Midday Report: April 12, 2007

There may be a consensus developing in the Statehouse to look favorably at a new seat belt law that’s under consideration, because there’s a federal carrot attached to it; with the Douglas administration and the Legislature at odds over so many issues, and with suggestions of unethical conduct by a Douglas cabinet member, there appears to be a declining appetite for cross-party cooperation; Curtis Smiley was recognized as Vermont’s Game Warden of the Year in Montpelier; Vermont Musician Trey Anastasio may avoid jail time in a plea deal that could have him pleading guilty to one of an original seven drug charges; a popular hiking and hunting area in southwestern New Hampshire has been permanently protected and added to a huge area of protected lands.