By Katy Savage RUTLAND—Gov. Phil Scott started a speech before members of the Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce and Rutland Economic Development Fund Monday, March 12, by addressing what he called “the elephant in the room.” About a month ago, Fair Haven High School—20 miles from Rutland—was threatened by a shooter. The threat at Fair…

By Kelsey Neubauer, VTDigger The state’s only polling institute is among the casualties as Castleton University seeks to address a $1.5 million budget gap. Two dean positions have also been eliminated. Castleton spokesperson Jeff Weld said Tuesday, March 13, that the university had cut the positions of Dean of Administration Scott Dykman and Dean of Entrepreneurial…

By Rep. Jim Harrison, R-Bridgewater, Chittenden, Killington and Mendon Some of the sessions big issues will be up for votes on the House floor this coming week, including the “must pass” state budget. This is the time of year when committees have passed out bills they have been working on this year to get them…

On Friday, March 2, the Vermont Senate approved bill S.216, to allow medical marijuana sales for any “disease, condition, or treatment as determined in writing by a qualifying patient’s health care professional,” according to page 334, of the March 1 Senate Journal. S.216 also requires the Vermont Department of Agriculture to establish marijuana testing laboratories, a necessary…

In school budgets presented to voters on Town Meeting Day, school boards and administrators rose to the challenge of keeping spending growth below the state’s target of 2.5 percent. FY 2019 statewide education spending growth is estimated at 1.5 percent, with education spending per equalized pupil coming in at under 1 percent. Ninety-six percent of…

On Town Meeting Day, Vermont residents from 35 towns voted overwhelmingly in favor of resolutions seeking climate solutions. The exact wording of each resolution varied, but all the resolutions acknowledged the severity of climate change, urged the State of Vermont to meet its goals for 90 percent renewable energy, and called for a fair and…

By Rep. Jim Harrison, R-Bridgewater, Chittenden, Killington & Mendon It was great to see so many people at the town meetings in each of the district towns last week. Bridgewater’s meeting was unique in the sense that it was held at the Long Trail Brewery, which had closed its popular restaurant on Tuesday to allow…

By Senator Alison Clarkson It’s Town Meeting week and we are about half way through Vermont’s Legislative Session. We’ve pressed hard to vote out all the priority bills from our Committees in order to meet our “cross over” deadline (that point in the Session when the bills which we hope will make it into law…

By Rep. Jim Harrison, R-Bridgewater, Chittenden, Killington & Mendon A flurry of activity of various gun related issues highlighted activity at the State House this past week, prior to the Town Meeting recess. The legislature will return to Montpelier on March 13. Gun control measures advance In the wake of the horrific shooting in Florida…

By Colin Meyn, VTDigger Gov. Phil Scott said he was “disappointed” that a bill addressing gun violence did not make it to his desk last week after the House decided to move on its own “extreme risk” gun seizure bill rather than passing a similar bill already approved by the Senate. The bill that looked most…

Over 500 rural homes and businesses in Vermont that are currently unserved by high-speed internet service could get connectivity in the near future, according to a Feb. 20 news release. These homes and businesses are in unserved areas of Vermont eligible for financial support from the next phase of FCC’s Connect America Fund (CAF), which…

 By Rep. Jim Harrison, R-Bridgewater, Chittenden, Killington & Mendon Education funding Leadership in the Vermont House made it a priority earlier this session to address the way we fund K-12 education. The current system, which was born out of Act 60 about 20 years ago and later amended with Act 68, when the sales tax…

Key issues emerging By Rep. Jim Harrison (Bridgewater, Chittenden, Killington & Mendon) Jim Harrison The key issues of the 2018 legislative session are now becoming evident. The Senate approved a minimum wage hike to $15 last week, while at the same time, downplaying a proposal for a new paid family leave bill passed by the…

On Feb. 7, the Office of the Health Care Advocate (HCA) released a report demonstrating the affordability crisis that Vermonters face when purchasing health insurance and health care. In the report, “The Cost of Health Insurance: Quantifying the Vermont Affordability Crisis,” the HCA assesses the affordability of health insurance on Vermont Health Connect and shows that many…

By Tiffany Danitz Pache, VTDigger Vermont students needing special education could be better served for less money, according to two studies commissioned by the Legislature. Lawmakers will use the studies to craft new approaches to delivering and funding special education services. The studies were conducted by the University of Vermont and by the District Management Group,…