Governor Peter Shumlin says he’s against new laws
restricting further the use of electronics while driving. Distracted driving is being talked about once
again, with a new state survey out finding a majority of Vermont
high school seniors are texting while behind the wheel. While Shumlin signed into a bill into law
last year banning the use of handheld devices while driving through work zones,
he says banning phones while driving won’t fix the problem. The says cell phones are a way of life and
he’s not a big believer in passing bills to make a point, adding you can’t
legislate common sense.
The president of the Vermont State Employees’ Association
says a bill that requires paid sick leave for private sector workers is the
right thing to do, while the head of a state retailers’ group says the bill
goes too far. The bill proposes that
most employees earn paid leave hours for personal and family health needs. Testimony today before the State
Legislature’s House Committee on General, Housing and Military Affairs came
from part-time workers, business owners, teachers and single parents.
National Grid customers in upstate New
York are getting a little bit of relief. New York 's
Public Service Commission gave the okay to give out $32 million dollars in
credits next month. This after higher
than normal bills to start the year. In
fact, next month's National Grid bill was expected to be even higher. With the credits, February's bill should look
similar to January's, which is still pretty high. The commission says it will review National
Grid's practices to make sure this doesn't happen again.
Experts say maple producers should be ''very careful'' if
they have to set maple taps in very cold weather. Tim Perkins of the University
of Vermont Proctor Maple Research Center said that besides damaging the growth
layer of the tree, tapping in extreme cold can also reduce the sap yield by
creating a leak. Perkins said not every producer will be out this early, but
large operations with more than 10,000 taps ''need to go out'' because it is a
time-consuming process.
A bill introduced in the Vermont Legislature could change
motorcycle helmet laws. What it changes
is the age of the person required to wear one, with operators older than 21
allowed to go without a helmet. The bill
is now in the hands of the House Transportation Committee.
