A joint resolution urging Congress to support statehood for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, sponsored by Rep. Sarah Copeland-Hanzas (D-Bradford), was introduced into the Vermont House today.
Guy Page
Guy Page is the editor and publisher of the Vermont Daily Chronicle.
Davis: Legislature ignores gun owners
We fought hard against both bills in their original committees to almost no avail and will continue to do so with what will likely amount to the same results. The unfortunate reality is, that these bills are seen by most legislators as favorable measures of public protection, regardless of any and all reason, logic, or emotional argument to the contrary.
Senate GOP says House stingy with military retirement tax relief
“Vermont Senate Republicans are extremely disappointed that the House of Representatives has failed to fully repeal the tax on military retirement income,” said Senate Minority Leader Randy Brock (R-Franklin).
Putnam: Is American business sparking a new ‘Great Awakening?’
I agree with Professor Sonnenfeld that the social justice movement in our world today can be characterized as a Great Awakening. Matthew Yglesias called it The Great Awokening (Vox, 4/1/2019). In my town there is a prominent sign saying “Believe” (see photo above). That is consistent with a religious movement.
Bank robbed at gunpoint
Police responded to the North Country Federal Credit Union on Main Street at around 3:00 p.m. A man dressed in dark clothing was reported to have robbed the credit union, during which time he displayed a firearm.
Judd: complaint filed about voting machine malfunction
On March 2, I cast my ballot and the machine rejected it. I was outside campaigning for 12 hours. Over 30 people who voted for me told me they had their ballots rejected one to three times. Polls closed and candidates were allowed inside the auditorium where voting took place.
Licata: Bills increase government revenue, take from taxpayers
The Bottle Bill (H.175), the modernization and recalibration of Vermont’s Tax System (S.53), the bill requiring registration of construction contractors (H.157) and the COVID Recovery Bill (H.315) all increase revenues to the government while adding greater burdens on business and individuals. In addition, the roughly six billion dollars in unfunded liabilities was, once again, deferred and not resolved.
Two found dead in Lewis Creek
The Vermont State Police is investigating the deaths of two individuals whose bodies were found in Lewis Creek in Charlotte on Monday afternoon, April 19. The victims are identified as 70-year-old Martha Illick and her husband 71-year-old Terrence Dinnan, both of whom resided on Lewis Creek Road in Charlotte.
Vermont Daily Water Cooler for Mon, Apr 19
Don’t miss breaking news! Vermont Daily Water Cooler is a roundup of important headlines from around the state.
Guv, Lt. Guv: end tax on military retirement pay
Vermont is one of just seven states that taxes military pensions. Veterans and their families have dedicated their lives to service, and it’s imperative that we ensure Vermont is a place where they can live, work and raise a family in retirement.
Unions face pension Cancel Council
Frustrated by heavy union opposition to its plan to reduce the multi-billion state pension deficit, House leadership instead wants to create a problem-solving task force, with just a minority of labor voices at the table.
Hospital vax role limited
“Hospitals are getting some allocation of vaccine right now,” Health Commissioner Levine explained at last Friday’s press conference. “The goal of that is mainly for their emergency room setting where they may see somebody who is vulnerable and may not actually have any other contact with the health care system and this provides a great opportunity to begin their vaccine process.”
McClaughry: how government expands and liberty contracts
A bill to register building contactors is just the first step toward eventual licensing even for local handymen, and enforced compliance with energy conservation building standards to defeat climate change, no matter what the cost.
Billado: School choice is winning
One of the remarkable things about Cady’s school board win, was that not only did she get a seat on the board of a public school when her own kids go to private school – but she actually campaigned on a school choice platform – and she won! On the “School Choice” tab of her website she argues that the competition that school choice creates can actually have the effect of improving our public schools as well.
Frank Mazur: ‘Climate change’ about top-down control
China, Russia and radical Muslims are national security threats yet President Biden and Senator Sanders says global warming is our greatest existential threat. Biden’s priorities are refocused now on mitigating climate change.
