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Governor Peter Shumlin on Thursday pledged his administration’s continued support and assistance on a package of jobs bills designed to keep Vermont’s strong economic recovery moving forward. Noting that key indicators show the state is steadily rising out of the worst recession since the Great Depression, the governor said now is the time to fight for legislation that supports employers, prepares young Vermonters for the STEM jobs of the future, and ensures Vermont remains on the cutting edge of new industries and programs.
“I’m proud that Vermont’s unemployment rate has dropped to among the lowest in the nation, we’ve created nearly 11,000 jobs in three years, and businesses across so many industries are hiring,” Shumlin said. “But we can’t take our foot off the accelerator, and my administration has been working with lawmakers to ensure Vermont continues to grow jobs and strengthen our economy.”

by Hilary Niles vtdigger.org In a surprise move just before a full House vote Wednesday, a bill to align construction workers’ pay on some state projects with federal wage standards was bumped to another committee.
H.878 would replace Vermont’s prevailing wage statute with the federal Davis Bacon Act. State and federal rules apply only to certain government-funded projects. The law does not affect public construction or private enterprises.
Lawmakers and their lawyers huddle Wednesday on the House floor when a procedural objection to a labor bill surfaced. Photo by Hilary Niles/VTDigger
Unions and labor advocates, backed by the Democratic caucus this session, support the switch. They say adopting the federal standard would “level the playing field” for union shops and contractors who pay benefits.

by Anne Galloway vtdigger.org A House panel has approved increases to the statewide property tax rate for fiscal year 2015. The homestead rate will go up 4 cents and the non-residential rate will go up 7.5 cents under the House Ways and Means Committee proposal. In December, the forecast for the rate was 7 cents for homestead property taxpayers.
The base rate for homeowners will be 98 cents, and the rate for non-residential taxpayers will be $1.515. The base education amount, which is used in the formula to calculate the actual rate property taxpayers are assessed, will go up to $9,382. The base rate for household income will go up to 1.9 percent under the proposal.
The committee was able to reduce property tax rates because statewide school spending increases were less than expected (3.1 percent instead of 3.8 percent). Lawmakers also used reserve funds to help lower the rates.

Testifying at the invitation of Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Vermont Agency of Transportation Deputy Secretary Sue Minter warned a Senate panel today that a looming shortfall in federal transportation funding could put people out of work in Vermont and “tip the balance of our fragile economic recovery.”
Projects slated for this construction season could be cancelled unless Congress acts soon to shore up the federal Highway Trust Fund, which is projected to be depleted by July.
“Reducing or eliminating transportation projects translates into job losses in the construction industry,” Minter told the Senate public works committee. “In a small state like ours, this can tip the balance on our fragile economic recovery.”
Minter, who led Vermont’s recovery after Tropical Storm Irene caused widespread destruction in 2011, also addressed the need to build roads and bridges designed to better withstand increasingly extreme weather events.

by Hilary Niles vtdigger.org
The Senate Judiciary Committee is taking more time to seek advice about a pending GMO labeling law because of concerns about legal challenges.
H112 would exempt some dairy products from the requirement that manufacturers label food containing genetically modified organisms. Senate Judiciary Chair Sen. Dick Sears, D-Bennington, has said he worries that the dairy exemption weakens the proposed law.
The state will likely need to prove in court that any exemptions align with the state’s interest in requiring the labeling of other food products. The committee is trying to identify ways to strengthen the bill, members say.
“Can you walk me through the pitfalls and potential for success in such a way that I can say, ‘I now have enough information to make an intelligent decision?’” Sen. Joe Benning, R-Caledonia, asked assistant attorney general Bridget Asay.

by John Herrick vtdigger.org The state Senate gave preliminary approval to a bill that would ban chemicals from consumer products sold in Vermont if the state considers them harmful to human health.
S.239 passed by a vote of 18-12 Wednesday. It needs final approval from the Senate before moving to the House.
The legislation would allow the Department of Health to maintain a running list of potentially toxic chemicals. Manufacturers would have to report these chemicals to the state. The department could then require that some be labeled or banned from consumer products sold in Vermont.
Lawmakers want to put a more efficient system in place to keep watch on toxic chemicals linked to cancer, asthma, developmental disorders, reproductive health and the like. Vermont has regulated chemicals individually in the past, including lead, mercury, bisphenol A (BPA) and flame retardants.

