Governor Jim Douglas

The scope of safety assessments at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant and a capital gains tax plan are some of the issues we discuss with Governor Jim Douglas. Also, we listen back to some of the voices in the week’s news.

Voices from the week’s news – March 7, 2008

Town Meeting Day and the Vermont presidential primary commanded a lot of our news attention this week. But we also learned about an affordable housing bill and an effort to start a community cooperative for high-speed Internet service. Listen back to some of the voices in the news this week.

Voices from the week’s news – February 29, 2008

School funding, the presidential primaries and Vermont Yankee’s future were only some of the stories in the news this week. The cost shift between Medicare and private health insurance was examined, Congressman Welch spoke out for alternative energy, and the Senate passed a domestic violence bill. We listen back to some of the voices in the news this week.

Voices from the week’s news – February 22, 2008

School funding, the state budget and the Democratic primary were only some of the top issues this week. We also followed stories about cleaning up Lake Champlain, a new energy contract with Hydro-Quebec, high gas prices, and the unsettling missing person case of Middlebury student. We listen back to some of the voices in the news this week.

Voices in the week’s news – February 15, 2008

An energy bill, budget tensions and the marijuana debate were only a few of the stories this week. The Senate paved the way for more women to get mammograms, the corporate structure of Entergy Nuclear was scrutinized and winter storms had road crews scrambling for salt and looking for places to put the plowed snow. We listen back to some of the voices in this week’s news.

Voices in the week’s news – Feb. 1, 2008

The state lottery and the new border crossing rules were only a few of the stories in the news this week. The marijuana debate continued, a 10 percent cut in local transportation funds was proposed, a four-year term for governor was debated, and we learned about a fungus that’s threatening bats. We listen back to some of the voice in the news this week.

Leasing the state lottery

Governor Jim Douglas proposed to the Legislature that the state lease its lottery to a private company. The plan could potentially generate $50 million in revenue, but critics have raised a philosophical objection. We hear the pros and cons adn take your calls. Also, news analysis with VPR’s Ross Sneyd, and we listen back to some of the voices in the week’s news.

Voices in the week’s news – Saturday, Nov. 3, 2007

  Our regional news this week included controversy over phone tapping, debate about a school budget rule, a theater project on hate crime, rising fuel costs and Senator Patrick Leahy’s decision not to support the attorney general nominee. Here’s a listen back to some of the voices in the news this week:   Leahy, Sanders oppose immunity for phone companies in wiretapping investigation (Sen. Bernie Sanders) I don’t understand how we can give immunity to phone companies who are spying on the American people and we don’t even known what they’re doing and furthermore if you give prospective immunity that simply gives them a green light to do anything that they want to do I think that makes zero sense."   Symington opposes a repeal of new school funding law (House Speaker Gaye Symington) "I think that by asking voters to look at that second vote you’re drawing attention to that level of spending. And you are giving school boards a tougher job – I acknowledge that – in convincing voters that that spending is necessary." (John Nelson, Vermont School Boards Association) "With all due respect, if there’s anybody who thinks that school boards only think once about their budgets, or that voters only think once about their budgets – they are from somewhere else. This is kind of a patronizing approach to it."   Bias and hate crimes expored in "The Laramie Project" (Judy Shepard) "I think the straight community is largely ignorant of what the gay community goes through on a daily basis. And the only way we can correct that ignorance is if members of the community and their friends and families tell their stories."   Fuel oil prices on the rise (Tim Searles, Champlain Valley Office for Economic Opportunity) "We’ve seen an 18 cent increase in the price of fuel just in the month of October.