Biden revokes Medicaid work requirement in two more states
The Biden administration has rescinded permissions for Michigan and Wisconsin to require Medicaid beneficiaries to either work or attend school or job training in order to enroll in the public health program for lower-income Americans. The Trump administration embraced the idea of requiring Medicaid beneficiaries to work, prompting a number of Republican-leaning states to apply for permission to impose such requirements in their Medicaid programs.
Silverstein: On the Matter of Which Lives Matter
If All Lives do not Matter equally then our species will never forsake the barbarism that has been an all too common component of its evolution.
Former Bernie, Planned Parenthood worker to lead VT Democratic Party
A former official for the 2020 Bernie Sanders campaign and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund has been hired as the Vermont Democratic Party’s next Executive Director.
McClaughry: health care costs rise with government ‘reform’
Paul Jarris MD, one of the best Commissioners of Public Health (2003-2006) that Vermont has ever had, often said forthrightly that “about forty percent of what Vermont spends on health care is simply wasted.”
Expanded Bottle Bill gets OK in VT House – most containers still 5 cents
H175, the updated Bottle Bill, received initial approval in the Vermont House Thursday. The vote was 99-46. It’s up for final approval today.
Page: the Return of the Covid Creemee
Sure, a creemee – especially the maple creemee, that sexy marriage of our two hometown sweethearts, milk and maple syrup – is yummy. But is it “sure, I’ll let them inject an emergency-approved anti-viral into my body if they’ll give me a creemee” yummy?
Truck drives through store window in Newport
A 58-year-old man from Coventry will face charges after driving his truck through a window at Maplefields in Newport.
Vermont Daily Water Cooler for Thu, Apr 15
Don’t miss breaking news! Vermont Daily Water Cooler is a roundup of important headlines from around the state.
FEMA grants $104 mil for VT vax program
Vermont will receive $ 104,438,131 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support the State with emergency protective measures to store, handle, transport, distribute, and administer the COVID-19 vaccine.
School choice backer, BLM critic wins Essex school board seat
Tuesday, April 13, School choice supporter and BLM organization critic Liz Cady won a three-year seat, beating six-year incumbent and self-described racial and climate justice activist Liz Subin.
Sanders, Omar bill ends fossil fuel subsidies
Ahead of today’s Senate Budget Committee hearing on “The Cost of Inaction on Climate Change,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) introduced the End Polluter Welfare Act to close tax loopholes and eliminate federal subsidies for the oil, gas, and coal industries.
Duct Tape Derby sets attendance record
ST. ALBANS — The annual Duct Tape Derby sledding competition saw record attendance this year, with 30 sledders racing in makeshift sleds on Feb. 20.
Fishing way up during pandemic
“We saw fishing participation increase substantially in Vermont last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as people found themselves with more free time,” said state fisheries biologist Shawn Good.
Roper: Netflix tax hiding in Tampax bill
A proposed ‘cloud’ tax on Netflix, Hulu, Pandora and other online services has been tacked on to S.53, exempting feminine hygiene products from the Vermont Sales and Use Tax.
Thirsty fugitive Breer surrenders
Fugitive Harley Breer, 51, of Marshfield surrendered Wednesday following a manhunt that began Friday evening, Vermont State Police say.
DUI suspect had heroin
Suspected heroin was found on Kirk’s person at the time of the arrest along with other unknown controlled substances.
Police ‘immunity’ misunderstood, S. Burlington chief says
South Burlington police chief Shawn Burke said his department supports many of the measures in a new federal police reform bill working its way through Congress, though the proposed elimination of “qualified immunity” is misunderstood, he said.
Christian TV growing in Middle East, Middlebury College prof says
A Middlebury College professor says satellite Christian television programming is growing in popularity in the traditionally Islamic Middle East.
St. Albans cop in court for taser assault
The Attorney General’s Office yesterday announced Mark Schwartz, 32, of Cambridge was arraigned in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in St. Albans on one count of Simple Assault. Mark Schwartz, a former officer with the St. Albans City Police Department, is accused of simple assault arising from an on-duty incident that occurred in 2019 involving use of a taser.
