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Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott has signed legislation designed to help Vermonters with long-term care needs and protect vulnerable adults from financial exploitation. The new law updates the Long-Term Care Ombudsman statute to conform to the Older Americans Act (OAA). The law also creates a civil private right of action for vulnerable adults who have been subjected to financial exploitation.

“My Administration is committed to ensuring that vulnerable Vermonters are safe and protected from financial exploitation,” Scott said in a statement released Thursday morning. “That means ensuring our laws conform to federal laws designed to help them and providing access to the courts to stop or prevent financial exploitation.”

Vermont Business MagazineAttorney General Thomas J Donovan Jr, launched a series of informational programs educating seniors about issues facing Vermont’s elder community. The program includes discussion of the legal concepts of abuse, neglect and identification of resources and legal documents that may be available through the courts to help protect people. On May 11, 2017, at 12:30 pm, the Attorney General’s Office returns to the Mad River Valley Senior Center to discuss scams targeting the elderly.

Vermont Business Magazine, has been named by the UVM Alumni Association as the 2017 recipient of its George VKidder Outstanding Faculty Award. The Kidder Award honors one full-time University of Vermont faculty member for excellence in teaching and extraordinary contributions to the enrichment of campus life. Established in memory of DrGeorge VKidder, UVM Class of 1922 and former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences who served the university for more than 70 years, the prestigious award has been presented annually since 1974.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Board recently voted on the Fish & Wildlife Department's proposal for antlerless deer hunting for 2017. Public hearings will be held May 11 in Randolph and May 16 in Manchester. "We are recommending an increase in muzzleloader season antlerless deer permits this year to account for the increase in the deer population following another mild winter in 2017," said Nick Fortin, deer project leader for the Fish & Wildlife Department. "Much of Vermont has experienced two consecutive very mild winters. As a result, the recommendation is intended to stabilize or reduce deer densities in some parts of the state while allowing for moderate population growth in other areas."

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont House voted Wednesday to concur with the Senate’s version of S22, which would eliminate penalties for personal marijuana possession and cultivation by adults 21 and older beginning in July 2018; it would also create a study commission on regulating and taxing marijuana for adult use. The vote was 79-66 in the House, which featured some Republicans voting in favor and some Democrats voting against. S22 originally was a bill thatincreased penalties for possession, sale, and dispensation of fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid.

Vermont Business MagazineGovernor Phil Scott today announced the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR) is awarding $547,571 in grant money from the Recreational Trails Program to help fund 14 significant trail projects across Vermont. Grant funds are made available each year through the federal Recreational Trails Program for municipalities and nonprofit organizations to build and maintain public recreational trails.

“This is another banner year for this program,” said FPR Commissioner Michael Snyder. “We are able to fund some excellent and diverse trail projects all over the state. The health, economic and social benefits of trails are well-documented, and our Department is proud to support these community-based efforts.”

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and Agency of Digital Services (ADS) Secretary John Quinn announced today the appointment of Scott Woodward as Deputy Secretary of Digital Services.Woodward will join Quinn in leading the newly formed agency, created by the governor under Executive Order 06-17 and approved by the Legislature. Woodward brings more than 25 years of leadership, consulting and IT experience to the position. He began his career as an officer in the US Army, having served in the Federal Republic of Germany and a tour of duty in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm. Since leaving the Army as a Captain, Woodward has worked in the private sector in a variety of roles.

by Jack Hoffman Public Assets Institute The Legislature postponed its planned adjournment last week ostensibly over a disagreement with the governor about health care for Vermont’s local teachers. A lot of numbers have been thrown around—and I’ll get to those in the minute—but the crux of the dispute is that the governor claims he can drive a better bargain with the teachers than local school boards can. He’s not trying to make himself out to be Donald “Art of the Deal” Trump, but he says he has a plan to save $26 million.

Vermont Business Magazine President Trump fired FBI director James Comey Tuesday, eliciting outrage from Democrats who see him as villain in the presidential election, but also important to the investigation into the influence Russia exerted on the electoral process. Comey had re-opened the inquiry into Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's term as secretary of state, and in particular her handling of emails, shortly before the general election. Democrats viewed that as crucial to Donald Trump winning the election. But Comey's FBI was also seen by them as vital in uncovering the relationship between Russia and Trump officials and the influence Russia had on the election.

Vermont Business MagazineWCAX has received an Edward RMurrow regional journalism award from the Radio Television Digital News Association. The annual awards recognize the spirit of excellence that Edward RMurrow made standard for the broadcast news profession. Reporter Jennifer Costa and photographer Robynn Beams received a first place award in the hard news category for their report, “Obit of an Addict.”The story focuses on a family’s decision to acknowledge their son died of an opiate overdose and to share the details of his struggle with addiction in his obituary.

Vermont Business MagazineWilliston-based Article One Partners (AOP), the world's largest patent research community, and Intralink, a leader in developing and implementing strategies in Asian markets, have announced a new strategic partnership. With intellectual property (IP) at the forefront of all companies' strategies, the partnership between Article One Partners and Intralink will help AOP expand its business reach in Asian markets and specifically in Japan.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VVermont) and Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) introduced legislation Tuesday to protect the pensions of upto 10 million workers andretirees. The Keep Our Pension Promises Act would reverse a provision passed in 2014 that could result in deep pension cuts for millions of retirees and workers in multi-employer pension plans.

The bill is co-sponsored in the Senate by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).