Act 60 reform bill
The debate over a compromise Act 60 Reform bill shifts from the House to the Senate this week. Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Welch says he likes the basic framework of the House proposal, but Welch expects the Senate will make some significant changes to the plan. (Listen to the story online or read the transcript.) (VPR)
Yankee evacuation planning
In both the House and Senate versions of the state budget, there’s a gap that worries some neighbors of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant. A $300,000 increase recommended by the Douglas administration for emergency planning has been left out. But some officials are hopeful that the increase can be restored in the conference committee in order to plan for a radiological disaster. (Listen to the story online or read the transcript.) (VPR)
Officer photographs class projects
Barre school officials are raising questions after a police officer went to Spaulding High School in the middle of the night to photograph some class projects. (AP)
Public input on building plans
There’s growing concern about a proposed new exemption to Vermont’s public records law. The new rule would bar citizens from seeing plans for government buildings. (AP)
Closed circuit court TV
A provision in the Senate version of the capital construction bill would promote the use of closed circuit television for court hearings instead of transporting prisoners to courthouses. Essex County State Senator Vincent Illuzzi says the measure would save the state thousands of dollars. (AP)
Dean campaign
Former Governor Howard Dean and his presidential rival Senator John Kerry can’t get their facts quite right. In a Saturday debate, Kerry incorrectly claimed the number of Vermonters with health insurance fell slightly during Dean’s tenure as governor. Dean misstated the percentage of Vermonters with insurance. Meanwhile, the Internet is paying off big for Dean’s presidential campaign. More than 20,000 Dean supporters have registered on the Internet to join grass-roots meetings around the country. The first meeting is Wednesday. (AP)
Sanders on prescription drugs
Vermont Congressman Bernie Sanders says Americans shouldn’t be denied the opportunity to purchase safe and affordable medicine in Canada. But he says the long-term solution to the problem of high prescription drug costs does not rest in Canada. (AP)
Electric grid
There should be plenty of electricity this summer for most of New England, New York and Ontario. But the Northeast Power Coordinating Council says there could be insufficient electricity supplies in southwestern Connecticut to meet peak demands. (AP)
Abuse shelter
Vermont has opened its first sexual abuse shelter to serve both men and women. The Barre shelter opened in the fall and celebrated its grand opening Monday. (AP)
Miss Vermont lawsuit
A two-time former Miss Vermont is suing a Chicago man for allegedly exploiting her name. Twenty-four-year-old Katy Johnson of Delray Beach, Florida, claims 27-year-old Tucker Max used her name, portrait and photograph to promote his web site, books, merchandise and career as an authority on “picking up” women. (AP)