Current News

The Vermont congressional delegation today introduced legislation to let the state implement a single-payer health care system that could become a model for the nation.
Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) introduced a Senate bill and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt.) filed legislation in the House that would let Vermont and other states provide better health care at less cost beginning in 2014.
All three members of the delegation joined Governor Peter Shumlin at a Statehouse news conference one week ago and pledged to help the state secure federal waivers needed to implement sweeping health care reforms.
Sanders said, ‘It is my strong hope that Vermont will lead the nation in a new direction through a Medicare-for-all single-payer approach. At a time when 50 million Americans lack health insurance and when the cost of health care continues to soar, we must do all we can to lower the costs and improve the quality of care.’

By Paul Cillo. The extension of the Bush tax cuts passed recently by Congress gives Governor Shumlin and the Legislature another option for balancing the state budget in fiscal 2012 and 2013. A new analysis shows that the top 5 percent of Vermont taxpayers will save $190 million this year and a similar amount in 2012 as a result of the federal tax cut extension. Before the governor and the Legislature further undermine critical public services, they should look to these federal tax savings as a temporary source of additional state revenue.
Vermont ‘ along with nearly every other state ‘ saw a sharp drop in tax revenue as a result of the recession. The decline in revenue came at the same time state government needed to step up to help Vermont families that were suffering as a result of the recession. Governor Douglas acted as though the recession was permanent and the economy was never going to recover. He argued that Vermont had to cut spending to match this new reality.

Renewable Energy Vermont (REV), the state’s leading trade association for the renewable energy industry, welcomes new Board Chair Martha Staskus and Board Vice-chair Jim Merriam. REV also welcomes Interim Executive Director, Scott Merriam.
The REV Board of Directors has enthusiastically elected long-time REV board member Martha Staskus as Board Chair, replacing outgoing Board Chair, Lawrence Mott. Staskus brings over 15 years of experience in wind resource management and wind project development. Her extensive experience working with a broad spectrum of Vermont stakeholders will be a welcome asset to REV's leadership.

The Vermont Department of Labor announced today the seasonally adjusted statewide unemployment rate for calendar year 2010 trended down by nine tenths of a percentage point. The year ended with a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 5.8 percent which was a tenth of a percent higher than the November rate. This final over the month change was the only increase in 2010. It was preceded by a mix of five months of no change and six declines in the statewide unemployment rate.

KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY) today announced fourth quarter net income from continuing operations attributable to Key common shareholders of $292 million, or $.33 per common share. These results compare to a net loss from continuing operations attributable to Key common shareholders of $258 million, or $.30 per common share, for the fourth quarter of 2009. The fourth quarter 2010 results reflect an improvement in pre-provision net revenue and lower credit costs from the same period one-year ago. The fourth quarter 2009 results were negatively impacted by a $756 million loan loss provision. Fourth quarter 2010 net income attributable to Key common shareholders was $279 million compared to a net loss attributable to Key common shareholders of $265 million for the same quarter one year ago.
For 2010, Key’s net income from continuing operations attributable to common
shareholders was $413 million, or $.47 per common share. Results for the current year

After a careful review, EPA has disapproved Vermont’s 2002 water quality plan that set phosphorus targets for discharges into Lake Champlain. Following this action, EPA intends to work closely and collaboratively with the State to develop a new plan for reductions in phosphorus from sources in Vermont. Elevated levels of phosphorus cause algae blooms and other water quality problems in Lake Champlain. Today’s action follows EPA’s reconsideration and withdrawal of its 2002 approval of the plan. The Conservation Law Foundation had challenged that approval in federal court.

During a visit to Champlain Oil Company in South Burlington Monday, U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy announced that he and U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) this week will introduce a bill making permanent a now-expired federal pilot program allowing heavy trucks to use the Interstate system in Maine and Vermont. Leahy was joined by Vermont legislative leaders, trucking advocates, state officials and business leaders in pointing to the economic, environmental and safety benefits of moving heavy truck traffic from Vermont’s state highway system to Vermont’s Interstate system.

Highway safety advocates today released the 2011 Roadmap Report, the eighth annual report card grading all 50 states and the District of Columbia on their performance when it comes to adopting 15 basic traffic safety laws. This year the report's publishers, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates), focused on the state budgetary impact of highway safety gaps. Vermont moved up to a grade of "yellow," mostly for its addition of a text-messaging prohibition.
"As states debate about keeping their treasuries solvent, lawmakers and governors in many states are blind to obvious legislative actions that will help with the budget crisis," said Judith Lee Stone, president of Advocates. "The 2011 Roadmap To State Highway Safety Laws shows that adoption of effective state traffic safety laws saves lives and saves taxpayer dollars."

Merchants Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: MBVT), the parent company of Merchants Bank, announced that its Board of Directors declared on January 20, 2011, a dividend of 28 cents per share, payable February 17, 2011, to shareholders of record as of February 3, 2011. Merchants plans to release earnings on or about January 26, 2011.

Governor Peter Shumlin today announced the appointments of three new members of the Vermont House of Representatives, filling seats that were vacated due to resignations. The three Representatives will likely be sworn into office early next week.
Matt Trieber, a Selectboard member from Rockingham, has been tapped to serve the Windham 4 District, replacing long-time former Rep. Michael Obuchowski. Obuchowski stepped down to become Vermont’s Commissioner of Buildings and General Services.
Trieber, an environmental consultant with Atkinson Street Environmental in Bellows Falls, is a member of the Bellows Falls Rotary Club, the Rockingham Certified Local Government Board, and a founding member of Bellows Falls Young Professionals.

Using an innovative approach, Green Mountain Power has been able to cut electricity costs by 16.5 percent at its Colchester facility over the past year and a half -- saving energy and ultimately saving customers money. GMP worked with Shelburne-based Kilawatt Technologies on the project.
According to Rebecca Towne, Administration Manager, most of the savings resulted from fine-tuning and synchronizing the building's existing heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. No new capital investment was required.
"When we started working with Kilawatt Technologies, we already had extremely efficient heating and cooling equipment in place. However, electricity use -- especially in the Information Technology data room -- continued to increase," said Towne. "Kilawatt Technologies helped us make better use of the building automation system that regulates temperature and airflow, and identified other opportunities for significant energy savings."

The groundwater monitoring process at Vermont Yankee continues with a total of 32 monitoring wells being sampled for tritium. Although the monitoring wells with tritium have shown a gradual overall reduction in concentration as the groundwater in that area has been pumped to the surface, this week Vermont Yankee received positive indications for tritium in a previously unaffected monitoring well located about 150 feet to the north of the area affected by the leak that was identified in January 2010.
The new positive level is at 9,200 pico curies per liter, a low level that is, in fact, well below regulatory reporting requirements.
However, Governor Peter Shumlin was not comforted by that fact and issued this statement: "Vermont Yankee notified my administration today of the new results, and the Department of Health is posting information on its website to help the public understand the situation. I am very concerned about this change at the Vermont Yankee site.