Current News

by Anne Galloway vtdigger.org The state of Vermont is poised to adopt a universal pre-kindergarten program for 3- and 4-year-olds. The new law will require school districts to offer at least 10 hours of instruction for 35 weeks to any preschool-aged child. The state will reimburse districts of qualified pre-kindergarten programs offered by private or public providers. More than half of Vermont children are not ready for school when they enter kindergarten, according to a recent study from the Agency of Education.

Children from low-income families are more likely to struggle in school and perform poorly on standardized tests, according to data from the Vermont Agency of Education.

by Anne Galoway vtdigger.org Representative Tom Koch, R-Barre Town, announced on the floor of the Vermont House on Tuesday that he will retire at the end of the biennium after 22 years of service. Koch, who grew up in New Jersey, graduated from Middlebury College in 1964 and holds a juris doctorate from the University of Chicago. He managed a private law practice in Barre for nearly 39 years, and he has been the Barre Town moderator since 1984, according to his official biography filed with the Vermont Secretary of State.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Peter Shumlin guided a cement hose into position Tuesday to begin the next phase of recovery from Tropical Storm Irene. The governor was joined by state and local officials, representatives from construction manager PC Construction of South Burlington, architect Freeman French Freeman of Burlington, FEMA officials and others at a groundbreaking ceremony in downtown Waterbury to mark the State of Vermont’s largest capital project ever – the historic rebuilding of the Waterbury State Office Complex. The pricetag is $125 million.

Working closely with the State of Vermont’s Department of Buildings and General Services construction team, PC Construction began placing concrete for structures that include a new 86,000-square-foot office building, 20,000-square-foot central plant and maintenance facility, and new site infrastructure.

Vermont Business Magazine Taxpayers, wary of possible capital gains changes, cashed out in 2012, which has shorted Vermont tax returns for 2013, despite the fact that the tax changes never occurred. Secretary of Administration Jeb Spaulding released the April 2014 General Fund (GF) revenue results Tuesday. General Fund revenues totaled $206.35 million for April 2014, down $4.86 million (2.30 percent) from the monthly target. Year to date, General Fund receipts are now $1,132.55 million, $.10 million or 0.01% ahead of the cumulative target. Year to date revenue is $28.80 million (2.61 percent) ahead of the same period for the prior fiscal year (FY 2013). April returns were helped by a windfall of estate tax receipts, which helped offset the disappointing personal income tax numbers. April is the tenth month of fiscal year (FY) 2014.

by Anne Galloway vtdigger.org On Monday, the Senate approved a four-year, tiered phased-in increase of the minimum wage: $9.15 by January 1, 2015; $9.60 in 2016; $10 in 2017 and $10.50 by 2018. In Vermont the wage threshold is currently $8.73 per hour. The Shumlin administration proposed a phased-in minimum wage increase over a three-year period, eventually bringing the rate to $10.10. The House proposal raises the minimum wage by $10.10 Jan. 1, 2015. All of the rates in the various proposals are indexed to inflation.

Attempts to amend the Senate version of the bill failed on Friday and Monday. A minority of senators opposed the idea of any increase.

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) has announced a new $6,723,732 Defense Department contract with UTC Aerospace Systems based in Vergennes to develop and test improved guidance systems for US munitions, which would allow greater precision and avoid damage to innocent bystanders and property. The contract with the Defense Ordnance Technology Consortium (DOTC) is for developing and testing of low-cost Guidance, Navigation, Control and Targeting (GNC&T) systems for precision munitions, which was developed at the Vergennes facility.

by Laura Krantz vtdigger.org The Senate on Monday gave preliminary approval to a controversial bill about driving under the influence of drugs. The bill became a prime focus of the Senate Judiciary Committee during the second half of the session, as members struggled to create an appropriate standard for charging someone with driving under the influence of drugs. They also raised concerns about the test police use to determine whether someone is under the influence of drugs. The bill originated when state prosecutors told legislators it is nearly impossible to charge someone with drugged driving, because the legal standard is so high. The current standard is “under the influence … to a degree which renders the person incapable of driving safely.”

by John Herrick vtdigger.org Vermont’s natural gas utility has hired a contractor and plans to break ground June 1 on its pipeline extension down the western side of the state.

Vermont Gas Systems intends to build a 41-mile, $86.6 million natural gas pipeline extension through Addison County to connect service in Chittenden and Franklin counties to Middlebury. The company expects the project to be completed by next year.

Vermont Gas also has applied to state regulators for the second phase of the pipeline expansion, which would connect Middlebury to the International Paper mill in Ticonderoga, N.Y. The second phase of the expansion would move the utility closer to completing its final proposed extension to Rutland, the company said.

by Anne Galloway vtdigger.org Dozens of key pieces of legislation are still pending as the Legislature approaches May 10, the deadline set by House Speaker Shap Smith. The Vermont House and Senate have yet to concur on a number of important bills, and others haven’t yet passed in one body or the other. A few of the biggies at the end include school district consolidation, the miscellaneous tax bill, the budget, several union bills and teachers’ retiree health care. The two bodies have agreed to several key pieces of legislation — including the the omnibus transportation budget, the lift of a cap on local solar generation, a new primary election date set for the second Tuesday in August 2016 and a bill that requires food manufacturers to label genetically modified ingredients.

by Hilary Niles vtdigger.org Child care providers in Vermont are one step closer to winning the right to collectively bargain for increased state subsidies. Legislation to that effect squeaked through the House Monday afternoon after long debate — and a six-vote margin. S.316 would allow certain child care providers the option of voting on whether they want to organize a collective bargaining unit. If workers do form a union, they could negotiate higher subsidies for the care they provide to children from low-income families. Rep. Tom Stevens, D-Waterbury, presented the bill to the House chamber Monday.

The Obama Administration released the third U.S. National Climate Assessment—the most comprehensive scientific assessment ever generated of climate change and its impacts across every region of America and major sectors of the U.S. economy. The findings in this National Climate Assessment underscore the need for urgent action to combat the threats from climate change, protect American citizens and communities today, and build a sustainable future for our kids and grandkids.

In his State of the State speech in January, Governor Shumlin declared war on Vermont’s heroin and opioid drug addiction problem. Across the nation and throughout New England there has been a sharp increase in the use of prescribed opioid pain medications, as well as significant increases in the illegal abuse of those medications and heroin. The exact relationship between legitimate prescribing and illegal drug use is not fully understood, but there is no disagreement over the fact that misuse of prescription opioids can lead to addiction and abuse of illegal drugs. Likewise, there is no debate that good management of patients who need prescription opioid pain killers can be very challenging for the health care professionals who prescribe them.