This week the impact of bills passed this legislative session is beginning to be understood: specific policy and training guidelines will now be required for the use of tasers by police. And a clerical error in a new law governing contribution limits to political candidates means the legislation won’t take effect until after the next election.
Meanwhile, the state is prepared to spend millions to keep jobs at the IBM plant in Essex Junction. Also, a national study released this week paints Vermont as a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing landscape of early education. And the recent death of a 15-month-old Winooski boy has prompted calls for further review of the Department For Children and Families.
These were some of the voices in the news this week:
New Law Will Set Statewide Taser Use Policy, Training
(Richard Gauthier) “The piece that we were concerned with was making sure that the policy struck a balance between what law enforcement needs and protection of the public,” he said. “The feedback I’ve been getting initially is that law enforcement is generally pretty happy with the way the bill finally came out.””
Drafting Error Creates Ambiguity In Campaign Finance Law
(Paul Burns) “But it is also entirely possible that a judge could look at the way the law was written and say, ‘but that is what the law says’” Burns says. “And I wouldn’t want to be in the attorney general’s shoes to enforce the law as it currently stands.”
State Prepared To Spend Millions To Keep Jobs At IBM Plant
(Administration Secretary Jeb Spaulding “We certainly can compete. We can’t match the dollar amounts that a state the size of New York can offer,” says Spaulding. “But in conjunction with the quality of our workforce, the quality of life and the other economic incentives that we can put forth, we can make a good case.”
National Report On Early Education Gives Vermont High Marks
(Steven Barnett) “2013 was the first year on record that we have seen state pre-K enrollment decline. We were very surprised. Notable for moving ahead would be Vermont and Iowa, two much smaller states than those that fell behind,”
Second Child Death Prompts Call For DCF Review
(Kevin Mullin) “I’m still concerned that there isn’t really a thorough review happening properly. And,” Mullin adds, “maybe that’s just my being alarmist in nature. But I’m not assured that we’re truly getting an independent study being done.”
