Bills promoting slavery reparations and Abenaki land access and ownership will be reviewed this week by a Vermont House committee.
Slavery reparations, Abenaki land bills advance to committee discussion
VT cannabis regulators reject doctors’ plea to reduce THC level
The state regulators of Vermont’s new cannabis industry won’t reduce the legal amount of THC – even though Vermont’s doctors say it is sending people to ERs with severe mental and physical problems.
News item: solons ponder mascot mandate
The Vermont Senate has tacitly decided there will be no mask mandate. But it might pass a school mascot mandate.
Burlington hires new police chief
Burlington hires new police chief – to be announced this afternoon.
Arnn: The Way Out
by Dr. Larry Arnn Here are two questions pertinent to our times: (1) How would you reduce the greatest free republic in history to despotism in a short time? and (2) How […]
Virginia man wins lifetime VT hunting, fishing license
A Virginia man won the annual lottery for a Vermont lifetime hunting and fishing license.
Dame: While Dems control State House, real school choice only for the wealthy
As long as Democrats have control of the State House, they will never give school choice to anyone but the wealthiest Vermonters.
Low turnout at ‘hybrid’ abortion amendment hearing
It was a small, comparatively laid-back crowd in the Vermont State House last night – for a public hearing on abortion.
VT hospital ICU doctor vents against vax refusers
The chief of critical care in Vermont’s largest hospital took to Instagram to express frustration with “entitled and privileged” vaccine refusers who expect life-saving care in the ICU.
Mascot wars move to Vermont Legislature
It was okay when the Rutland School Board abandoned ‘Red Raiders’ for ‘Ravens.’ But when it went back to ‘Red Raiders,’ the culture referees in the Vermont Legislature cried foul.
Water Cooler: another Cochran at the Olympics / Kidney donor needed / Queen City prostitution hearing / Farm supply chain woes
The fabled Cochran family is sending yet another generation to the Olympics in pursuit of skiing gold.
McGuinness: We must demand transparent Covid data
If Vermont hospitals collect vaccination data on patients, why can’t the Vermont Dept. of Health tell us how many Covid-19 deaths were unvaccinated?
Mazur: Hoovervilles and Bidenburgs
Similarities between Hoover and Biden increase as the U.S. descends from prosperity into – whatever awaits.
Late on the mortgage? State offers $30K of pandemic money
Federal ARPA $$ will provide grants of up to $30,000 per Vermont household towards overdue mortgage payments, utility bills, property taxes, and property association charges.
Backpedaling fast: OSHA withdraws vaccine and testing mandate
Another blow to the Biden administration as OSHA backpedals on its vaccine and testing mandate.
Home schoolers, school choice backers invited to free luncheon in Montpelier Thursday
Home schoolers and school choice supporters are invited to a free luncheon at Capitol Plaza in Montpelier tomorrow.
Fernandez: FBI foolery over synagogue kidnapping recalls Burlington B/D/S effort
Discussing the ludicrous statement from the FBI that the Texas synagogue hostage situation was not “related to the Jewish community.”
Despite NRA warning, gun bill advances to House floor
S30, which the NRA says infringes on constitutional rights to buy and carry firearms, has cleared a Vermont House committee and now goes to the full House.
Survey: VT state employee happiness, morale dropping
Morale and job satisfaction among Vermont state employees are dropping, according to a state survey.
Omicron on the wane, VT officials say
Total cases, ICU hospitalizations, and deaths from the Omicron variant are trending down.
Water Cooler: Two dozen VT-connected Olympians / Death at a gas station / Man accused in shooting death released to parents
Vermont will be well-represented in the winter Olympics in China.
New bill: multi-lingual state government
A new bill would require state agencies serving “substantial” numbers of non-English speakers to provide translated documents and interpreters.
Editorial: Prop 5 and our listening Legislature
Prop 5 will be decided by voters on November 8, not by a masked, Zoomed House committee tomorrow night.
McClaughry: Gov. Scott’s Diamond Mine
Phil Scott has hit the mother lode: vast amounts of federal dollars borrowed, at interest, from current and future taxpayers of our great Republic.
Scott appoints MVU hoop coach to Swanton House seat
Governor Scott has appointed of Matthew Walker to fill the Swanton-Highgate House seat vacated by Rep. Brian Savage.