Martin: Act 250 stifles Vermont economy
While recent news of the cancellation of Montpelier’s hotel project is troubling, those familiar with Act 250 are not surprised. The decision to terminate the project is yet another example of how truly broken our state’s principal land use law is.
Turner: Legislature’s irresponsible with pensions
The last thing you do in the middle of a crisis is kick the can down the road. Yet, that’s exactly what the Legislature just did on Vermont’s mounting pension liabilities.
“Not good science,” Howard Dean says about vax pause
A virtual emergency meeting of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will be held today 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., to discuss how to proceed in light of the ‘pause’ on distributing the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine due to reported blood clotting problems.
Electric fencing protects against chicken predation
Keeping a small flock of chickens at home to provide eggs and meat has become increasingly popular, but many first-time small-scale poultry farmers are discovering that several species of wildlife like the taste of chicken as much as we do. The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department urges poultry owners to use electric fencing and follow other precautions to protect their birds from predation.
Uncle arrested for helping fugitive, police say
During continued investigation and search efforts for Harley Breer on Tuesday, April 13, members of the Vermont State Police arrested an uncle of Breer’s on suspicion of helping the fugitive evade capture, state police say.
Rutland, Essex/Orleans senators oppose abortion amendment
April 9, four state senators voted against Proposal 5, the pro-abortion constitutional amendment “to ensure that every Vermonter is afforded personal productive liberty.”
Vermont Daily Water Cooler for Tue, Apr 13
Don’t miss breaking news! Vermont Daily Water Cooler is a roundup of important headlines from around the state.
Committee takes testimony on BIPOC land bill
House General, Housing, & Military Affairs today will take testimony on H. 273, “promoting racial and social equity in land access and property ownership.”
Tayt Brooks named ACCD deputy secretary
Tayt Brooks is a loyal Vermonter. The only time he ever left Vermont was to attend St. Lawrence University in 1997 to get a history degree. Twenty years ago, he said he never would’ve thought that he was going to be the deputy secretary of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD), a role he recently accepted.
Secretary of State’s office evasive about mailed vote vulnerability
Eric Covey, spokesperson for the office, has been adamant that there is no voter fraud in Vermont, but evasive regarding specific questions about specific vulnerabilities in the system.
Conservative tweeter calls out Kesha ‘defund the police’ Ram
Conservative Twitter commentator Brad Broyles this morning called out Sen. Kesha Ram (D-Chittenden) for stoking the fire of anti-police sentiment after the deadly shooting of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. And Ram didn’t like it.
Keelan: except for a few, we are all Flatlanders
Using today’s “standards,” the original builder would be described as a “flatlander” or a non-native Vermonter: he was not born here, nor did his family have roots that went back six or eight generations. The flatlander migrated from Avon, Connecticut, in the year 1763, and his name was Remember Baker. He was better known as a first cousin to Ethan and Ira Allen.
Skylark: YouTube deletes ‘dislikes’ on Biden channel
YouTube is erasing reader dislikes or “downvotes” from the White House YouTube page. Even pro-Big Tech ‘fact-checker’ Politifact admits it – but with a big ‘so what’ shrug. They say it’s to cut out “spam” and provide better ‘context.’ Nevertheless, thousands of downvotes miraculously disappear.
Plan to sink ferry worries lake activist
Due to reduced trans-lake commuter traffic, Lake Champlain Transport (LCT) plans to sink the 67-year-old ferry Adirondack outside Burlington Harbor – a move bitterly criticized by longtime lake water quality advocate James Ehlers.
Merrill: Unraveling Gram column, a thread at a time
I don’t usually see the need to defend Vermont Daily, but seeing a thread loose in Seven Days’ “Fair Game” column April 7 prompts a tugging that unravels writer Dave Gram’s whole garment.
Vermont saloon queen died a millionaire
The fight against alcohol in the United States didn’t begin with the passage of Prohibition’s Volstead Act in 1919. It started long before with religious reformers mostly leading the way to ban liquor nationwide.
