Current News

by Morgan True vtdigger.org When it came to health care, the 2013-2014 legislative session was driven mainly by issues that originated outside the State House. Tracking the progress of Vermont Health Connect, the state’s federally mandated online insurance marketplace – which got off to a rocky start and continues to have technical limitations – was a priority for the House Health Care Committee. In addition, Governor Peter Shumlin chose not to set an agenda for health care with proposed legislation and instead called on lawmakers to use this session as a learning and planning period to prepare for the next biennium when Vermont is likely to pass laws that define what services the state’s planned universal health care program will cover and how to pay for them.

Just over one week after the city of Seattle announced a historic plan to raise its minimum wage to $15 per hour, the Vermont state legislature voted on Sunday to adopt the highest statewide wage floor in the country, approving a bill to gradually increase the minimum wage to $10.50 per hour by 2018.

Prompted by congressional gridlock, which has left the federal minimum wage stuck at $7.25 per hour for nearly five years, a record number of states and cities have taken action this year to raise pay for low-wage workers. Vermont now joins Connecticut, Maryland, and Hawaii – which all voted in recent months to raise their minimum wage to $10.10 per hour – along with Minnesota, West Virginia, and Delaware in passing legislation this year to raise the minimum wage.

by John McClaughry The biennial legislative session has just concluded, and it was a banner year for Vermont’s version of advanced liberalism. Consider these features: The 2015 General Fund budget grew by 5.6 percent over the 2014 budget approved a year ago. That means that state spending is increasing about twice as fast as state revenues, thus undoing years of careful work to ensure “sustainability” in state finances. The Education Fund grew to $1.513 billion, a 4.4 percent increase over last year, even as pupil attendance continued to decline. To cover the annual shortfall produced by school district voters, the Legislature increased the residential education property tax base rate from 94 cents per $100 Fair Market Value to 98 cents, and the non-residential tax rate from $1.44 to $1.515. This was on top of 5 and 6 cent increases in those rates last year.

by Hilary Niles vtdigger.org Rather than risk workers’ compensation reforms they strongly opposed, House Republicans on Saturday chose to accept a different set of legislative proposals they merely disliked. The bargain stuck, allowing Vermont’s omnibus economic development bill to pass both chambers just hours before the Legislature adjourned Saturday. Workers’ compensation became a battleground when related provisions were tacked onto the single piece of legislation carrying most of lawmakers’ economic development initiatives for the session.

Funding is now available for Vermont child care centers to support children of preschool age in need of assistance through the Edwards Child Care Scholarship at the Vermont Community Foundation.

With funding from the O.P. and W.E. Edwards Foundation, the Vermont Community Foundation has been providing qualified child care centers with scholarships for underserved families since 1990. The Board of Directors of the Edwards Foundation intends for the scholarship program to benefit children of preschool age who seem to be getting "lost in the cracks" when the day care subsidy is not enough or the child falls just outside of federal or state program eligibility criteria. The fund was established to help those who, as a result of geographic or economic isolation, may face difficulties preparing for elementary school.

When podiatrist Dr Rob Rinaldi retired to Vermont, he didn’t envision continuing to practice medicine and certainly not for a hospital. But Rinaldi found a cause worthy of coming out of a retirement. Working with Gifford Medical Center in Randolph, he helped create not only the vision – but the heart – behind the abundantly successful Sharon Health Center sports medicine clinic.

He has been such a positive influence that last Thursday at a ribbon cutting for an expansion to the health center, Gifford Administrator Joe Woodin unveiled a new sign recognizing Rinaldi and his Italian heritage. “Casa Rinaldi” reads the sign positioned beside the clinic’s front door.

It brought a surprised Dr Rinaldi to laughter and tears.

May 29 is national “529 Day,” and VHEIP (Vermont’s 529 College Savings Plan) invites parents to launch their own 529 plan this month. All parents can enter to win one of two $529 contributions to a Vermont Higher Education Investment Plan account. One boy and one girl will be selected and will each receive a $529 contribution.

“We want to encourage parents to open a VHEIP account and get started early to save for college. If parents start saving through a VHEIP account when their child is young, they can reduce the financial burden of paying for college later,” said Scott Giles, president and CEO of the Vermont Student Assistance Corp (VSAC), which administers the state’s 529 College Savings Plan. “The ideal time to begin saving is between birth and age 5 in order to allow your investment to build over time,” he added.

ANEW Place, formerly the Burlington Emergency Shelter, has announced its new name. In 2014, the shelter embarked upon a full rebranding process with field experts Mark and Lisa Sylvester of Interrobang Design Collaborative, Inc in Richmond, Vermont. Over the last several years, the organization has undergone several exciting, new changes while continuing to offer innovative solutions that address the needs of the whole person. The new name, logo, and language was released at their 11^th Annual Fundraising Gala on May 9^th, 2014. This event took place at the Hilton Hotel in Burlington, Vermont, and included a silent auction, speeches by staff members, Vermont Symphony Orchestra musicians, a new promotional video, and the rebrand unveiling.

Vermont Business Magazine Flanked by Vermont college students and graduates who are deep in debt, US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) said today he will introduce legislation to help students earn college credits in high school in order to cut the cost of earning a college diploma. Meanwhile, Governor Peter Shumlin was praising the Vermont Legislature for passing the Vermont Strong Scholars Program, which will help families pay for college and provide more internship and workplace options for students. In combination with two other programs passed in the first half of the biennium that ended Saturday, the Governor noted that eligible Vermont students can now attend up to two years of college at a Vermont institution for free.

With Governor Shumlin signing H112, the law requiring the labeling of foods produced with genetic engineering, Attorney General William Sorrell has begun the process of drafting rules that will facilitate implementation of the law. Over the next several weeks, the Attorney General will begin soliciting input from the public and those who will be affected by the rules, including food processors, grocers and other retailers, the agricultural community, and consumers.

While the AGO will solicit comments on a proposed draft rule later this year, individuals are welcome to provide input by contacting the Attorney General via email at [email protected].

Rutland’s first community solar array will be officially presented to the public Tuesday May 13th at noon on Hillside Road in Rutland. The ribbon cutting ceremony, facilitated by the Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce, will celebrate a solar array shared by 50 Rutland residents and businesses. The Community Solar Array is made possible by a partnership between NRG Residential Solar Solutions (NYSE: NRG) and Green Mountain Power (GMP). The agreement, which is one of the first of its kind between a utility and solar developer, gives customers solar power at no upfront cost and a credit on their GMP bills for the energy produced by the array.

The community is invited to share in this exciting event along with the Community Solar customers, Mayor Christopher Louras, President of the Board of Alderman David Allaire, and executives from GMP, NRG and groSolar. Guests will have the opportunity to view live data reporting of the array and enjoy catering from The Bakery.

The University of Vermont will celebrate its 213th commencement Saturday, May 17 and Sunday, May 18. The main commencement ceremony, where the president will confer baccalaureate degree by college/school, will take place on Sunday, May 18 on the University Green. The ceremony begins with the procession at 8:20 a.m. Tickets are not required if the event is outdoors. The Graduate College commencement ceremony, where master and doctoral students will be hooded and presented with their diploma, will take place on Saturday, May 17 in Patrick Gymnasium at 12:30 pm. Tickets are not required for this ceremony.

The College of Medicine commencement ceremony, where graduates will take their professional oath, will take place on Sunday, May 18 in Ira Allen Chapel at 2:30 pm. This ceremony is ticketed.