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Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and Speaker of the House Mitzi Johnson issued statements after the Legislature passed a revised budget Wednesday night. Scott, Johnson and Senate President Pro Tem Tim Ashe had carved out the compromise over the last couple of weeks and announced it Wednesday morning. The governor had vetoed the budget and property tax bills in early June. The deal does not achieve the governor's goal of instituting a statewide teacher health insurance contract, but it would lower the residential property tax bill and keeps the non-residential rate at current levels. The Legislature will study the feasibility of a statewide teacher contract.

Vermont Business Magazine The Upper Valley Aquatic Center (UVAC) and Norwich Solar Technologies (NST) have completed the commissioning of a 500-kilowatt solar project just down the road in Hartford, for the benefit of UVAC and its members and guests. The system was turned on May 23rd and is now producing power. So far it has produced 33,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity. Feeding into Green Mountain Power’s electricity network, this build is projected to save UVAC a substantial amount on electricity annually.

Vermont Business Magazine To demonstrate appreciation of clean water, healthy communities, and Vermont, the NA Manosh Corporation of Morrisville is donating 1% of water well drilling revenue to Lake Champlain International, supporting efforts to make Lake Champlain drinkable, swimmable and fishable for future generations. “We tend to take having access to clean, fresh water resources for granted, Lake Champlain included,” says Manosh Corporation’s owner and president, Nick Manosh. “To help ensure the future of our great lake as a premier fishery, economic engine, and recreational resource, Manosh is proud to support Lake Champlain International,” adds Manosh.

by Eileen Whalen, President and COO of University of Vermont Medical Center;Jill Berry Bowen, CEO of Northwestern Medical Center;Don George, CEO of Blue Cross / Blue Shield of Vermont;Todd Moore, CEO of OneCare Vermont.As leaders of large Vermont health care organizations we are tasked with the need to treat the sick and the infirm, to do so efficiently, and to provide high quality care. We accept that. But we need partners, and with those partners, we need to change the perception of public health being about sickness, to public health being about wellness.

Vermont Business Magazine US Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and Vermont Governor Phil Scott (R) have recommended Burlington attorney Christina Nolan to President Trump to be Vermont’s next US Attorney. Nolan would be the 38th US Attorney in Vermont’s history and the first woman nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate for the position. She would lead an office of 45 employees, including 20 attorneys who represent the United States in criminal and civil litigation in Vermont.

US attorney is a political appointment typically of the same party as the president. Historically, a senior senator of the same party as the president would have his recommendation for the position put forward by the president to the US Senate for confirmation. However, Leahy is a Democrat and a harsh critic of Republican President Trump and of his Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan joined a coalition of 14 attorneys general and the City of Chicago to intervene in a lawsuit that supports regulations to prevent greenhouse gas emissions. The lawsuit, which is before the United States Court of Appeals for the DCCircuit, is against the USEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA is seeking to halt the implementation of regulations that stop leaks of greenhouse gas and other harmful air pollutants from new oil and gas sources.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and legislative leaders have reached a compromise over the budget. Scott had vetoes the budget and property tax bills earlier this month, setting up today's veto session. The focus had been Scott's desire to institute a statewide teacher health insurance plan that would save state property taxpayers $26 million a year. While he will not get a statewide teacher contract, legislative leaders will set up a study committee on the issue and compel local school boards and teachers to find that $26 million in their negotiations over the next two years.

Governor Scott, Senate Pro Tempore Tim Ashe and House Speaker Mitzi Johnsonissued the following statement last night in anticipation of today's veto session:

Vermont Business Magazine Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR) has been awarded a contract by GlobalFoundries to provide onsite maintenance and operations support for its microprocessors and water fabrication units at GlobalFoundries’ Burlington, Vermont and Fishkill, New York locations. Fluor will book the undisclosed contract value in the second quarter of 2017. The project will be managed through Stork, part of Fluor’s diversified services segment.

Vermont Business MagazineCommunity Care Network and College of StJoseph have partnered to make college more affordable and accessible to CCN employees and their families.The partnership, through CSJ’s corporate cohort program, offers CSJ’s associate, bachelor and graduate programs to CCN employees at a reduced tuition rate. Additionally, CCN has developed a tuition reimbursement program for its employees in tandem with the CSJ agreement.

Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Miro Weinberger, joined by Governor Phil Scott, members of the Vermont Mayors Coalition, and other community leaders, today launched a state-wide coalition – the Vermont Climate Pledge Coalition – to help achieve the December 2015 Paris Climate Agreement pledge by the United States and to mitigate the impact of the Federal government’s recent withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.

Vermont Business Magazine Before the passage of the Affordable Care Act, the Senate alone held over 100 hearings and roundtables on health reform. Hundreds of amendments were considered by the Senate Finance and HELP Committees during an exhaustive markup process, with 160 amendments by Republican Senators adopted. The process itself stretched for so long – more than a year – in the vain hope that Republicans would come to the table and stay at the table. The final Senate bill included more than 145 Republican-authored amendments. The legislation was posted for nearly a week before the Finance Committee marked up the bill. The same can be said for the HELP Committee. More than 160 hours were spent on this Senate floor in considering the Affordable Care Act. Contrast that with the action of today’s Senate. No hearings. No debate. No process. No score. And as of now, no bill. In the House, and now in the Senate, this charade boils down to bumper sticker politics. It certainly is not a solid, serious, vetted, workable, fair and equitable plan or policy.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) announced Tuesday that Vermont will receive more than $11 million in new affordable housing and community development funds from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Earlier this year, as Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Leahy successfully negotiated the fiscal year 2017 appropriations act, which included funding for HUD, the department responsible for administering the nation’s affordable housing programs, including the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME programs. Vermont will receive approximately $7 million in CDBG funds, $3.4 million in grants from the HOME program and more than $635,000 for homelessness assistance grants.