Underfunded pension liabilities get needed attention
The topic of Vermont’s overwhelming state employee and teachers’ pension burdens rears its head on occasion, but legislators quickly move on to challenges more easily...more
2/10/2020
/ Biomass ,
Co-payments ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Driverless Cars ,
Economic Development ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employee Benefits ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Mental Health ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Pensions ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drug Coverage ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State and Local Government ,
Telehealth ,
Tobacco Regulations
Global Warming Solutions Act: asking for too much or not enough?
The House Committee on Energy and Technology took testimony this week on the The Global Warming Solutions Act. University of Vermont Professor Jon Erickson...more
1/27/2020
/ ACOs ,
Board of Education ,
Capital Investments ,
Climate Change ,
Cloud Computing ,
Community Development ,
Competency Requirements ,
Educational Institutions ,
Elder Issues ,
Federal Agency Taskforce ,
Global Warming ,
Health Care Providers ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Pending Legislation ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Public Records ,
Research and Development ,
Small Business Loans ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
Tax Returns ,
Tobacco Regulations ,
Wage and Hour ,
Ways and Means Committee
A workgroup report reviewed in the House Human Services Committee this week recommended that Vermont consider implementing an unused drug repository program....more
3/25/2019
/ Contract Renewal ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Deregulation ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Individual Mandate ,
Insurance Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Senate Finance Committee ,
State and Local Government ,
Subscription Services ,
Substance Abuse ,
Working Groups
Bill imposing strict liability for chemical management receives first Senate hearing -
The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing this week on S.37, a bill that would impose strict liability on a person who releases a...more
1/28/2019
/ Chemicals ,
Health Care Providers ,
Home Health Care ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
Strict Liability ,
Wage and Hour
Utilities, DPS Raise Concerns about Electric Grid Congestion -
A surplus of renewable electric generation, coupled with low demand, in northern Vermont has created constraints on the electric grid and caused ripple effects...more
4/12/2018
/ Credentialing ,
Dams ,
Electric Generation Suppliers ,
Inland Waterways ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medical License ,
Medicare Part D ,
Mental Health ,
Net Neutrality ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Ridesharing ,
Strict Liability ,
Unemployment ,
Utilities Sector
Senators Berate ANR Secretary over Missed Deadline -
Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Julie Moore said on Thursday she's learned to put requests in writing after she sought legislative permission to delay promulgation...more
4/2/2018
/ Airports ,
Aviation Industry ,
Consumer Contracts ,
Environmental Policies ,
Income Taxes ,
Internet ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Lyft ,
Net Neutrality ,
Online Platforms ,
Preemption ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Property Tax ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Ridesharing ,
Rural Development ,
Sales Tax ,
Sharing Economy ,
State and Local Government ,
Storm Water ,
Subscription Services ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Uber
A May 18th adjournment brought to a close the first half of the 74th biennial session of the Vermont General Assembly. Drama awaits as Gov. Phil Scott has threatened to veto H.518, the fiscal year 2018 budget, over an...more
5/30/2017
/ ACOs ,
Affordable Housing ,
Biologics ,
Carbon Taxes ,
Cell Towers ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Economic Development ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Storage ,
Energy-Efficiency Tax Credits ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Escrow Accounts ,
First Amendment ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Lifeline Program ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Mental Health ,
Mortgages ,
Net Metering ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Power Grid ,
Pregnancy Discrimination ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Retirement Plan ,
Rural Development ,
Sexual Assault ,
Social Media Policy ,
State Budgets ,
Students ,
Suicide ,
Telecommunications ,
Telemarketing ,
Telemedicine ,
Tobacco Regulations ,
Toxic Exposure ,
Water
Paid Family Leave Could Be Costly -
The House Committee on Ways and Means took up H.196, the Paid Family Leave bill this week after it passed out of the House Committee on General, Housing and Military Affairs over...more
4/3/2017
/ ACOs ,
Carbon Taxes ,
Commercial Insurance Policies ,
Emergency Response ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Lyft ,
Misclassification ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Sharing Economy ,
Telemedicine ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Uber ,
Wage and Hour
Governor’s $35 Million Housing Bond Discussed in Ways and Means Committee -
Executive Director Gus Selig of the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board revealed some of the details this week behind the $35 million bond...more
2/20/2017
/ ACOs ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Affordable Housing ,
Agricultural Sector ,
Aircraft Equipment ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Economic Development ,
Funding ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Job Creation ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Mental Health ,
Millennials ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
R&D ,
Research and Development ,
Rural Areas ,
Rural Development ,
Sales Tax ,
State Budgets ,
Tax Credits ,
Telemedicine ,
Transfer Taxes
Treasurer Will Build Public Pension Plan for Small Business -
State Treasurer Beth Pearce on Wednesday asked the Senate Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs Committee to create the framework for a...more
1/31/2017
/ Apprenticeships ,
Baby Boomers ,
Caregivers ,
Chemicals ,
Contamination ,
Department of Children and Families (DCF) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Elder Care ,
Elder Issues ,
Employee Benefits ,
Environmental Policies ,
Healthcare ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Mental Health ,
Natural Resources ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pharmacies ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Pension ,
Retirement ,
Retirement Plan ,
Senate Judiciary Committee ,
Small Business ,
State Treasurers ,
Telecommunications ,
Training
PFOA Contamination Likely to Spur Legislative Action -
The discovery of Perfluorooctanoic Acid contamination in southern Vermont drinking water has prompted legislators to examine whether more action is necessary to...more
4/6/2016
/ Automatic License Plate Readers ,
Ban the Box ,
Construction Industry ,
Contamination ,
Criminal Background Checks ,
Drinking Water ,
Drug Pricing ,
Employee-Ownership ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Hospitals ,
Housing Developers ,
Housing Market ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Tax Credits ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Ways and Means Committee
Equipment Supplier/Dealer Bill Moving in Commerce -
A bill that would tip the scales in contract negotiations between farm and yard equipment suppliers and their local dealers has passed the Senate and is now pending...more
3/29/2016
/ Broadband ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Drug & Alcohol Abuse ,
Drug Pricing ,
Economic Development ,
Health Care Providers ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Pesticides ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Retail Market ,
Suppliers ,
Telecommunications ,
Workplace Violence
Tax-writing House Committee Proposes $48 Million Hike -
The House Ways and Means Committee has approved a package of revenue measures totaling more than $48 million. The package includes a transportation funding bill...more
3/21/2016
/ Broadband ,
Driver's Licenses ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Gobeille v Liberty Mutual Insurance Com. ,
Health Insurance ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Managed Care Contracts ,
Mutual Funds ,
Prescription Drugs ,
State Funding ,
Ways and Means Committee ,
Workplace Violence
Committee Decides Physician Acquisition Disclosure Bill Is Unnecessary -
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee has decided not to pursue consideration of S.245, a proposal to require disclosure of new affiliations...more
3/1/2016
/ Affiliated-Business Arrangements ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Audits ,
Coal ,
Divestment ,
Economic Development ,
Exxon Mobil ,
Health Care Providers ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Penalties ,
Permits ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Telecommunications ,
Water Quality
Paid Sick Leave Bill Appears on Track for Passage -
The Senate Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs Committee on Thursday approved its version of a House-passed bill, H.187, that would require many Vermont...more