Thursday morning, lawmakers gaveled open a special session of the Vermont Legislature. Governor Peter Shumlin had earlier vetoed a bill that deals with the siting of renewable energy projects. Going into Thursday, it was an open question whether senators and representatives would override the veto, rewrite the bill or let the veto stand.
It was a day marked by endless roll call votes and charges of political posturing by both Republicans and Democrats. By Thursday night, though, a new version of the bill had passed both chambers and the governor has signaled that he will sign it.
We look at what happened in the special session, and the bigger question of whether the governor and lawmakers have satisfied the demand of some towns and individuals that they want more say in how and where Vermont decides to locate large solar and wind energy projects. Plus, how Thursday's political rancor will affect the summer election campaigns. Guests: Rep. Tony Klein, Rep. Paul Dame.
Also in the program, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Vermont. In June of 1791, the two men visited the newly created State of Vermont to learn the political leanings of people here. Vermont had been state for three months when they visited 225 years ago, and boundary issue with New York continued to simmer. Steve Perkins, executive director of the Vermont Historical Society, explains the nature of Jefferson's and Madison's trip to Vermont, and the circumstances they described in lengthy journal entries.
Broadcast live on Friday, June 10, 2016, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.
