Current News

by Tom Brown vtdigger.org CCTA late Monday authorized staff members to hire replacement bus drivers in order to end a two-week strike in Burlington. The company urged striking bus drivers to accept a new management proposal.
SEE RESOLUTION BELOW
The statement said that subject to its approval, CCTA staff was permitted “to secure temporary drivers until the negotiation is resolved.” It was unclear whether or how soon replacement drivers might be deployed.
In a decision released Monday evening, the board of commissioners of the Chittenden County Transportation Authority said: “The Board instructs staff to offer an invitation to the Union to come back to the table in order to restore negotiations and receive a new proposal from CCTA. The Board commits to having a Board member present with management’s team at future mediation sessions.”
Bus drivers unanimously rejected the latest management proposal earlier Monday.

by Morgan True, vtdigger.org Members of the House launched a flurry of amendments Friday aimed at holding the governor accountable for not delivering a proposal to finance the state’s planned universal health care program.
The amendments they tried to attach to a tax bill and the budget bill reflect growing frustration in the Legislature with the Shumlin administration’s decision to hold off on the specifics of health care reform until the next biennium.
Rep. Cynthia Browning, D-Arlington, attempted to include an amendment that would call on the Ways and Means Committee to subpoena the administration’s work on a financing plan for Green Mountain Care, as the program is known.
House Speaker Shap Smith, D-Morrisville, ruled Browning’s amendment was non-germane to the underlying bill. Representatives called for a vote on the speaker’s decision, which was upheld.
Rep. Cynthia Browning, D-Arlington. Photo by John Herrick/VTDigger

by Morgan True, vtdigger.org In this article, VTDigger assesses the impact of the Affordable Care Act in the six New England states. Our analysis is based on spending and enrollment data for federally qualified health plans.
The landmark federal health care law recently marked its fourth anniversary, and online insurance marketplaces were launched six months ago.

by Laura Krantz, vtdigger.org Senators on Friday worried that passing a bill about drugged driving will result in Vermonters being unnecessarily stopped, tested and perhaps charged with DUI-drugs.
Law enforcement officials said the bill, H.501, simply lowers the standard of proof for drugged driving convictions to align it with that for DUI-alcohol.
The House passed the bill earlier this month. Rep. Dave Potter, D-North Clarendon, is the sponsor.
Vermont law has two standards for charging someone with driving under the influence of alcohol. There is a single, higher standard for DUI-drugs.
The DUI-alcohol standard is a .08 or higher blood alcohol concentration (or .02 for driving a school bus), or that a driver is “impaired to the slightest degree,” a standard set by the courts.

To convict a person of drugged driving, however, a prosecutor must prove a person was “incapable of driving safely.”

by Morgan True vtdigger.org An outside review of the rollout of Vermont Health Connect shows that a number of external factors contributed to the exchange’s rocky start, but it also identifies areas in which the state could improve its handling of future large-scale information technology projects.
Gov. Peter Shumlin called for the independent review at the outset of the legislative session and later hired Maine-based consulting firm BerryDunn, which released its report late last week.
The report acknowledges that the federally imposed launch date, changing federal expectations and requirements, Vermont’s failed negotiations with the tech firm Oracle and poor cohesion within the team provided by CGI, the state’s eventual vendor for the project, all hindered its implementation.

by Morgan True vtdigger.org Many lawmakers and the Vermonters they represent have balked at the roughly $2 billion price tag for a universal health care system in Vermont.
Raising that amount of revenue is widely described as necessitating the largest tax increase in state history. The tradeoff would be that Vermonters would no longer pay private premiums for health insurance and access to coverage would be decoupled from employment.
However, several VTDigger readers have pointed out that the focus on the dollar amount of the tax increase is less meaningful if it’s not paired with the dollar amount Vermonters pay in premiums.
Earlier this year, the administration and the Joint Fiscal Office, which counsels the Legislature on financial matters, released a consensus estimate that Vermont would need to raise between $1.8 billion and $2.2 billion in taxes to pay for Green Mountain Care, as the program is known.

