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Following is a statement submitted by Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin and House Speaker Shap Smith regarding Governor Douglas' State of the State Address given yesterday: "Like Vermonters, the state is facing tough economic times. As we work to address this crisis and a budget shortfall of $150 million we intend to best serve Vermonters by working together, across party lines and branches of government.
"We are pleased that the Governor shares our commitment to making the economic success of Vermonters a top priority. Too many Vermonters are unemployed and underemployed facing stagnant incomes and mounting bills. In order to help our fragile economy get back on track we will be holding a jobs forum on January 21. We will hear from employers across the state to learn how we can better partner with them to create more opportunities for Vermonters.

Vermont Yankee released a statement yesterday reporting that, for the first time, a small amount of tritium, a radioactive isotope, has been identified in a sample taken from a monitoring well at the plant. Tritium is a form of hydrogen that occurs naturally and is also a byproduct of nuclear plant operation. It is also used in illuminated products such as exit signs. Based on the experience of other US nuclear plants, Yankee has been specifically monitoring for tritium as part of an industry-wide monitoring program.

Connor Homes received a national home building accolade, capturing the three award(s) or honorable mention(s) in the 2010 BSC Excellence in Home Design and Marketing Awards program. The honor was awarded by the Building Systems Councils (BSC) of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)—a trade association that represents the concrete, log, modular, and panelized building system industries—at their annual awards program on November 2, 2009.
Sponsored by the NAHB Building Systems Councils, the BSC Excellence in Marketing and Home Design Awards has promoted excellence in the systems-built housing industry for more than ten years. All winners were announced at an awards luncheon in Marco Island, Fla., held in conjunction with the BSC SHOWCASE event—the leading trade show and conference based centered on the systems-built housing industry. Home manufacturers, builders and industry associates were among the groups recognized.

City Market, Onion River Co-op donated the proceeds from its 12th annual Holiday Tree sale to the Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS). City Market staff presented the check totaling $8,500 to COTS Director of Development Kim Borsavage. The annual tree sale to benefit COTS has been held at the Co-op for the past 12 years, bringing the total donation to over $52,000.
“We are so grateful to City Market for this annual event, these are difficult times for many struggling Vermonters and the number of families turning to COTS for shelter has increased dramatically,” said Borsavage. “The funds raised through the Holiday Tree Sale will go directly to providing a warm, safe refuge for those who have no place left to turn.”

Governor Douglas this afternoon gave his final State of the State address before the Vermont Legislature. His budget address will come next week. But most of this speech dealt with the budget and the economy. Certainly the centerpiece of this speech concerned public education reform.

The State of Vermont licensed 39 new captive insurance companies in 2009 as it approaches the 900-license milestone, according to data released by the Vermont Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration (BISHCA). Despite challenging economic conditions, Vermont licensed its 6th highest tally of captives in its 29-year history.
A strong and growing captive industry is good for our economy, Governor Jim Douglas said. That this industry is growing in Vermont, even during this difficult time for our economy, is a testament to the hard work of our economic development officials and the professionals at BISHCA. It also demonstrates our state s economic potential when we put in place policies that make us competitive in an industry or sector.

This past June a television production team came to Vermont to scout out locations, food producers and chefs for a series of Vermont-based episodes of celebrity Chef Emeril Lagasse's Emeril Green fresh, whole foods cooking show airing on Planet Green, a division of Discovery Communications. The Inn at Weathersfield, an historic 12-room inn and restaurant in Perkinsville, and Cedar Circle Farm, a 50-acre certified organic farm and education center in East Thetford, were selected to represent southeastern and central Vermont. Filming took place in September and the Emeril Green episode premieres next week.

The Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission (TRORC) was recently awarded a $235,000 economic development grant from the US Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA) to support the region’s businesses in minimizing economic dislocations resulting in natural or man-made disasters.
In 2008, towns within the TRORC area were impacted by severe flooding and Congress appropriated funding to EDA to assist businesses in disaster recovery efforts by conducting proper planning in advance of disasters. TRORC sought this nationally competitive funding to meet with the region’s businesses and conduct “business continuity of operations planning”. This effort will identify the vulnerability of a business to disruptions in raw materials and supplies, finished product transportation, employee movement and other factors.

Governor Jim Douglas will deliver his final State of the State message to a joint session of the General Assembly today (Thursday) at 2 pm at the State House. The governor will focus on ways to strengthen the Vermont economy to help employers create jobs. He will also propose reforms needed to curb property tax increases. In that regard, the governor is expected to propose a plan to reduce dramatically the number of school districts and/or supervisory unions across the state to reduce overhead. It is unlikely he will propose closing actual schools or at least specific schools, but he may suggest that there could be some high school consolidation. Vermont currently has 290 school districts. A recent report proposed cutting that number to as few as 13.

According to information supplied by Vermont Yankee, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently completed a security inspection at the plant involving a review of selected procedures and records, observed activities, and interviewed personnel and identified one finding which they describe as a non-cited violation of very low security significance. The details are withheld from the public because they are related to nuclear plant security, but according to the NRC, the deficiency was promptly corrected or compensated for, and the plant was in compliance with applicable physical protection and security requirements within the scope of the inspection before the inspectors left the site. Vermont Yankee agreed with the inspector’s conclusions.

During a tour Wednesday of the firm s newly expanded manufacturing facility in Essex, Senator Patrick Leahy and Revision Eyewear CEO Jonathan Blanshay Wednesday announced $2.4 million in additional funding has been made available for the U.S. Army to supply soldiers with state-of-the-art protective goggles.

The Commission on the Design and Funding of Retirement and Retiree Health Benefit Plans for State Employees and Teachers has released their final recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly. The report notes that required state pension contributions will increase from $73.5 million this year to $105.1 million in fiscal year 2011. Most of the increase is on the teacher pension side, with an increase of $22 million.
The executive summary is attached.
The report is posted online at the Vermont State Treasurer s web site. http://www.vermonttreasurer.gov/retirement/retirement-commission-update.

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