Nurse haunted by instruction to treat late-term abortion survivor ‘like a specimen’
A retired surgical nurse details a horrific experience in California 48 years ago of being handed a breathing survivor of a late-term abortion – and then being told to ‘treat it like a specimen.’
Pension deal reduces liability; Senate considers tax on services
A Senate committee is considering taxing professional services.
Attempted murder suspect from Barton busted driving stolen Mercedes
A teenager from Barton caught by Connecticut police in a stolen Mercedes will be returned to Vermont to answer an attempted murder charge.
Rise of homeschooling topic at School Choice luncheon Thursday
The annual School Choice Week luncheon at Capitol Plaza will feature a strong homeschooling focus this year.
Water Cooler: Old Windsor prison new home for troubled kids? / Big land trust conservation deal / car hits deer, catches fire
Some state officials would convert an old, empty prison into the new home for Vermont’s most difficult children. Locals don’t think much of the idea.
Benning, Thayer vie for GOP Lt. Gov. nomination
In both the Vermont Democratic and Republican primaries for the open lieutenant governor post, State House veterans are being challenged by grassroots activists.
Dartmouth cave to VT Antifa threats under investigation
A free speech group is investigating Dartmouth College’s decision to ban journalist Andy Ngo’s in-person speech in response to opposition by two Vermont Antifa groups.
Evslin: ‘Affordable housing’ must address Act 250
Why isn’t middle-class housing being built to meet the aching demand? Tom Evslin points to one BIG reason: Act 250 makes it unaffordable.
Home school experts to scrutinize ‘simplification’ bill
Two experts in Vermont legislation and home schooling will analyze the proposed home study ‘simplification’ bill this afternoon via Zoom.
Speak out tonight against legal prostitution
Vermonters can speak out tonight against the push to legalize prostitution in Burlington and Vermont.
Watercooler National: US embassy families ordered to evacuate/ CIA-Wuihan link / NYPD cop gunned down
A New York City cop was gunned down Friday night.
With price of average VT home $369K, Guv wants $145 mil to add housing
Gov. Phil Scott bemoans the high price of housing. His solution budgets lots of federal money.
Prop 5 abortion amendment public hearing at State House Wednesday
A public hearing on Proposition 5, the proposed enshrining of abortion in the Vermont Constitution, will take place Wednesday 6 pm at the Vermont State House and online.
Vermont media vie for advertising in Senate committee today
Will Vermont’s emerging online news media pry a lucrative form of advertising away from traditional newspapers?
Learn about Prop 5 at tomorrow’s Rally for Life
The annual Vermont Rally for Life will gather in Montpelier Saturday, January 22 – the 49th anniversary of Roe V. Wade.
Order at-home antigen tests online, Scott urges
Vermonters can order at-home antigen tests online, Gov. Scott says.
Statewide mask mandate dead: news report
The leader of the Vermont Senate reportedly said a statewide mask mandate is going nowhere this year.
Bill increases daily board/commission pay from $50 to $125
A new House bill would raise the per diem pay for the growing number of state boards and commissions from $50 to $125.
Career Day, next year?
Career Day at Vermont schools could have a whole new look.
‘Green hydrogen’ heating fuel coming to Global Foundries
With help from VT Gas and UVM, Global Foundries will extract hydrogen from water and blend it into its natural gas lines.
Watercooler National: Federal agencies tracking religious exemptions/ England ends all COVID restrictions
At least 25 federal agencies have implemented a system to track religious exemption requests for mandated vaccines, according to a review of Federal Register notices.
My Anti-Racist Struggle Session
Vermont fake news reporter Johnny Bananas wakes up with a bad case of racism.
Dartmouth Cancels Ngo Event after Vermont-connected Antifa Threats
A Portland, Oregon Antifa member offered cash to anyone who could assault journalist Andy Ngo at Dartmouth last night. In the face of threats, Ngo’s talk was held online at the request of college authorities.
Sticker shock! $2.2 billion needed for ‘green’ electricity infrastructure
Vermont’s fossil fuel to electricity transition will cost $2.2 billion. With a B, lawmakers learned this week.
Drug bust charges dismissed, records sealed
Update: records sealed after charges were dismissed.
Water Cooler: happy snowmobilers / unhappy postal customers / Rutland thefts up in 2021
That big dump of powder means happy snow machine riders on Vermont’s VAST trails.
Senate bill seeks vision, road test for drivers 75 and older
A new Senate bill would require drivers 75 and older to pass vision and road tests before having their licenses renewed.
Covid listed as “Cause A” on 26% of VT Covid death certificates
Covid was “Cause A” on 26% of all Vermont Covid-related death certificates from April 1, 2020 to December 31, 2021. About a third of all 440 deaths were confirmed Covid-related by laboratory testing.
Senate committee OKs easier access to lethal end-of-life drugs
A bill making it easier to obtain lethal end-of-life drugs has cleared a Senate committee and now goes to the full Senate for approval.
Bank robber busted
A Springfield man is the suspect in a string of local bank robberies.
Warner: Mass formation psychosis – it’s a thing
Mass formation psychosis has paved the way towards totalitarianism. Will we go down that road?
House, Senate GOP leaders agree with Scott: grow workforce and housing, cut taxes
GOP leaders in the House and Senate said ‘amen’ to Gov. Phil Scott’s plans announced Tuesday to increase housing and the number of workers, and cut taxes. The Democrat leaders in both houses liked Scott’s plans, too.
7-11 worker embezzles gift cards, police say
Police say a convenience store clerk took the idea of ‘gift cards’ a little too far.
Letter: Vaccine injuries should not be dismissed
Jacqueline Brook writes how her own experiences with vaccine injury apply to the pandemic.
Spend big fed $$ to overcome chronic worker, housing shortages, Scott proposes
Vermont’s housing and worker shortages aren’t going away. Time to hit them with unprecedented amounts of federal dollars, Gov. Phil Scott recommended Tuesday in his budget address.
Conserve 50% of all land in Vermont, Natural Resources chair says
The Global Deal for Nature would conserve half of the globe’s total land and sea area from development. A bill by the chair of the Vermont Natural Resources, Fish & Wildlife Committee would ensure that Vermont does its part. The committee will review the bill Thursday morning.
Peter McCullough calls Nass psych eval demand “unprecedented, unjustified, illegal”
A leading ‘dissident’ physician is defending Dr. Meryl Nass, the Maine physician ordered to undergo a psych evaluation after she prescribed hydroxychloroquine for a Covid-19 patient.
Poll: 43% of Vermonters disapprove of Biden’s work
President Joe Biden’s support has dropped by a full third among Vermonters since the November, 2020 election, a VPR-PBS poll says.
National Guard helps keep hospital clean
The Vermont National Guard is pitching in during the Omicron-related staffing shortage at Vermont’s largest hospital.
Watercooler National: Midwest hospital chain stops using race-based plan amid backlash/ Canadian truckers protest mandate/ Pelosi’s son has criminal encounters
After receiving a legal threat, a Catholic hospital chain in the Midwest stops using race as a determining factor for Covid treatment.
Embattled Northeast Kingdom has its day at the State House
NEK Day at the Statehouse is a chance for residents of Vermont’s most rural region to connect with their representatives in Montpelier.
Former legislator dies after taking prescribed lethal drugs
Critics of an “update” to Vermont’s 2013 doctor-prescribed death law say a pandemic is a terrible time to remove safeguards intended to protect vulnerable adults from abuse.
Health declining in Vermont during pandemic, UVM study says
Vermonters’ health is declining during the pandemic – and not just due to Covid-19 itself, a new UVM study says.
House committee to review Homeless Bill of Rights, $48 million fuel switching program, Prop 5, City of Essex Junction
The creation of the City of Essex Junction is just one bill before Vermont House committees this week. Also up for review are the Homeless Bill of Rights and the Unborn Bill of No Rights – a/k/a Prop 5.
Health Dept. won’t release unvaccinated Covid death info
The Health Dept. is too busy with the Omicron surge to report on the number of unvaccinated Covid-19 deaths.
New Vermont bills limiting abortion likely unconstitutional if Prop 5 passes
Three bills introduced by pro-life lawmakers would likely be ruled unconstitutional if an abortion-enshrining constitutional amendment is approved.
Rally for Life this Saturday in Montpelier
The annual Vermont Rally for Life will gather in Montpelier Saturday, January 22 – the 49th anniversary of Roe V. Wade.