Sierra Club asks Biden EPA to cut dairy farm methane emissions
The Vermont chapter of the Sierra Club is standing with the national Sierra Club petition to the Biden administration to regulate dairy farms of 500 or more cows under the Clean Air Act, due to air pollution and climate concerns. If approved, the regulations would affect about 30 Vermont farms.
Litigation, pandemic sideline Montpelier hotel/parking garage project
The proposed 80-room Hampton Inn and 345-space parking garage located mostly on Capitol Plaza property has been sidelined primarily because of litigation delays as well as COVID-related economic concerns.
Klar: imminent peril of fiscal collapse
Since 2007-2008, ear-tickling arguments that the old rules can be cast away, and money printed freely, have proliferated.
Kidnapper at large
Search efforts for Harley Breer, 51, of Marshfield continued throughout the day Sunday, with members of the Vermont State Police checking numerous locations and conducting interviews. Breer was not located and remains at large. State police will continue the investigation throughout the night.
4-year old struck by ATV on motocross track
On April 11 at 2:41 pm the Vermont State Police (VSP) were notified of an ATV crash involving 2 ATV’s. 911 advised that a 4 year old was involved. VSP arrived on scene after AmCare transported the child.
Vermont Daily Water Cooler for Fri, Apr 09
Don’t miss breaking news! Vermont Daily Water Cooler is a roundup of important headlines from around the state. Publication Headline Published NBC 5 ‘We’re so excited!’ Vermont’s wedding industry begins to bounce […]
Steelhead leap Willoughby Falls
One of the state’s premier wildlife watching opportunities is taking place in Vermont. The steelhead rainbow trout have started their upstream migration, leaping up waterfalls in a spectacular display of determination on their way to their spawning grounds.
Dems gamble on pension fund – what will it mean for 2022?
The political credibility Progressives bought with labor leaders is not the only factor working in their favor. By delaying the pension issue to next year, Krowinski is not only kicking the can down the road, she’s setting it up for a time closer to the 2022 elections. This issue will be much more ripe in voters minds, and union members in particular will be more likely to recall whatever actions the Legislature takes next session.
Vax registry change unites two Prog, GOP reps
A proposed change in vaccine registry law has two very different legislators expressing the same concern.
Baby kidnapped
On April 8 at about 7 pm, state troopers were notified of multiple 911 calls about a male attempting to take a baby away from a female on the side of the road along VT-109 in Belvidere, police say.
Rob Wagman: the Sheppard in Heather
I have broken my wife’s heart before, so I know the depths of that cry that encapsulates the sound of unbearable pain. When we got the news of Heather Sheppard’s passing, my wife’s cries started with the lip curling, but within minutes, that all too familiar bellow that a hug can only hold down, but not quiet.
Stella: other states ban ‘vaccine passports’
Meanwhile, here in Vermont, discrimination is being encouraged. Vermont Gov. Phil Scott has announced that vaccinated persons shall be free to travel in/out of Vermont, without government quarantine restrictions. He has also elaborated on how un-vaccinated persons should be treated differently, and how vaccinated persons do not need to be tested, or quarantine.
Marijuana abuse common thread in mass killings
Steven Bourgoin, found guilty of the largest mass criminal homicide in Vermont – the deaths of five high school students in an October, 2016 car crash – had in his bloodstream high concentrations of THC, the psychoactive ingredient of marijuana. His police toxicology report has something in common with the perpetrators of some of the worst mass killings in recent U.S. and world history: he abused marijuana.
CFV: Pension reform NOW
The reality is that reform has to happen this year. Our retirement liability has grown $1,000,000,000 in the last twelve months and it’s only going to grow more. This will require more draconian cuts from beneficiaries and a more burdensome tax increase on Vermonters.
Bishop pans Prop 5 abortion amendment headed for Senate vote Friday
This constitutional amendment is unnecessary and unclear. Currently, Vermont law allows abortions to be performed, regardless of the reason, right up to moment of natural birth. That is clear and tragic.
Guv pledges $200 mil for carbon reduction
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) April 6 proposed more than $200 million in state-federal climate change mitigation spending.
