Current News

US Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Tuesday that Vermont will receive $4,068,000 for several adult and youth workforce development programs across the state. Leahy, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, secured the funds in the annual appropriations bill passed by the Congress signed into law by President Obama earlier this month.
Leahy said, Training and practical experience can turn the liability of unemployment and underemployment into assets, turning lives around and planting the seeds for the economic future we want for our state. With the economy in peril and joblessness on the rise, there is even greater urgency in training Vermont s youth and retraining underemployed workers for the jobs of tomorrow. These investments will support organizations around Vermont that have been forward thinking about our state s workforce development needs, training Vermonters for solid job opportunities right here at home.

Governor Douglas announced Monday a supplemental education funding plan for FY2010 and FY2011 that will make use of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to hold down property taxes, reform the Education Fund and help bring sustainability to the General Fund without the need for costly tax increases proposed by the Legislature. This proposal comes in light of new information about the federal recovery money and the actions of school districts and the Legislature since the Governor s budget recommendation in January.
I commend school districts for making progress in limiting spending growth to 2.2 percent this year, the Governor said. In these challenging economic times more must be done to rein in property taxes and ensure that increasing K-12 costs are not forcing deeper cuts to human services and environmental protection or pushing higher taxes onto already over stretched taxpayers.

The proportion of Vermont households with high-speed or broadband Internet connections has increased from 9% in 2001 to slightly more than 66% in 2009, according to the statewide Vermonter Poll conducted by the Center for Rural Studies at the University of Vermont. Of households that did not have Internet or broadband, nearly 46% said that they knew broadband was available to them, while 17% were not sure.
Despite the overall increase in household broadband, there is still evidence of a digital divide. According to this year's poll, 44% of responding households making less than $25,000/year have computers, compared to 83% of all households and 91% of households making more than $25,000.

Arne Duncan, United States Secretary of Education, will be the 2009 commencement speaker at Saint Michael's College on Thursday, May 14, at 10 a.m. in the Ross Sports Center. Secretary Duncan will address the 516 graduating seniors earning bachelor s degrees and 50 graduate students who are present, earning master s degrees, and their families, together totaling some 3,000 people at the college s graduation ceremonies. U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, a graduate of the Saint Michael s College class of 1961, was instrumental in arranging for Secretary Duncan to speak at Leahy s alma mater.
Honorary Degrees:

The House Appropriations Committee this morning voted 9-2 to pass the Transportation Bill, which includes Speaker Shap Smith s $120 million jobs and transportation infrastructure package. The bill will be up for action on the House floor beginning Tuesday.
"On the first day of the session, I announced plans for a $120 million jobs and transportation infrastructure package to keep Vermonters working and begin the task of fixing our crumbling roads and bridges," said Speaker Smith. "The immediate economic crisis required decisive action and I am pleased that my committees worked together to craft this thoughtful package to keep our economy moving."

State government tax collections totaled $781.8 billion in fiscal year 2008 ($2.5 billion in Vermont), a $24.5 billion (3.2 percent) increase from 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today. According to data from the 2008 Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections,taxes on individual income were $280.7 billion, up 5.1 percent; general sales taxes were $240.6 billion, up 0.9 percent; and corporation net income taxes were $51.8 billion, down 2.5 percent. These taxes made up 73.3 percent of all state tax collections nationally. Total state and local tax collections in Vermont for FY 2006 were $5.7 billion; by comparison, the New Hampshire total was $9.4 billion. Vermont ranked first in per capita taxation; New Hampshire was 48th.(See tables below).

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (NASDAQ:GMCR) announced today that it has completed the acquisition of the Tully s Coffee® brand and wholesale coffee business from Tully s Coffee Corporation for the purchase price of $40.3 million.
Initially announced on September 15, 2008, the transaction was completed after receiving the required shareholders vote and satisfaction of the required closing conditions, as set forth in the Asset Purchase Agreement previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company financed this purchase through its existing $225 million senior revolving credit facility.

Governor Douglas announced today that he is asking the Legislature to amend the unemployment compensation law to provide additional weeks of benefits to individuals in approved training. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act recently passed by Congress, states must meet a number of benchmarks including the additional weeks of benefits to qualify for all of $13.9 million available to assist Vermont.
The training benefit is the option most consistent with the goals of the unemployment compensation program. It allows workers income while gaining the skills necessary to return to work in a new occupation commented Governor Douglas. In addition, we need to be sure we do not add extraordinary costs to a system that is already challenged.

The first funds from the federal stimulus package are now coming in to state coffers, and Governor Douglas and lawmakers have differing plans to spend the money, specifically the $94 million in State Fiscal Stabilization Funds. Eighty-two percent of that money must be spend on education, but the remainder can be allocated elsewhere.
The governor s plan focuses on economic development. The majority of it will go to the Vermont Economic Development Authority, charged with allocating it to in loans to qualified in-state businesses. That money invested during 2010 and 2011 is expected to leverage $160 million in loans, working capital and business investments. Some of the investment areas stipulated include a technology loan program, assistance to farms and entrepreneurs, industrial renewal, and tourism.

Department of Public Safety Commissioner Thomas Tremblay is pleased to announce the selection of Major Thomas L Esperance as the next Director of the Vermont State Police. Major L Esperance will assume the duties of Director following Colonel James Baker s retirement on June 30, 2009. Today s announcement will provide Major L Esperance and the Vermont State Police time to plan a seamless transition of leadership.
In his announcement, Commissioner Tremblay said, I have full confidence in Major L Esperance; he is a proven leader, a trusted public servant, and he models the spirit of law enforcement cooperation that is essential for the future success of policing in Vermont.
Major L Esperance began his career as a Trooper in Brattleboro in 1987 and currently serves as Major in charge of the Bureau of Criminal Investigations. Over the past 21 years, Major L Esperance has also served in the following positions with the State Police:

The region's largest biotechnology association today warned that a bill under consideration by the Vermont Legislature will create the most restrictive and onerous regulatory environments for biotechnology growth and development not only in New England, but in the entire nation. Senate Bill 48, an Act Relating to the Marketing of Prescribed Products, is the focus of a presentation today at the State House by Senate President Peter Shumlin.
"The Legislation's radical expansion of Vermont's existing and strict biopharmaceutical marketing laws promises to hinder significantly the development of the biotechnology industry in this state," said Paula Newton, Chair of the New England Biotech Association (NEBA).
NEBA serves as the regional policy and public affairs voice for the biotechnology and biopharmaceutical community, representing state biotech associations, companies, academic institutions, and other organizations consisting of more than 800 entities.

In another round of economic stimulus funds for Vermont, eight community health centers in the state will receive more than $1.5 million to expand services and create jobs. The Vermont grants include $229,967 for Community Health Centers of The Rutland Region in Bomoseen; $157,958 for Little Rivers Health Care of Bradford; $294,562 for Community Health Center of Burlington; $192,281 for Community Health Services of the Lamoille Valley in Morrisville; $146,390 for The Health Center of Plainfield; $164,980 for the Richford Health Center in Richford; $254,463 for Northern Counties Health Care in St. Johnsbury, and $100,000 for Springfield Medical Care Systems in Springfield.