Current News

Commissioner Paulette Thabault of the Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration (BISHCA) announced that her Department has received no 4th quarter rate increase requests for Catamount Health Insurance. The state-subsidized health plan is sold by both Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Vermont and MVP Health, and neither has filed for an increase since the inception of the program in October 2007. Commissioner Thabault said, The rates are so far holding steady. That speaks well for the early success of Catamount as a public/private partnership to provide affordable health insurance to all Vermonters. All health insurance rate changes must be filed with and reviewed by BISHCA, and may be approved, adjusted or denied by the Commissioner.

According to a new study from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), Vermont s economic outlook now ranks 49th out of 50 states. The second edition of Rich States, Poor States: ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index offers a roadmap for economic recovery based on state policies that have a proven impact on growth. High personal income taxes, high property taxes, along with some of the highest labor costs in America all hurt Vermont s economic outlook. On the positive side, the study gives good marks to Vermont for a relatively low sales tax burden and a quality legal system.
Among bordering states, New Hampshire ranks 37th, Massachusetts ranks 26th and New York ranks 50th.

For the Week of 08/01/2009. There were 785 new regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance last week, a decrease of 45 from the week before. Altogether 12,752 new and continuing claims were filed, 324 fewer than a week ago and 5,423 more than a year earlier. The Department also processed 3,862 First Tier claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008 (EUC08), 63 more than a week ago. In addition, there were 749 Second Tier claims for benefits processed under the EUC08 program, which is an increase of 8 from the week before. The Unemployment Weekly Report can be found at: http://www.vtlmi.info/. Previously released Unemployment Weekly Reports and other UI reports can be found at: http://www.vtlmi.info/lmipub.htm#uc

Boralex Inc and Gaz Metro Limited Partnership have learned that the minister of Quebec's Natural Resources and Wildlife, Nathalie Normandeau, has approved for their two wind power projects in the northeast part of the province. The installed capacity of the facilities is 272 megawatts. Gaz Metro owns both Vermont Gas and Green Mountain Power.
"The announcement of this decree, the first to be awarded to a project under the latest Hydro-Quebec call for tenders, is excellent news for the Consortium and clearly proves the environmental merit and social acceptability of the Seigneurie de Beaupre wind farms. We are enthusiastic about contributing to the expansion of wind power in Quebec," said Patrick Lemaire, president and chief executive officer of Boralex and Sophie Brochu, president and chief executive officer of Gaz Metro.

Long-time Burlington auto dealer Bill Shearer acquired Lewis Motors in South Burlington effective July 1, 2009, adding three new brands to the Shearer family of dealerships in Vermont. The current location on Shelburne Road will be retained, but each brand will have its own dealership identity. The names will be changed to Shearer Acura, Audi South Burlington and Volkswagen South Burlington.
"Acura, Audi and Volkswagen are flagship brands that have become mainstays in Vermont. The Lewis family has set a solid foundation for their future" said Shearer.
Alex Lewis founded Lewis Motors in 1974 as a Volkswagen dealership. The Audi franchise was added in 1976. Alex's son David joined the firm in 1987 after graduating from Norwich University. The Acura dealership opened in 1995 and David Lewis purchased Lewis Motors from his Dad in 1996.

Douglas administration officials announced three major affordable housing grants on Tuesday that will create or restore housing in Springfield, Johnson, and Bellows Falls. At a ceremony at the Rockingham Canal House in Bellows Falls, Deputy Commissioner of Housing and Community Affairs Tayt Brooks presented a grant for $3.5 million to Stewart Property Management, which will be used to assist in the purchase and rehabilitation of Rockingham Canal House, a 41-unit affordable senior housing property.

Rep. Peter Welch announced $100,000 in federal funding for the St. Albans Police Department at a press conference Tuesday morning in Houghton Park.
The Welch-secured Community Oriented Police (COPS) grant will be used to fight increased drug activity in the region. The funds will help the St. Albans Police Department upgrade and improve communications equipment and make use of Mobile Data Computer Terminals.
Welch was joined at the announcement by Police Chief Gary Taylor and several other members of the Police Department, along with Mayor Marty Manahan and Chad Spooner, who leads a neighborhood watch program in the Houghton Park area.

Governor Douglas will host dignitaries from Canada, France and Britain for the signature celebration of the 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain s exploration of the lake that bears his name at the Burlington International Waterfront Festival starting Friday.
The Lake Champlain Quadricentennial is an exciting opportunity to celebrate, learn and deepen our appreciation of Vermont s fascinating history, rich culture and scenic landscape, said Governor Jim Douglas. Vermont is looking forward to hosting leaders and thousands of visitors from around the world for this historic event.

A dairy processing plant in Brattleboro; a food processing center in Hardwick; a slaughterhouse in Westminster; and a Barre facility that recycles furniture and other goods for distribution to needy Vermonters were among more than $3 million in job creation grants announced today. At a ceremony at Recycle North s new facility in a former granite shed in Barre, Governor Jim Douglas announced the award of $3.3 million in Community Development Block Grants for those projects, as well as others.
These grants are a great resource for companies, municipalities and organizations looking to grow and answer their unique challenges and needs, said Governor Douglas. I m pleased to honor each of these recipients today with grants that will help with planning, redevelopment, expansion, handicap accessibility and more. These recipients are very deserving of our support.

Speaking at a news conference yesterday, Senator Patrick Leahy announced the creation of the Vermont Technology Seed Capital Fund, a $1 million fund designed to help high-tech businesses across the state. Supported by a grant in the federal government's 2009 budget, the fund will make early $50,000 to $250,000 investments in technology firms with high-growth potential in return for later repayments. The fund will be managed the Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies (VCET), a Burlington-based non-profit that offers office space and business development resources.
Vermont is blessed to have a variety of non-profit loan funds, at least one private venture capital fund and myriad of private investors, said Leahy. But after fours years of VCET operations it has become clear that Vermont needs more early capital that can help businesses through growing pains and create jobs for Vermonters.

Vermont Agriculture Secretary Roger Allbee yesterday met with the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack at a town hall meeting in Concord, New Hampshire, where he joined other Northeast agriculture commissioners, emphasizing the serious need for assistance for dairy farmers in Vermont and across the nation.
At his first face-to-face meeting with the Obama administration official, Allbee thanked Secretary Vilsack for the leadership he has already provided the dairy industry including moving surplus products into food export and nutrition programs. He also asked for more direct assistance, explaining the dire need for help on behalf of the State s 1,046 dairy farmers.
Secretary Vilsack indicated yesterday that he understands the seriousness of the situation our dairy farmers are facing and that he is continuing to work on additional options for the industry. He also stated the need for USDA to renew its focus on regional food production, said Allbee.

Governor Jim Douglas and New Hampshire Governor John Lynch will be in Beecher Falls tomorrow at the Ethan Allen furniture plant to address employees and offer state support and resources to the roughly 260 employees who were recently informed that they would be let go. At least half of the employees reside in New Hampshire.
I want to thank my good friend Governor Lynch for taking the time to come to Vermont and for his Administration s commitment to work with mine so that our labor officials can deploy every possible resource to the employees of Ethan Allen, said Governor Douglas. We will continue to work together to offer support to this important employer and to the people of this region. This is a very difficult time for our state s economy, especially in the Kingdom, and we must do all we can to be sure that when the economy rebounds we are prepared with the tools and economic support to help Ethan Allen thrive again.