Current News

The Governor’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities (GCEPD) is currently seeking nominations for the 2012 Governor’s Awards. These awards will be presented to individuals, businesses, media or municipalities that have made significant contributions to the employment of people with disabilities during the period of January, 2010 through February 2012 . The nomination deadline for the 2012 awards is April 16, 2012. The awards will be handed out at the Creative Workforce Solutions Employment Institute III on June 4th, 2012 at theSheratonHotelConferenceCenterinBurlington.

Coming off a year of record-setting $1 billion-plus natural disasters, representatives of leading insurance companies said today that costs to taxpayers and businesses from extreme weather will continue to soar because of climate change.
The insurers joined Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) at a press conference to discuss the mounting financial impact of global warming. Both Vermont and Rhode Island last August felt the brunt of Tropical Storm Irene, one of the record 14 natural disasters in the United States last year that each caused more than $1 billion in damage. Irene alone, which first came ashore as a hurricane, killed at least 45 people and caused more than $7 billion in damage.

The Burlington Free Press today announced its endorsement of Kurt Wright as the next mayor of Burlington.
Wright said of the endorsement, "I am thrilled to accept the endorsement of the Burlington Free Press. The challenges facing Burlington in the next three years require that our next mayor be experienced, well verse in city government, and committed to a more open and transparent city government. I will be that mayor. And our next mayor needs to be someone who can reach across party lines to bring all Burlingtonians together around a shared vision. I have proven that I have that ability throughout my career and in this campaign."

Montpelier - The Vermont Department of Labor has determined to grant arequest for a stay of the wage payment order it issued in the paydispute between the Bennington Southwest Supervisory Union and theVermont NEA.
"The Bennington SWSU has asked for clarification of our order, andupon review, the questions presented to the department are appropriatefor further examination and clarification. As such, we have asked foradditional information, and are requesting the parties to meetinformally with the Department on March 16th to review the informationand determine if an agreement on the matter can be reached", said
Department of Labor Commissioner Annie Noonan.

Vermont has a reputation for progressive government, but in two important areas, the state’s regulations are the antithesis of good government: Our campaign finance laws are among the weakest in the nation, and our state government ranks near the bottom in several recent studies of transparency. The goal of Common Cause of Vermont is to minimize the influence of money in elections and to make government more transparent.
Download the database atwww.commoncause.org/vt/2010contributions.
More cash was spent in the 2010 election than ever before, especially in the race for governor. The winner, Democrat Peter Shumlin, raised almost $1.5 million in contributions which was 12 percent more than Jim Douglas’ top year of 2008. Brian Dubie raised almost $1.8 million.

by Anne Galloway vtdigger.orgThe triangulation continued on Tuesday between the Shumlin administration, the Senate and the employees’ union over the size of the facility that will replace the Vermont State Hospital.
Governor Peter Shumlin wants a 16-bed facility; the Vermont State Employees Association is pushing for a psychiatric hospital with 50 beds; and the state Senate has taken up amendments this afternoon that range from 25 to 50 beds.
The vehicle for the legislation, H.630, under consideration in the Senate today, originally included 25 beds as approved by the House a few weeks ago. The Senate version of the bill has 16 beds, with no option to increase that number.

The Vermont Attorney General’s Office has determined that a radio advertisement aired recently by Campaign for Vermont did not trigger the provisions of Vermont’s campaign finance laws. The Vermont Democratic Party alleged that the ad, which focuses on property taxes and education funding, and refers to Governor Shumlin by name, constituted an expenditure in excess of $500 that would require the Campaign for Vermont to register as a political committee due to the ad’s content. The Office conveyed its conclusions to the interested parties by letter today.
The Attorney General’s Office concluded that the ad addressed a policy issue that is currently pending in the Vermont Legislature and did not demonstrate that its purpose was to support or oppose a candidate for Vermont office.
‘In reviewing complaints such as these,’ Assistant Attorney General Megan J Shafritz said, ‘we are mindful that the courts apply a fact-specific analysis that considers a number of factors.’

New England Federal Credit Union (NEFCU) announced today that it is accepting applications for its 2012 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Scholarships. Three scholarships of $3,000 each will be awarded.

To be eligible for NEFCU STEM Scholarships, applicants must be New England Federal Credit Union members. Anyone who lives, works or attends school in the six counties of northwestern Vermont is eligible for membership.

In addition to NEFCU membership, applicants must be pursuing one of these fields of study:

Biological Sciences
Physical Sciences
Mathematical Sciences
Computer and Information Sciences
Geosciences
Engineering
Technology areas associated with the preceding fields of study.

Coming off one of the strongest years in the history ofKillington Mountain School, both in terms of academic and athletic pursuits, Head of School Tao Smith recently announced the introduction of the ski academy’s new nine-month traditional academic program. The school now will provide two academic tracks for student-athletes, where individuals can choose the best academic option to complement their athletic pursuits. In September, 12 student-athletes grades nine through 12 became members of the inaugural nine-month program.

Vermont Tourism and Marketing Commissioner Megan Smith has been appointed to the Brand USA Marketing Advisory Board. She will attend the first meeting of the board this week in Washington, DC, representing Vermont and New England tourism interests.

‘Both Canada and overseas international markets have enormous opportunities for both Vermont and the New England region,’ Smith explained. ‘Our history and our brand, from skiing and maple syrup to the Trapp Family, have an amazing resonance around the world.’

It is time for Vermonters of goodwill, from Governor Shumlin to the SAGE Alliance, to inure themselves to the reality that Vermont Yankee will not be shutting down on March 21, 2012.

State Treasurer Beth Pearce announced today that Moody’s Investor Service (AAA rating), Fitch Ratings (AAA), and Standard & Poor’s Ratings Service (AA+) have reaffirmed their positive ratings for State of Vermont bonds. Vermont has the highest general obligation bond ratings of all the New England states. Vermont is in an elite group of only 14 states with at least two AAA ratings. A mere eight states have three AAA ratings.
As part of a rating review for an upcoming bond sale, all three agencies maintained their previous high rating with a stable outlook. Moody’s and Fitch rated the bonds triple-A, the highest rating available to government issuers. Standard & Poor’s rated Vermont’s bonds AA+, the second highest rating. The higher the bond rating, the more creditworthy the rating agency evaluates a bond issuer to be.