The annual School Choice Week luncheon at Capitol Plaza will feature a strong homeschooling focus this year.
Rise of homeschooling topic at School Choice luncheon Thursday
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.
Bill targets ‘renewable’ status of Big Hydro
Hydro-Quebec – Vermont’s largest source of carbon-free electricity – shouldn’t be considered renewable power, say sponsors of a bill introduced this week.
Senate bill requires insurance coverage for transgender fertility treatment
A new Senate bill would require all Vermont health care insurers – including Medicaid – to cover extensive fertility treatments for both transgender and non-transgender insureds.
Calendar of Events
Vermont Daily Chronicle debuts a new feature – a reader-sourced Calendar of Events.
Within hours, Vermonters claim 350,000 at home Covid tests
Vermonters flocked online to order the free rapid tests in the State of Vermont’s collaboration with the NIH and Amazon.
Evslin: Out with the cows, in with the trees
Reforesting Vermont’s declining, phosphorus-producing dairy farms would be a cheap, effective way to meet the state’s carbon reduction goals.
McKibben to Biden: decree things Congress won’t pass
Liberals worried about real threats to democracy should look first at Bill McKibben.
Transportation bill punishes low MPG with ‘feebates’
A bill co-sponsored by 61 Vermont House members (but no Republicans) would levy steep fees on vehicles with poor miles-per-gallon performance.
Water Cooler: / Quebec to fine unvaxxed / Burlesque festival on hold / tentative pension deal struck, teachers unhappy / Matthew Lyon owned slaves
Our neighbors to the north will impose financial penalties on the unvaccinated.
How the Vermont Legislature killed the Barre flag ordinance
Barre voters thought they’d decided which flags could be flown in City Hall Park. But the Legislature had other ideas.
Memo: Omicron causes “emergency staffing situation” among UVMMC nurses
The state’s largest hospital is going into emergency staffing mode as Omicron depletes workers and adds patients, an internal memo shows.
Herron: ‘Bullet Point Becca’ long on rhetoric
Becca Balint will throw out bullet points on issues but will give no substantive details on how her policy spending will fix them.
Act Now To Save Democrats!
Meanwhile in Vermont, the Democrats running the Vermont State House have disregarded a non-partisan, good-government plan to break up two-member House districts. Good in principle, bad for Democratic outcomes in the next election.
The next worry: UVM says flooding over the next 100 years will be costly
Improving riverbanks, floodplains and vegetation will help prevent an estimated $5.2 billion in Vermont flood damage in the next 100 years.
BS cries BS on $56K pricetag for new Alzheimer’s drug
Sanders says the feds shouldn’t let Biogen get away with charging $56K for a new Alzheimer’s drug.
Condos starts ‘myth vs. fact’ website page to ‘inoculate’ voters
Trying to staunch “misinformation”, the Vermont Secretary of State’s office has launched a webpage dedicated to election facts vs. myths.
Scott appoints diversity, equity, and inclusion activist to fill House vacancy
Governor Scott appoints member of Essex-Westford Equity Committee to fill House vacancy.
Scott, Levine can’t give unvaxxed death info
Neither Gov. Phil Scott, Finance Commissioner Mike Pieciak, nor Health Commissioner Mark Levine could tell how many unvaxxed Vermonters died in December, the second-most deadly month in the “pandemic of the unvaccinated.”
Cows dying from eating broadband debris
Cows are dying from eating broadband wire. The Artificial Intelligence Commissioner founder is trying to give it new life. And racial equity in landownership will get another look in House committees this week.
Evslin: when Zoom freezes over, free way to find out whose fault it is
Computer nerd Tom Evslin has written a program to determine why your Zoom is freezing.
Dame: trying to stop the Democratic Gerrymander
Why did House Democrats ask a tri-partisan Reapportionment Board its opinion if they were going to ignore it and take the party line?
Derby Line shooting suspect charged with attempted homicide
Alfred Charest has an active extraditable warrant for his arrest from the state of New Hampshire and will face a charge in Vermont of being a fugitive from justice.
A 30% tax attack in Charlotte
Charlotte town residents could see a 30% increase in taxes.
Another farm-raised unknown runs for lieutenant governor
A young woman and UVM graduate raised on a Vermont dairy farm is running for lieutenant governor. And her name isn’t Molly Gray.
Barre City legislators deny voters’ will on City Hall Park flag charter change
Little did Barre City voters know, when they voted almost 2-1 on a City Hall Park flag-flying ordinance, that their own legislators would quietly eliminate it months later.
Letter: Old-fashioned treatments the best
The old-fashioned cold remedies have worked well for Jacqueline Brook of Putney.
The Peril of the Federal Billions
No-one – except John McClaughry – is asking what we will do when the flood of federal money ends.
Covid summit meets Friday, Saturday
National leaders in the field of law, ethics, and medicine will meet this weekend for the Vermont Covid Summit.
Water Cooler: Monday, Jan. 10
A worker shortage means fuel truck drivers will need to work longer hours.
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