All Entries in the "Op-ed" Category
Rep. Bock: Five bills to build economy, families
By Rep. Tom Bock As we get closer to the end of the 2019 session in Montpelier, pressure is building to get bills through the legislature. The goal of the House and Senate veto-proof Democrat majority, (which includes me), is to get their five top priority bills through the legislative process and onto the governor’s […]
Rep. Pajala on lead in water, minimum wage hike
By Rep. Kelly Pajala As we approach the end of the session it may seem like committee work is winding down, but for the Human Services Committee it looks like we may not get every bill of interest to the House floor before the budget passes both chambers. This week alone we are dealing with […]
Sen. Clarkson: Constitutional issues in Montpelier
By Sen. Alison Clarkson It is not easy to amend the Vermont Constitution. It is a multi-year process, requiring review and approval in two consecutive legislative biennia and a vote by Vermonters at the end. Our constitution traces back to 1777, when it was written in Windsor at the Old Constitution House, for what was […]
Op-ed: Sen. Nitka on supporting fishing in Vermont
By Sen. Alice Nitka It’s that time of year when I start looking for the hatchery stocking truck delivering fish to the Black River along Route 131 in Cavendish and Weathersfield. It’s great to see the volunteers helping put the fish into the river and then all the people fishing there over the next couple […]
Op-ed: GMP herbicide application not a green way to go
By Beverly Lauren Beginning in the spring, Green Mountain Power will be applying herbicides under power lines and distribution lines in our area. Notification was sent out to GMP customers in previous billings. However, some may have missed the importance of the notification and tossed it in the wastebasket instead. There will be public notification […]
Tom Bock: Vetoed issues expected to return to Montpelier
By Rep. Tom Bock It’s been more than a month since I returned to the Vermont Statehouse to serve my 2nd term in the House of Representatives. It was great to get back where the place was abuzz with activity – greeting colleagues, discussing issues, and settling in for a busy 2019 session. One of […]
Rep. Pajala on school merger, abortion bills
By Rep. Kelly Pajala This week’s legislative update is a tough one, as was the week itself. The first challenge was the vote on H.39, which was about delaying the forced mergers of school districts because of Act 46. I voted in favor of the amendment put forth by Rep. Scheuermann of Stowe because, in […]
Bill Schubart: It’s time to ban plastic bags
By Bill Schubart All of the plastic manufactured since Bakelite debuted during the Depression still litters the earth. The world is choking on an invention that’s barely a century old. Today, shoppers worldwide use 500 billion single-use plastic bags a year or a million bags a minute. A million sea birds and 100,000 marine mammals […]
Op-ed: Bipartisanship in Montpelier
By Sen. Dick McCormack Democrats, Independents and Republicans. In this bitter time in Washington, Montpelier is a light of hope simply because we get along with one another. Democrats and Progressives are a united team. Our Republican friends are true to their ideals, but they are not obstructionists. We negotiate agreements that all sides can […]
Sen. Clarkson: New session in Montpelier opens
By Sen. Alison Clarkson It is always exciting to begin a new biennium in the Vermont Statehouse. And, the 2019 launch of the first year of that two-year legislative period was no exception. While our leadership remained unchanged – returning Gov. Phil Scott; Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman; Senate President Pro Tem Tim Ashe and House […]
Op-ed: An open letter to Vermont legislators
Dear Legislators, First, thank you all for your willingness to serve your constituents and all Vermonters. You are appreciated by most of us. But please remember, you serve both the special wants and needs of your constituents … and, of all Vermonters, whose needs sometimes differ. Foster the balance. The bill-drafting process is broken. You […]
Op-ed: Let stand historic language of Vermont Constitution
By Sen. Dick McCormack When the Vermont legislature convenes in January, there will be an effort to amend the Vermont Constitution to alter the 1777 language prohibiting slavery, the first prohibition of slavery in North America. I think doing this is a bad idea. As I understand it, supporters of amending object to the anti-slavery […]
Commentary: The irony of the Phoenix
By Shawn Cunningham © 2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC Irony – As a literary device, irony is a contrast or incongruity between expectations for a situation and what is reality… It can also be a difference between what might be expected to happen and what actually occurs. — literarydevices.com If it weren’t for the loss of […]
Op-ed: In Vermont, accessible registration, secure voting
By Jim Condos Election Day is fast approaching. On Tuesday, Nov. 6, Vermonters will head to the polls to vote for the people who will represent them, from Justice of the Peace all the way up to governor and members of Congress. Free and fair elections are the bedrock of our democracy, here in Vermont […]
Op-ed: Senate hopeful Zupan challenges Sanders as absent from votes, absent from Vermont
Editor’s note: The Chester Telegraph reached out on Tuesday to the campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders by email to also write an op-ed for The Chester Telegraph. The campaign is considering it. We will let you know of the decision. By Lawrence Zupan Next month, Vermont will elect a U.S. senator. Vermonters want a senator […]
Op-ed: Personal stories break stigma of addiction
By Kate Lamphere, LICSW Earlier this year, I attended the National Opiate and Prescription Drug Conference. I was inspired by U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams, MD, MPH, who shared his personal story of how addiction touched his family, resulting in a family member being incarcerated due to involvement with opiates. What made such a […]
Rep. Tom Bock: Government shutdown avoided
By Rep. Tom Bock Windsor 3-1 Time was of the essence. Without a budget passed by July 1, Vermont government would be closed for the first time in history. After the biennium session ended on May 17 without a spending plan, a special session was reconvened, and over a period of four weeks the legislature […]
Bill Schubart: ‘Vermont Life’s’ heedless death
By Bill Schubart This commentary first aired on VPR I grew up reading Vermont Life in the fifties and continued reading it until shortly after the turn of the century. It always had a prominent place in our home, moving quarterly from the coffee table to the bathroom magazine rack – where its continued perusal […]
Commentary: Rep. Bock highlights notable bills
By Rep. Tom Bock We’re into the last two weeks of the 2018 legislative session in Montpelier, always a chaotic time. Pressure is building to get bills through the before adjournment. The House and Senate need to reconcile differences on bills affecting funding for education and clean water as well as many other issues. Following […]
Commentary: Get to know Grace Cottage
By Rep. Kelly Pajala The legislature meets Tuesday through Friday, so Mondays are often the one weekday during sessions when legislators have the opportunity to spend time back in their home districts. Last Monday, in the midst of my brain being consumed by the battle over gun control and school safety, I literally went out […]
