Current News

by [email protected]

Governor Peter Shumlin and key lawmakers today unveiled a comprehensive plan, involving both the executive branch and the Vermont Legislature, to ensure that access to government documents remains open and available to the public.
Among the significant provisions, the legislation would give the public records law more ‘teeth’ by designating a state office to enforce the law, and make it easier for those wrongly denied public records to recover attorney fees if they have to go to court to get access.
Government transparency has been a priority issue for the Governor on the campaign, and even during his tenure in the state Senate. Governor Shumlin has been working with lawmakers in recent days to find ways to strengthen the public records law and improve public agency compliance with those laws.

by tim

With her 20th anniversary as the Executive Director of the United Way of Chittenden County (UWCC) just six months away, Gretchen Morse today announced that she plans to retire by the end of June 2011. In a letter to the Board of Directors of United Way, she said, ‘It is with a strong sense of humility and gratitude that I announce my retirement from the United Way of Chittenden County. I am fortunate to work with an amazing board and staff who are faithful stewards of United Way’s mission. There is an exceptional network of member agencies and community partners, as well as thousands of volunteers who exemplify the true meaning of service to community. I am, therefore, confident in a bright future for United Way and know that this is the time for me to move on with other aspects of my life.’

by tim

Attorney General William H. Sorrell announced today that Vermont will receive approximately $136,000 as part of a settlement with pharmaceutical manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) of allegations that the company manufactured and sold defective drugs. According to the terms of the settlement, GSK will pay the states and federal government $600 million in civil damages and penalties, and a GSK subsidiary, SB Pharmaco of Puerto Rico, where the adulterated drugs were produced, will plead guilty to a felony violation of misbranding, and pay $150 million in criminal fines and forfeitures.
The settlement resolves allegations that arose out of a whistleblower complaint that, at different times between 2001 and 2005, GSK knowingly manufactured, distributed, and sold four products whose strength, purity and/or quality fell below standards required by the FDA:

by tim

Attorney General William H Sorrell announced today that Vermont will receive approximately $74,000 as part of a national settlement totaling $600 million based on whistleblower complaints that pharmaceutical manufacturer Allergan, Inc., and Allergan USA, Inc. illegally marketed the drug Botox for uses not approved by the FDA.
Specifically, the complaints alleged that Allergan engaged in a nation-wide off-label marketing campaign to get physicians to prescribe Botox for headache, pain, overactive bladder, and spasticity. The marketing campaign included funding continuing medical education programs at which Botox was promoted off-label, and providing physicians with ‘free’ reimbursement services at which they were coached to use improper billing codes.

by tim

The Vermont Blue Ribbon Tax Commission issued its final report this afternoon. The commission, formed in 2009, offered several profound and subtle changes to Vermont's tax code. Most noticeably, the sales tax on clothes would be restored. The commission suggested levying the general sales tax on all consumer-purchased services with limited exception on food and prescription drugs and for certain health and education services and business-to-business transactions. However, soda would now be taxed under this proposal. All this would allow the sales tax to go down to 4.5 percent. The commission urged the state to work with other states to include the sales tax on all Internet purchases.
READ REPORT

by tim

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development today awarded $3,100,000 in grants to Vermont Housing and Conservation Board to conduct a wide range of activities intended to protect children and families from potentially dangerous lead-based paint and other home health and safety hazards in Vermont.
Nationally, HUD awarded nearly $127 million. The grant funding announced today will clean up lead and other health hazards in more than 11,000 homes, train workers in lead safety methods, and increase public awareness about childhood lead poisoning. Lead is a known toxin that can impair children’s development and have effects lasting into adulthood. Other materials in the home can trigger allergic responses and asthma.

by tim

The Commission that conducts the review process for the recognition of Native American tribes in Vermont has made its first two recommendations after receiving three applications in November of 2010 for State Recognition. The decision to recommend the Nulhegan Abenaki of the Northeast Kingdom and the Elnu Abenaki in the southeast is now being passed along to Vermont's General Assembly for final review.
Tribes are required to meet a series of criteria outlined in Senate Bill S.222 that was signed into law in the spring of 2010; now Act No. 107. The new law created a process by which tribes may present applications to the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs for review. The current assessments incorporated the findings of expert review panelists and public testimony at hearings in December. Based upon this assessment, the Commission found that the Nulhegan and Elnu tribes successfully met the nine criteria.

by tim

Vermont utilities’ new contract with Hydro-Québec will begin in 2012 at rates below the existing contract, which phases out over the next five years. Central Vermont Public Service (NYSE-CV) and Green Mountain Power today filed information with the Vermont Public Service Board that shows a starting price of $58.07 per megawatt-hour. The PSB will hold technical hearings on the proposed contract beginning on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2011.
‘We are extremely pleased with the deal we negotiated and with the starting price we will pay,’ CVPS President Bob Young and GMP President Mary Powell said in a joint statement. ‘We pride ourselves on providing a low-carbon, high-renewable power supply at affordable rates, and this contract will help us retain a competitive position in the region while helping control the air impacts of our supply.’

by tim

Vermont Public Radio has joined with other public radio stations and public television stations across the country in an unprecedented effort to harness the enthusiasm of the 170 million Americans who watch, listen to, or use the services and programming of public media each month.
The 170 Million Americans campaign was founded on the belief that now, more than ever, the United States needs a strong, non-commercial public media system.
‘Through the Internet, social media tools, and more, citizens who believe in the mission and value of public media are coming together in this campaign,’ said Robin Turnau, president of Vermont Public Radio. ‘A vigorous debate over the importance of public media will take place this year and VPR is proud to be part of this effort to engage every supporter of public media in the country.’

by tim

Secretary of Administration Jeb Spaulding released the December 2010 General Fund Revenue results today. December is the sixth month of fiscal year (FY) 2011. Driven mostly by strong results in corporate tax receipts, General Fund revenues totaled $101.86 million for December 2010, and were +$3.46 million or +3.51% above the $98.40 million consensus revenue forecast for the month.
The month of December General Fund Revenue reported in the table below includes a reduction of $2.30 million in the ‘Other’ category. This adjustment reflects a special one-year only revenue receipt not included in the Consensus Revenue Forecast; the $2.3 million was corrected cumulatively in the month of December for activity in prior months. Net of this adjustment, year-to-date General Fund receipts of $549.38 million were +$19.93 million, or +3.76% ahead of year-to-date target of $529.45 million. Additional information about this adjustment may be found in the footnote on Attachment 1.

by tim

There were 1,514 new regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance last week, a decrease of 655 from the week before, as the data continued to show great volatility. Altogether 14,070 new and continuing claims were filed, an increase of 814 from a week ago and 1,715 fewer than a year earlier. The Department also processed 2,283 First Tier claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008 (EUC08), 63 more than a week ago. In addition, there were 894 Second Tier claims for benefits processed under the EUC08 program, which is an increase of 77 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

by tim

Vermont’s Blue Ribbon Tax Structure Commission will release its final report on
January 13, 2011 at 11 am in State House Room 11 in Montpelier. The Commission was
created by legislative act in May 2009. The Commission’s purpose, as set forth by statute, was
to examine Vermont’s tax system and recommend improvements for the future. The
commission’s final report will feature findings, recommendations, and a minority report.

Who: Kathy Hoyt, Blue Ribbon Tax Structure Commission
William Sayre, Blue Ribbon Tax Structure Commission
William Schubart, Blue Ribbon Tax Structure Commission

What: Commission hearing presenting the Commission’s recommendations to the Legislature.

When: Thursday, January 13, 2011 at 11:00 a.m.

Where: The State House, Montpelier, VT Room 11

www.vermonttaxreform.org