Current News

The Online Competition and Consumer Choice Act introduced today in Congress would ban paid prioritization deals, ensuring that consumers can access all content equally, preventing a two-tiered Internet system. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA), member of the House Energy and Commerce Communications and Technology Subcommittee, introduced bicameral legislation to require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ban so-called “paid prioritization” agreements between a broadband provider and a content provider. The Online Competition and Consumer Choice Act would help prevent the creation of a two-tiered Internet system, ensuring start-ups and entrepreneurs have access to the marketplace and ensuring consumers can access all content equally. Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.), Congressman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), and Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) are original cosponsors of the legislation.

Vermont home sales showed a slight increase in total transactions in May, up 0.2 percent, while the median price increased 4.7 percent. Meanwhile, pending sales were up 9.3 percent year-over-year. The RE/MAX of New England May Monthly Housing Report overall shows pending home sales in the region are up on average 3.7 percent over May 2013. The New England housing market experienced an average year-over-year sales drop of -8.4 percent. This is the fifth consecutive month of year-over-year declines in 2014. Median prices were up in every state except Connecticut. Inventory in every state except Vermont shows a decrease year-over-year. Overall home sales show an increase of 26.2 percent month-over-month, an expected trend at this time of year.

by Morgan True vtdigger.org Rutland Regional Medical Center and state regulators have dropped plans for a payment reform pilot program that would have capped the hospital’s budget, but also guaranteed its revenue in the coming year, officials said. Regulators and other state officials said the pilot wouldn’t go forward because there wasn’t sufficient time to obtain federal waivers, negotiate contracts and transition Rutland Regional to a payment model known as a global budget. Global budgets are set payments determined by regulators to care for the population a hospital serves. It is an alternative to the hospital’s billing for each individual service it provides.

State regulators already set hospital revenue, but are limited in their ability to penalize hospitals that overshoot their budget. Likewise, hospitals that come in under budget aren’t able to keep that money.

by Kate Jickling vtdigger.org Victor Twiggs says the addicts come for the pizza. The director of GYST — “Get Your Stuff Together” — Twiggs is building a support system for troubled young men, often with substance abuse issues, on Tuesday nights in Morrisville. Twiggs was one of nearly 200 participants in a community forum who came together to address problems associated with opiate addiction and trafficking on Monday. The purpose of the forum was to build a collaborative, statewide approach to solutions in local communities. Counselors, recovering drug addicts, law enforcement officers, nonprofit representatives and elected officials from around Vermont shared ideas and resources as they sorted through the causes of the state’s escalating drug problem.

“I just see a light come on in their eyes when they see that someone’s really listening to what they have to say,” Twiggs told a full Statehouse chamber Monday.

Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc has thrown the weight of its fudge chunks into the Vermont "Food Fight." In response to the lawsuits filed against Vermont’s first in the nation GMO labeling law, Ben & Jerry’s unveiled Food Fight Fudge Brownie, an honorary renaming of one of it’s most iconic flavors, Chocolate Fudge Brownie to support Vermont’s legal defense. Vermont’s Governor Peter Shumlin, business leaders, members of the Vermont Right to Know Coalition, and passers by watched as the company’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield unveiled a giant pint of the new flavor, Food Fight Fudge Brownie, at its flagship store on Church Street in Burlington.

Jerry Greenfield with Governor Shumlin on Monday on Church Street in Burlington. Courtesy photo.

by Morgan True vtdigger.org Fletcher Allen Health Care has revised its charity care policy to comply with new IRS rules with the result that some uninsured or underinsured patients will have to pay more for care they receive at the state’s largest hospital. The policy change comes in response to new IRS requirements that are part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for hospitals to keep their nonprofit status, according to Shannon Lonergan, Fletcher Allen’s director of registration and customer service.

by Rob Roper “Let’s talk about big government run [healthcare] plans,” Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders needled fellow Veterans’ Affairs Committee member John McCain. “I don’t want to shock anybody here and have people dashing out of the room, but the VA (Veterans’ Administration) is a socialized healthcare system, right Mr McCain? Socialized medicine.”

Yes, it is.

As Senator Sanders pointed out, in the socialized system of the VA, the staff is “not out there busy raising money; charging them [customers] money.” We hear similar arguments in favor of implementing a government-run, single payer healthcare system here in Vermont. Get the profit motive out of our healthcare system, get private sector people who are motivated by greed out of the healthcare system, and everyone will get all the care they need when they need it.

Milton, Vermont-based NG Advantage has signed up its 21st customer to truck CNG to a HP Hood Plant in Lafargeville, NY. HP Hood’s plant in Lafargeville is converting from fuel oil to compressed natural gas as a boiler fuel. CNG is less expensive than fuel oil so the plant will be more competitive. After the conversion, the plant will emit 26 percent less CO2, much less SO2 and NOx, and almost no particulates.

Fitch Ratings affirms the ratings of the student loan revenue bonds issued by Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) 2012A Indenture, series 2012A and 2013A at 'Asf' and maintains the Stable Rating Outlook. Fitch Ratings also affirms the ratings of the student loan revenue bonds issued by VSAC series 2010A-1 at 'A+sf' and maintains the Stable Rating Outlook.

KEY RATING DRIVERS 2012A and 2013A

Adequate Collateral Quality: The trust is collateralized by approximately $36.7 million of private student loans as of March 2014. The loans were originated under VSAC's Fixed Rate Private Loan Program. Fitch projected remaining defaults to range between 13%-14% as of the current principal balance based on the trust performing in line with initial default projections. A recovery rate of 15% was applied which was determined to be appropriate based on data provided by the issuer.

by Morgan True vtdigger.org The state has spent $72 million as of Friday building Vermont Health Connect, the federally mandated online insurance marketplace, according to state officials. Vermont is one of 12 states plus the District of Columbia that is still working to build its own exchange instead of using the federal healthcare.gov. Of the 16 states and DC that applied to build their own exchanges, Nevada was the most recent to scrap its effort in May. The feds earmarked $4.69 billion in grants for states to build their own exchanges. Vermont has $171 million earmarked for the creation of its exchange. The state has roughly $100 million left to get the job done.

Navali.com, the Vermont-based online retailer of men’s nautical canvas and leather bags, has expanded its line of vintage style bags and accessories. Navali is now offering its most popular bag, the Leather Mainstay messenger bag, in Black leather. In addition, Navali will be introducing a line of olive waxed canvas for its more popular bags, including the Stowaway Weekender Duffel Bag, the Gunner Laptop Briefcase, Mainstay Messenger Bag, in addition to the newly released Toiletry Dopp Kit by the start of this summer. These expansions are part of a significant expansion in the Vermont-based company.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) joined the celebration this afternoon for the reopening of Barnes Camp as a multi-purpose visitors center for the Smugglers’ Notch region.

Built along the mountain pass in 1927, the camp is perched at the southern gateway to the Smugglers’ Notch Scenic Highway. “We are here to celebrate saving a small, but important piece of Vermont history,” Sanders said.

Sanders secured $781,000 in federal funds to help complete this $1.2 million project, which also includes a trail head for the Long Trail and educational exhibits for Smugglers’ Notch. Restoration of the historic camp began in the fall of 2013.