by Tom Brown, vtdigger.org Striking CCTA bus drivers may consider a vote on the latest management proposal Monday, CCTA officials said.
The Chittenden County Transportation Authority’s board of commissioners heard from about 45 people at a public hearing Monday morning, most of those speaking in support of the drivers, CCTA General Manager Bill Watterson said Monday.
Watterson said that he believed that workers were meeting at midday Monday to decide whether to vote on CCTA’s latest contract proposal. Seven Days reported Monday that the major stumbling block is the maximum number of hours covered by drivers who work a split shift. CCTA wants that time to span 13.5 hours, the drivers want it capped at 12.5 hours.
The strike, which affects about 10,000 passengers a day, entered its third week Monday after a more than 17-hour weekend negotiation session failed to resolve the issues.

The House passed the 2015 budget Friday, which makes investments critical to Vermont’s future. The budget increases Vermont’s commitment to addiction treatment and intervention, increases funds to help low-income Vermonters acquire reliable housing, and makes important economic and transportation investments.
“Under enormous economic pressures and increasing cuts in Federal funding, the House Appropriations committee has put together a responsible budget that makes important investments in areas that are vital to a vibrant Vermont.” said Speaker of the House Shap Smith.
“We have committed our resources to help low-income working families afford health care, housing, and childcare, while raising and spending less than the Governor’s recommend," he said.

by Laura Krantz vtdigger.org
The state should not legalize marijuana or increase the number of medical marijuana dispensaries, a group representing local police chiefs said.
The Vermont Association of Chiefs of Police issued a statement in March saying it opposes expanding the availability of marijuana in Vermont.
Police believe their concerns about health risks, highway safety and employment issues related to marijuana have been ignored by the governor and lawmakers.
The statement came in response to a letter Gov. Peter Shumlin sent to association president Chief Douglas Johnston saying he was “open to further discussion” about whether it makes sense to legalize marijuana in Vermont. Johnston is Springfield’s police chief.
“This an area where I am happy to continue to let other governors lead, but I am open to the conversation,” Shumlin wrote, referring to Colorado and Washington, which have legalized marijuana.

The Vermont Mayors Coalition today, joined by Governor Peter Shumlin, honored AmeriCorps and other service members and highlighted the value of their national service to their communities during a news conference in the State Capitol’s Cedar Creek Room and through a proclamation. Vermont’s eight mayors, represented by Montpelier Mayor John Hollar and Barre Mayor Thom Lauzon, joined more than 1,200 mayors from around the nation offering similar recognition of their cities’ service members during the second annual Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service, a nationwide bipartisan effort to:

Recognize the positive impact of national service on our cities;
Thank AmeriCorps and Senior Corps participants who serve; and
Encourage citizens to give back to their communities.

Irving Energy, one of the largest propane retailers in New England, has agreed to pay $165,938 to Vermont consumers, $160,000 to LIHEAP -- the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program -- and $100,000 in civil penalties to the State of Vermont, to settle claims that the company violated Vermont consumer protection laws. The Attorney General found that for many Vermonters, Irving delayed removing propane storage tanks and issuing refund checks after consumers terminated propane service. “When Vermont propane customers terminate service, a supplier must promptly remove its tank and reimburse any monies due the customer,” said Attorney General Sorrell. “A failure to meet these obligations can be expensive. We encourage Vermont consumers to let us know if their legal rights have not been satisfied.”

Vermont Business Magazine and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce announced last Thursday the top 27 Best Places to Work in Vermont for 2014. The awards program was created in 2006 and is presented in partnership with the Society for Human Resource Management, Vermont State Council (SHRM), the Vermont Department of Labor and the Vermont Department of Economic Development and Best Companies Group.
SEE LIST OF WINNERS BELOW
This statewide survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Vermont, benefiting the state's economy, its workforce and businesses.
To be considered for participation, companies had to fulfill the following eligibility requirements: