By Rep. Jim Harrison, R-Bridgewater, Chittenden, Killington and Mendon It’s generally about this time of the session with a scheduled two or three weeks remaining, that we wonder how it will get all done. As of last Friday, 136 bills were passed by the House and 99 by the Senate this year. With only 43…

By Alan J. Keays, VTDigger.org RUTLAND — Rutland County State’s Attorney Rose Kennedy has dropped four felony charges, including three attempted murder counts, brought against Jack Sawyer, who police said had threatened to shoot up Fair Haven Union School.The filing by Kennedy comes on the heels of a Vermont Supreme Court decision earlier this month…

A statewide safety assessment of 422 schools conducted by local, county, and state law enforcement in partnership with Vermont schools shows that 96 percent of Vermont schools take part in emergency preparedness activities. The Department of Public Safety and Agency of Education have submitted a report summarizing the results of the assessment and recommendations to…

By Anne Galloway, VTDigger The Vermont Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs and four other plaintiffs are suing the state over a ban on large capacity gun magazines. The federation, a gun association, several sporting goods stores and a woman from Bethel allege that a new law putting a cap on magazines violates the rights of gun owners under…

Submitted (Left-right) M.D., SVMC OB/GYN’s Kimberley Sampson, MD, U.S. Congressman Peter Welch, Alison Lutz, MD, and Malcolm Paine, MD.

On April 13, Green Mountain Power filed a traditional rate case with the Public Utility Commission for rates set to take effect January 2019. The filing calls for a base rate increase of  5.45 percent and a bill credit that equals about 6 percent, more than offsetting the increase. The result for customers is a net…

By Senator Alison Clarkson It was a real treat to see “1776” at the Briggs Opera House in White River Junction and to be invited to participate in the “talk back” with the audience after the show. In response to our current political climate, the show’s producers had hoped to encourage debate about our aspirational…

By Rep. Jim Harrison, R-Bridgewater, Chittenden, Killington & Mendon As Vermonters well know, especially those of us on dirt roads, we are approaching mud season. It may not be our favorite time of year, but we take solace in knowing that green grass, warmer temperatures and spring flowers are just ahead. In some respects, this…

Vermont Marble, Granite, Slate & Soapstone Co., a Vermont- and New York-based custom stone manufacturer, has proposed to donate medallions of the world famous Vermont Verde Antique stone, quarried in Rochester, Vt., to “The Border Wall Project.” Owner, Paul Thompson said, “It would be an honor to donate something so very beautiful and God-given to…

By Rep. Jim Harrison, R-Bridgewater, Chittenden, Killington & Mendon It’s that time of the session, where the Senate committees are busy reviewing and amending House passed bills and the House is doing the same with Senate bills. While sometimes both bodies pass the same version of a bill, often there are differences, which will need…

The Vermont Agency of Transportation notifies the traveling public that Route 103 from Rockingham to Clarendon will be resurfaced this spring and summer. This project will proceed through Rockingham, portions of Chester, Cavendish, portions of Ludlow, Mount Holly, Wallingford, Shrewsbury and Clarendon. The contractor, Pike Industries, will begin preliminary construction activities the week of April…

About 89 Stafford Technical Center participated in the SkillsUSA Leadership Conference at various locations in and around South Burlington April 4-5. Students competed to demonstrate personal, workplace and technical skills. Stafford Technical Center garnered 33 medals total in individual and group competitions, including eight gold medals, 18 silver medals, and seven bronze medals, according to…

By Rep. Jim Harrison, R-Bridgewater, Chittenden, Killington & Mendon With six weeks left on the schedule for the 2018 legislative session, we got a glimpse this past week of the potential stumbling blocks prior to conclusion. With new gun legislation largely behind us (S.55 was sent to the governor and two other measures relating to…

By Alison Clarkson, Senator, Windsor County Both bodies of the Vermont Legislature have now passed three major measures to improve firearm safety in our state. These bills: S.221, H.422 and S.55, are designed to keep guns out of the hands of those who intend harm to themselves or others, domestic violence abusers, and those with…

By Katy Savage RUTLAND—Congressman Peter Welch said his constituents are frustrated by the lack of progress in Congress and the apparent lack of agreement between legislators. Welch said he’s also frustrated. Welch, D-Vt., of Norwich, spent Monday, April 2, in Rutland. He took questions from about 25 people at the Phoenix Books for a Congress in…