State Trooper busted for assault
The Vermont State Police on Wednesday, April 7 cited Trooper Robert Zink, 39, of Arlington on suspicion of simple assault following a six-week investigation into a use-of-force incident that occurred during an arrest Feb. 23, 2021.
Barre voting machine problems cited in call for recount
A Barre City Council candidate who lost by eight percent at City Meeting March 2 is contesting the election in Vermont Superior Court.
GOP petition opposes service tax
The Vermont Republican Party has already collected 780 signatures in an online petition to stop the proposed expansion of the sales tax to services.
Cops out of Burlington schools
School Resource Officers (police assigned to schools) will no longer be stationed at Burlington city schools, the school board decided last night.
Two Covid-19 vaccines made with human fetal tissue
Several marketed vaccinations, including two Covid-19 vaccinations, are produced using human fetal tissue.
Cop busted for tasing suspect
Following an 11-month investigation, the Vermont State Police has cited Mark Schwartz, a former officer with the St. Albans City Police Department, on suspicion of simple assault arising from an on-duty incident in February 2019, state police said yesterday.
Scott airs billion-dollar infrastructure plan
Governor Phil Scott and his administration today presented a plan to invest $1 billion in one-time federal money to jumpstart economic recovery and support long-term economic growth.
New work, travel guidelines announced
Beginning April 9, vaccinated Vermonters may travel out-of-state without testing or quarantine, Gov. Phil Scott announced at the Covid-19 press conference today. Unvaccinated Vermonters may travel, but must be tested within three days upon return. They will not be required to quarantine.
TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk to speak in Williston June 27
Charlie Kirk, founder and president of Turning Point USA, is scheduled to speak in Williston June 27.
Licata: ‘Utopia’ no place you want to be
This urge for a kind of classless, stateless society goes back not only to Marx, but much further back in time. It is Utopian – meaning ‘no place’ – and extremely dangerous. But this urge lives on… with the exception that today’s Utopians have the immense power of science, technology, organization and knowledge that past Utopians lacked.
Two dead bodies found in car
The Vermont State Police is investigating the deaths of two people whose bodies were found inside a vehicle this weekend in the driveway of a private residence in Vershire.
Sugarmaker, 75, dies in ATV accident
On April 5, the State Police responded to the area of Gore Road in the town of Holland for a fatal ATV accident.
Scott explains BIPOC vaccination policy
“In addition to the greater risk of hospitalization among BIPOC community members, the pace of vaccination for these individuals is too far behind the white population. With a rate of 20.2% of the BIPOC population having received at least one dose of vaccine as compared with non-Hispanic Whites (33.4%), we need to do more to close this gap – both as a matter of equity and to help decrease the risk of hospitalizations.”
Weinberger justifies racial preference
As Gov. Phil Scott faces pushback in Vermont and nationally for a vaccination program prioritizing BIPOC Vermonters, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger last night rejected the idea that “government should not bias any class or grouping of residents over others.”
Vermont Daily Water Cooler for Mon, Apr 05
Don’t miss breaking news! Vermont Daily Water Cooler is a roundup of important headlines from around the state. Publication Headline Published WCAX Analysis: The fight over funding public-sector pensions 4/2/2021 9:11 AM […]
Vermonters deride MLB boycott of Atlanta
Say goodbye to the swag. The next time you see me outside, I won’t be wearing a hat or sweatshirt sporting the logo of a current Major League Baseball team – including my beloved Boston Red Sox.
Historic bank vault recalls gilded age of Bradford
This bank vault is empty, a relic of a history almost invisible to passersby. The one-time bank vault within the Bank Block is a welcome sight for most. Visitors entering Village Eclectics 2 have a hint to its presence in the form of a dollar sign engraved in the granite keystone of the building that once stored the riches of 19th and early 20th century Bradford businesses.
Left eager for another Sedition Act
Today the militant Left is keen to revive a Sedition Act to imprison anyone who gets too far out in front spreading “misinformation” criticizing the Biden Administration, or employing extralegal tactics to suppress free speech as the Sedition Acts did. We’ve done that twice, and both were dark chapters in this land of liberty.
