont is another classic Vermont case whereby a nonprofit can capture large hundreds of millions of dollars with little input from the public about where and how the money is spent.
Bizuneh has three previous arrests for assaulting women LEO/first responders
Punched a woman rescue worker. Punched a woman cop. Punched another woman cop. Punched a woman prison guard. So the police reports show.
Driver in parked car arrested after crash / Drive-in post office / Motorcycle fatal / 113 MPH in 50 MPH zone
An alleged car thief is apprehended when, parked on the side of a rural highway, he is the victim of a collision.
VT AG cracks down on auto theft, seeks recall of Korean cars
Hyundais and Kias are easy marks for car thieves. Vermont’s Attorney General wants them recalled and retrofitted.
Short-term rentals play small part in housing crunch
Air BnB’s aren’t to blame – much – for Vermont’s housing crisis.
Vermont doctor to join vax mandate roundtable at Dartmouth
Dr. Horace “Sandy” Reider will join Great Barrington Declaration co-author Martin Kulldorf at Dartmouth College Wednesday, April 26.
If Scott vetoes climate change bill, what then?
If Gov. Phil Scott vetoes S.5, what happens then is a toss-up and will decide whether S.5 becomes law or just the latest in a string of failed forced carbon emissions reduction bills.
Amid the litter, college students repent and are baptized at North Beach in Burlington
What happened Saturday, April 15 wasn’t some big evangelist outreach, it was a movement of God, a cross-carrying evangelist says.
Morrisville shooting suspect arrested Sunday night
The Morrisville man police say fired a shotgun at a police officer Thursday was arrested on a Hyde Park road without incident Sunday night.
Assault sends rescue worker to hospital
A man alleged to have vandalized scores of cars and assaulted police officers was charged with punching a female Shelburne rescue worker at a homeless shelter.
Peterson: why I voted No on S.5
In my mind there was no possible way that emission reductions in Vermont would affect the world climate. They would, however, have a very noticeable effect on all of our pocketbooks.
Warner: Wolf’s Howl Part 3 – Travesty and Hope
The handling of the pandemic has resulted in a sorely divided population.
Abortion/transgender shield bill passes House
S.37 passed overwhelmingly in the Vermont House.
Key to Vermont Red Wave is ‘brilliantly articulating what you’re for,’ Zeldin says
“Republicans didn’t earn a red wave nationally in 2022. I don’t blame Democrats. I blame Republicans for why there was no Red Wave nationally.”
Clean Heat Standard passes House 98-46
There is a high likelihood that whatever the PUC creates and brings back to the legislature, they will likely say is too well calibrated and complicated to adjust for whatever the legislature doesn’t like.
Rural lawmakers: Act 250 discourages smart, environmentally responsible new housing
We must address the regulatory barriers that exist on the local and state level, including reducing the barriers to environmentally thoughtful development that have been caused by Act 250.
Man in shootout with police still at large
A Morristown police officer responding to a kidnapping and domestic disturbance received minor injuries in a shootout Thursday night. The suspect is still on the loose.
Canadian hydro power transmission projects get second wind
As the Vermont Legislature seeks to build more instate renewable power, two huge transmission projects are seeking approval to deliver more carbon-free hydro power to New England.
LaMarche: Generation Trash
Instead of heeding numerous warnings with the threat of being towed, students decided to do what they do best: dismantle barriers.
Senate passes one pro-abortion bill, House poised to pass another
In Vermont, the ‘peculiar institution’ of abortion is enjoying a good week in the Legislature.
Bartley: Carbon tax goes to House floor this afternoon
Calling a bill that would add $630 to individual Vermonters’ heating bills the “Affordable Heating Act” is disingenuous.
Prescribing abortion reversal drug ‘unprofessional misconduct’ under S.37
S.37, which goes to the House floor today, would allow an abortion-inducing drug mifeprestone but would prohibit prescribing an abortion reversal drug.
Davis: Firearms purchase waiting period in H230 must go
Firearms purchase waiting periods don’t reduce suicides, but they do put people in danger and threaten to end gun shows
‘Safe leave’ in paid-leave bill bumped up to $17 million, veto expected
H.66 includes up to 12 weeks of paid safe leave for sexual and domestic violence survivors.
South Burlington looks at tree planting as a step toward carbon goals
Building bike paths and homes near jobs is part of South Burlington’s carbon reduction plan. So is planting more trees.
Warner: Wolf’s Howl Part 2 – Bio-War Against Americans?
Of all the malevolent findings, the most prominent is the action the vaccine takes against human reproduction.
Act 250 turf battle muted as House committees meet
The chair of the committee with Act 250 jurisdiction said she’s waiting on two important reports – both due next year.
S.5, with contradictory ‘checkback’ wording, sent to House floor
Big climate change and abortion/transgender bills are going to the House floor.
Alleged murderer of Fern Feather attempts prison escape
Brunell did not leave the secure section of the facility and did not pose a danger to the public during the event, authorities say.
Simpson found guilty of kidnapping woman and son
A St. Johnsbury man has been found guilty in federal court of kidnapping a mother and son and transporting them across state lines.
RSVP for dinner honoring Linda Kirker
Honoring a longtime GOP mentor and volunteer.
De-transitioned Chloe Cole shares story at Dartmouth
We learned from Chloe Cole the events, emotions and thoughts she experienced from as young as eleven years of age that led her to enter the gender transformation machinery now available at hospitals around the United States.
Correction: House did NOT delete climate bill S.5 checkback. But there is a workaround
The Vermont House of Representatives didn’t eliminate the two-year checkback added to S.5 by popular demand. But another clause creates a possible workaround.
DePino: Gun grabbers going after LGBTQ+ gun owners
H.230 specifically targets the LGBTQ+ community for gun control, in the name of suicide prevention.
Honoring Lee Zeldin, Linda Kirker this week
Friends, admirers and colleagues of Linda Kirker will gather Saturday night at a dinner in her honor.
