Current News

Satellite television providers are urging the Vermont Senate to reject a recently resurfaced proposal by some senators to impose an additional 5 percent excise tax on satellite television subscribers. This tax would be an addition to the 6 percent tax already paid by Vermonters making the total tax 11 percent - among the highest in the nation, according to a national trade group. The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association said in a statement that this tax hike would hit nearly 100,000 Vermonters who depend on satellite television for news, emergency information and entertainment, costing them millions of dollars.

by Anne Galloway vtdigger.org Money bills were greenlighted by Senate panels late Tuesday night, and now lawmakers are buckled into the end of session roller coaster ride. The tax and budget bills will be on the Senate floor on Thursday and Friday and conference committees will be held next week, ensuring a mid-May adjournment.

Senate Appropriations unanimously approved a $1.5 billion general fund budget that represents a 4.8 percent increase over the fiscal year 2015 budget. The Big Bill is a mirror image of the House Appropriations legislation with a few exceptions, namely: The Senate restores funding for the judiciary, Windsor prison and an inmate education program. The Judicial Branch will increase fees to cover the cost of filling judge vacancies.

A silent, forty-second video message began airing recently on Vermont PBS, informing viewers of budget cuts being considered by the Vermont legislature and what could be at risk for the station as a result. Vermont PBS is the state’s only public television station and serves nearly every Vermonter with free, non-partisan, non-commercial programming. The station offers highly rated educational children’s programming viewed each day by approximately 18,000 Vermont children ages 2-11. The station also supports more than 2,000 teachers, homeschoolers and day care providers who rely on educational programs and online resources to ensure that Vermont’s children enter school ready to learn.

The Vermont Housing Finance Agency Board of Commissioners committed $2.55 million in federal low-income housing tax credits and $432,500 in state housing tax credits to expand Vermont’s stock of affordable, energy-efficient housing. The tax credits will generate approximately $23.5 million in upfront equity for the construction and rehabilitation of 452 primarily rental homes across the state, guaranteed to remain affordable for at least 30 years.

by John McClaughry On April 15 the Democratic/Progressive chair of the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Tim Ashe, lamented the difficult time the legislature is having trying to fill a $113 million General Fund budget gap. Some believe that the state is spending beyond its taxpayers’ means, but Ashe sees it differently. There’s not enough revenue! And there won’t be enough revenue for the next two fiscal years either!

But wait! There’s a nifty solution! Just extend the retail sales and use tax to services!

RELATED: Budget, sales and income tax proposals pass committees

The Brattleboro Retreat’s Board of Trustees has announced that Dr Robert E Simpson has decided not to renew his contract offer and will step down from his position as President and Chief Executive Officer on December 31. In his announcement to the Board, Simpson said, “It has been a privilege to lead the transformation of the Brattleboro Retreat over the past eight years. I have focused on being a good steward in my efforts to put the Retreat in a position of real strength, and I have been inspired by the quality of the Medical Staff, the Executive team, the Board, and the nearly 900 employees whose courage and commitment mirror the courage of our patients.”

CSWD's Materials Recovery Facility on Avenue C in Williston was closed Tuesday afternoon due to the release of what is presumed to be a household pesticide from an aerosol can that had been deposited in a recycling container and brought to the MRF. CSWD is awaiting tests to confirm the substance type. The substance was determined to be pepper spray.

Vermont Business Magazine Along with the clearly good news that American Airlines was adding a direct flight to its second largest hub in Charlotte, NC, the message from the dignitaries gathered at Burlington International Airport Tuesday afternoon was, "Use it."

Mayor Miro Weinberger and Aviation Director Gene Richards, joined by Secretary of Vermont Agency of Transportation Sue Minter, and other airport officials and stakeholders, announced that American Airlines will be adding new, non-stop air service from BTV to Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). The new service between BTV and CLT will launch on August 18, 2015, and flights became available for purchase this past Saturday. The Charlotte flight will be operated with an American Airlines 80-seat Embraer E-175 aircraft, featuring First Class and Main Cabin seating, as well as in-flight Wi-Fi service.

Vermont and New England are expected to have enough electric generation and demand-response resources available to serve forecasted peak demand this summer, according to ISO New England Inc, the operator of the region’s bulk power system and wholesale electricity markets. This summer, under normal weather conditions of about 90 degrees Fahrenheit (°F), electricity demand is forecasted to peak at 26,710 megawatts (MW). Extreme summer weather, such as an extended heat wave of about 94°F, could push demand up to 29,060 MW. These forecasts take into account the demand-reducing effect of 1,685 MW of energy-efficiency (EE) measures acquired through the Forward Capacity Market (FCM). Vermont's peak demand is about 1,000 megawatts.

Applied Energy Technologies (AET), a preferred supplier of utility-scale racking systems and one of the top 10 solar racking companies in the United States, and juwi Inc. (juwi), a leading renewable energy company based in Boulder, Colorado, have completed a 3.6 MW solar installation project in Essex Junction, Vermont, one of the largest in the state.

AET managed the installation of its Rayport-G ECO ground mount racking product on the 13-acre site, providing racking and foundation installation along with predrilling for post installation. AET also installed more than 11,000 solar modules on the racking system as part of its world class engineering, manufacturing and installation (EMI) service.

Vermont businesses are hiring and Governor Peter Shumlin joined with 14 of them today to highlight thousands of open positions around the state. The Governor also encouraged job seekers interested in advanced manufacturing to attend a job fair this Thursday, April 30th, organized by the Vermont Department of Labor for IBM, to be held at the Sheraton in Burlington from noon to 6 pm. No pre-registration is required.

“Vermont has many businesses looking for qualified workers right now,” Shumlin said. “It is incredibly gratifying to see employers grow and thrive right here in the Green Mountain State. Today I’m standing with 14 businesses that currently have over 700 open jobs, but that is just a fraction of the thousands of job openings statewide. With unemployment back to pre-recession levels and employers hiring, we’re moving in the right direction.”

Honeywell (NYSE: HON) and NASA's award-winning, hip-hop physics education program, FMA Live! Forces in Motion, is making its way to Northeastern US middle schools this spring. Aiming to inspire students to learn and enjoy math and science in a compelling, fun and memorable way, the popular show is in high demand, having been performed before 400,000 students in all 48 contiguous US states, as well as in Mexico and Canada, since its creation in 2004. After wrapping up in New Hampshire last week, the spring tour will continue its way across Vermont with shows planned at middle schools in Northfield and Montpelier this week.