Related Company: National Life GroupJudd Levine, a special education teacher at U-32 High School in East Montpelier was recognized Wednesday as a national LifeChanger of the Year during a surprise ceremony in front of his colleagues. Levine was selected as one of ten 2013-14 national LifeChangers out of more than 435 nominees for teachers, administrators and school district employees from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
“This award would never even be considered without all the colleagues that I work with and everyone in this building,” Levine said. “I thank my colleagues for letting me be the educator that I am.”
Judd Levine, with his family, received the LifeChanger award at U-32 Wednesday.

by Anne Galloway vtdigger.org
The Vermont House approved a provision Wednesday that will allow the University of Vermont to lower out-of-state tuition rates for graduate school courses and create flat rates for online graduate school courses.
Since 1959, the state has required the quasi-public university to charge Vermont students no more than 40 percent of the out-of-state tuition rate for a graduate level course of study. If the Senate approves H.876, that protection for Vermont graduate level students will go away, and UVM officials say they will be able to bring down the out-of-state tuition rates for graduate level courses without having to drop the in-state price. Under current law, the College of Medicine at UVM has an exemption from the 40 percent rule.

Related Company: Zowa OpticsZowa Optics LLC of Shelburne, Vermont, has announced a significant advancement in motocross eye protection. Its new line of motocross eyewear, Visor Goggles, were designed specifically to be worn with a motocross helmet.
Zowa’s Visor Goggles offer an alternative to traditional goggles by sealing under the rider’s eyes and on the brim and sides of the helmet instead of the user’s forehead. This approach offers riders a wide field-of-view, eliminating tunnel vision and improving comfort.
Visor Goggles were designed to maximize vision for motocross riders. To maintain this goal, Zowa is also launching Ultra-View Tearoffs (patent pending). Zowa’s tearoffs are secured at the sides of the Visor Goggles' frame keeping the lens clear, and maximizing the range-of-view for the rider.
ZOWA’s Visor Goggles offer:
· Improved field-of-view
· Anti-fog coating
· Comfort foam
· Flow-through ventilation

Related Company: Vermont Technical CollegeVermont Technical College President Phil Conroy is retiring in a surprise announcement made Tuesday by Vermont State Colleges Chancellor Tim Donovan. VTC has been suffering through budget deficits in recent years. Conroy will be paid through his contract which ends in November, but will step down immediately. Dan Smith, who currently has a senior position in the chancellor's office, was named acting president. Conroy was named president in 2011.
VSC Chancellor Tim Donovan issued this statement:

by John Herrick vtdigger.org
A Senate committee Wednesday approved a bill to allow the state’s energy efficiency utility to subsidize residential electric heat pumps.
The bill, S.202, allows Efficiency Vermont to cover part of the cost to install efficient air-source heat pumps in residences that meet certain thermal efficiency standards. The Vermont Public Service Board, the state’s utility regulator, will work with the company to ensure the installations do not raise electricity rates.
The company collects money from ratepayers’ utility bills to subsidize thermal and electrical efficiency projects. The energy efficiency charge is designed to save ratepayers more money than they pay into the fund by reducing the need to upgrade the state’s electrical transmission infrastructure – a cost passed on to ratepayers.

by Anne Galloway vtdigger.org Representative Heidi Scheuermann, a Republican from Stowe, says she is considering a run for governor. The former staffer for Senator James Jeffords says she is concerned about the direction the state is headed.
“I think that I have some ideas and thoughts that would resonate with Vermonters and would move the state forward in a positive direction and that’s why I want to consider it,” Scheuermann said in an interview.
The Vermont GOP has not yet backed a candidate for the 2014 gubernatorial race, and Scheuermann is the first Republican to make her interest in the race public. Former state senator Randy Brock, who ran against Gov. Peter Shumlin in 2012, is also said to be considering another run.
Rep. Heidi Scheuermann, R-Stowe. Photo by Anne Galloway

Scheuermann, 42, is a four-term representative who has never run for statewide office.