Results for: Vermont

Vermont Governor Phil Scott, a Republican, has vetoed a bill that would have established a pilot overdose prevention center in Burlington, the state’s largest city. The center would have included a safe injection site where people could use narcotics under the supervision of trained staff and receive treatment if they overdose. The legislation, supported by the Democratic-controlled Legislature, aimed to allocate $1.1 million for the project. However, Governor Scott expressed concerns about diverting funds from proven prevention and recovery strategies.

The Democrat-controlled Vermont legislature has enacted a landmark data privacy bill that empowers consumers to take legal action against companies violating their privacy rights. This law establishes stringent restrictions on the collection and use of personal data, including prohibitions on the sale of sensitive information. Despite concerns from the Republican governor about potential impacts on small businesses, the bill’s strong provisions have been praised by privacy advocates as among the most robust in the nation.

On Tuesday, Shant Michael Soghomonian, 35, pleaded not guilty to a federal charge of maliciously damaging or attempting to destroy by fire a building used in interstate commerce. The charges stem from an incident on April 5th, when Soghomonian allegedly set fire to the entrance of Senator Bernie Sanders’ office in Burlington, Vermont. The fire caused damage to the building’s interior and sprinklers but fortunately, the seven employees present at the time were able to evacuate safely.

The son of Honoree Fleming, a retired biologist and former dean at Vermont State University who was shot and killed on a hiking trail last October, is speaking out about the lack of progress in the case and the decline in moral values in America. Dean Powers has published a book of poems in his mother’s memory and is calling on her killer to turn himself in. Police have released a sketch of the suspect, but he remains at large and unidentified. Powers believes the lack of attention given to his mother’s case is indicative of a broader moral decline in society.