There’s
a theory that more legislation is passed in odd-numbered years, when lawmakers
are not distracted by running for office. But
as VPR’s Steve Delaney reports, politics seldom took a back seat to policy in
the past twelve months.
In Vermont, the weather is frequently the
news. It makes or breaks growing seasons on the farms and ski season on the
slopes. Or,
as Steve Delaney reports in this part of our series on the top stories of 2007,
sometimes Mother Nature just gets cranky.
The
fabric of life in Vermont has a different weave every year. In
2007 it was full of variety. On the lighter side, the state became the official
home of The Simpsons. And
weightier social topics had our attention, especially when it came to one
marijuana case in Windsor County. VPR’s
Steve Delaney has more in the second part of our year in review.
The Annual Christmas Bird Count is underway. We talk with Bridget Butler of Audubon Vermont about which winter birds we’re likely to catch a glimpse of here in Vermont. Then we hear from author and VPR commentator Willem Lange about his much loved Christmas story about Favor Johnson. And we continue our Year in Review series by looking at the top cultural stories of the year.
All through the year, awareness of global warming and the role played by carbon
dioxide, kept growing among Vermonters. And as VPR’s Steve Delaney reports in this part of our series, that awareness began strongly, early this year.
Former governor Madeleine Kunin says she’ll urge lawmakers
in the upcoming Legislative session to support a four-year term for governor.
Kunin says a longer term is needed because
state government is now dealing with more complicated issues.
But UVM political science professor Frank Bryan says
the plan will insulate governors from voters.
Governor Jim Douglas is making the rounds in Washington today; A new, federally backed program was unveiled in Burlington that may help Vermonters avoid foreclosure. A community forum addressing sexual assaults, takes place at Castleton State College; The state Board of Education recognizes Teacher of the Year.
The death
penalty, the war in Iraq and an election year that saw unprecedented campaign
spending are just a few of the issues Vermonters talked about in 2006. It was
the year International Paper conducted a test burn of tires in Ticonderoga
New York, over intense opposition from Vermont. The issues of illegal immigrant
farm workers in the state made news. A controversial sentence for child abuse
brought national attention to a Vermont judge, and the long quest for recognition
for Vermont’s
Abenaki Indians took a big step forward.
Join host, Steve Delaney as we
ponder these and other events of 2006.