The Vermont Health Department and Public Safety Department can now spend more than nine million dollars to fight terrorism. The Legislature’s Joint Fiscal Committee authorized the departments to spend the federal grant money. The grant was given in the aftermath of last year’s attacks on the United States.
The money will be used for a variety of projects, from upgrading Health Department laboratories to improving emergency communication systems. Some lawmakers are critical of spending so much money on the remote threat of terrorism. They say basic public safety needs are not receiving enough funding.