Dame: Conservatives are running for local office
Democrats has been recruiting candidates to fill their bench with these usually sleepy, and often uncontested races for select board, school board, and other local offices.
Evslin: Build the grid back better – switch to DC
So many of our household appliances – not to mention our solar panels – already run on DC. Why not just make the switch on a grid level?
Eshelman: Tinfoil hats and Covid vaccines
Putting on the tin foil hat and heading down the rabbit hole to Covid Conspiracyland….
Bill discourages jail time for parents with minor children
Lawmakers pushing decarceration are backing a bill discouraging jail time for parents of minors.
Sheldon man dies in garage fire
A Sheldon man died while trying to retrieve his truck from a burning garage.
Water Cooler: Supreme Court OKs Slate Ridge closure / House ignores one-member district recommendation / Woman left in sub-zero temps / Soldier rescues boy from ice
The Vermont House ignored all recommendations and amendments to move to single-member House districts. Business as usual.
Gun Owners of VT set to testify against hospital gun ban bill
Another gun rights supporter will testify against a bill making it a crime to carry a gun at a hospital.
It’s Bananas: The Mascot Dilemma
Rather than excel at sports and academia, our schools now strive to excel at grievances. First in line, mascots!
Flemming: ‘Cap and invest’ is another gas tax
The Climate Council is considering ‘cap and invest,’ capping total gasoline-related emissions and making gas dealers – and their customers – pay for going over.
…..Pants On Fire!
As the old saying goes…..another original political cartoon from Vermont Daily Chronicle’s growing roster of artists
Mazur: Fighting inflation and solving debt
Discipline now, or disaster later.
Keelan: a country doctor turns in his stethoscope
An ode to Arlington’s retiring family physician, Dr. Michael Welther.
Doctor opposing vax mandate ordered to get psych evaluation
The State of Maine has ordered an outspoken anti-vax mandate doctor with Vermont connections to get a psych eval or risk losing her license.
Hardwick woman dies in 3-car crash
A Hardwick woman died after her car turned left into the path of another car on slick, icy Rte. 15 in Walden.
Wholesale milk price tops $20
The current high cost of milk – a result of low production – is a tough on consumers but a blessing to Vermont dairy farmers, who had the third-highest production costs in the U.S. in 2020.
“All lives matter,” MLK niece told Vermont radio audience
At the height of the national agony following the George Floyd killing, the niece of Martin Luther King Jr. told an Essex Junction radio station audience why all lives matter.
Pension deal cuts $2 billion from $4.5 billion shortfall
There’s finally a deal to cut billions from the State of Vermont unfunded pension liability. Now just $2.5 billion to go.
Facebook censors VT fuel dealer post about Climate Council
Facebook won’t let a Vermont fuel business inform readers about the Vermont Climate Council. The owner of Proctor Gas is not happy.
Raising marriage age to 18 proposed
Vermont lawmakers want to raise the legal age of marriage to 18. Good idea – or not?
Prostitution legalization bill introduced
A new bill proposing decriminalization of prostitution has been introduced into the Vermont House.
Bill would change gender identity on birth certificate
A new bill would allow gender identity changes to be listed on Vermont birth certificates.
Vax mandate back at UVMMC
The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday cleared the way for Vermont’s biggest hospital to re-impose its all-worker vaccine mandate, with no exceptions for natural immunity or testing.
Free Press to print just six days a week / Vandal wrecks beehives / Afghans to Brattleboro / Trump, Stefanik raise $3 mil
Vermont’s venerable daily newspaper will no longer print every day. How the mighty have fallen.
Watercooler National: Supreme Court halts vaccine rule for businesses/ US sending $308 million in aid to Taliban/ Pelosi’s stock trading in question
The Supreme Court ruled on January 13 to stop the Biden administration from enforcing its vaccine mandate on private businesses.
Gaffney: Kunin wrong on abortion and filibuster
Men can’t get pregnant, even if former Governor Kunin writes it to be true.
$1 million grant subsidizes charging stations at apartment houses
Governor Phil Scott launched a new subsidy for electric vehicle charging stations at rental properties.
Gun rights advocates say hospital carry ban not needed
State laws against criminal trespass already allow hospitals to keep guns off the premises, House Judiciary was told Thursday.
Thayer ponders run for lt. governor
A Rutland grassroots activist may run for lieutenant governor.
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