Have lunch with Dana Perino
The Ethan Allen Institute, in partnership with Mass Fiscal Alliance, is sponsoring a virtual (Zoom) event with former press secretary for George W. Bush, current Fox News host, and author of the newly released Everything Will Be Okay: Life Lessons for Young Women (from a Former Young Woman), Dana Perino.
Bills approved by Vermont House listed
As of this week, the Vermont House of Representatives has passed the following bills, according to the Campaign for Vermont.
Senate bills bad for employers, gun owners, homeowners, election integrity
For a legislative session that was supposed to focus on getting through the pandemic, it’s proven to be just the opposite. There are some harmful bills you ought to be aware of. So here we go.
Vermont Daily Water Cooler for Fri, Apr 02
Don’t miss breaking news! Vermont Daily Water Cooler is a roundup of important headlines from around the state. Publication Headline Published WCAX Beds Available: Vermont’s eldercare homes hope to recover from the […]
Trapping ban discussed in House wildlife committee
A bill that would ban almost all trapping in Vermont (H.172) was reviewed this week by the Vermont House Natural Resources, Fish & Wildlife Committee.
Warner: The Case for Easter
The celebration of Christmas culminates from the miraculous advent of His being born of a virgin under hostile circumstances. The second a crescendo of God’s ability to take even death itself and turn it into the most victorious moment in human history.
Vermonters turn to independent schools
While Vermont public school officials are carping about returning to the classroom post Covid, calling for higher taxes to pay for their pensions, and are otherwise consumed with controversies over mascot names and what flags get to fly on school grounds, Vermont families have been driving an interesting trend – using Vermont’s 150 year old school choice “tuitioning” program to put their kids into independent schools.
F-35s to practice night flights
The Vermont Air National Guard will begin three weeks of night flying operations starting Tuesday, April 6.
Pension vote spurs political threat from the left for Democrats
The Vermont AFL-CIO is calling state employees and teacher unions to strike over the Vermont House’s March 26 rejection of a wealth tax to bail out the public pension deficit.
ADF: SOGI laws victimize vulnerable women, children
In recent years, government officials and others have used state and local laws to threaten the freedom of millions of Americans. The laws are known as SOGI laws because they elevate “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to protected class status.
Voter fraud alleged on WVMT as House studies permanent Vote-By-Mail bill
“In Middlebury I own an apartment building,” a caller to WVMT’s Morning Drive told Secretary of State Jim Condos. “There were about 25 (unclaimed) ballots by all the mailboxes in the hallway and the college kids scooped them all up, voted them all, and put them in the mailbox,” the caller alleged.
App measures marijuana ‘high’
Saint Michael’s College psychology professor Ari Kirshenbaum has been using a $224,000 National Science Foundation grant he received in September 2020 to develop a mobile app that measures the effects of cannabis on a user’s neurocognitive functions: things such as reaction time, time perception and concentration, which are all affected by THC.
Shelburne leaders question police bias study
The study was co-authored by UVM Professor Stephanie Seguino, Data Analyst Pat Autilio and Nancy Brooks, a Visiting Associate Professor at Cornell University. The data collected from 2014 to 2019 showed racial disparities statewide, including Shelburne, where Black drivers are 4.4 times more likely to be stopped by police, the study found.
New VT Digger editor knocks MA communities “full of white people”
Journalist Auditi Guha bashed communities “full of white people” as “boring” on Twitter on March 15, just two days before VT announced her hiring as a senior editor at VTDigger.
Ross: Electoral College protects democracy
The recurring proposals which endorse eliminating or subverting the Electoral College by some kind of “interstate compact’ is a bad proposal for many reasons. The Electoral College is necessary to help preserve our democracy.
Vax impact on pregnancies “a little premature to answer,” Levine says
While “there has been no known impact at this time” of Covid-19 vaccinations on current or future pregnancies, “it’s a little premature to answer” whether vaccines are positively safe for pregnant women and the children they carry, Vermont Health Commissioner Mark Levine said at a press conference Tuesday.
