In his weekly press conference, Gov. James Douglas talked about his meeting on Wednesday with President Obama and Vice President Biden and their call for a bipartisan approach to energy issues, particularly investments in biofuels, biomass, hydroelectric and nuclear power.
When asked if he was satisfied with recent management decisions at Vermont Yankee, including the removal of one official who apologized and the creation of a special Entergy team who will focus on the investigation of misstatements regarding underground piping at the plant and inspections of the tritium leak, the governor said, “We don’t have the answers we need at this point.”
He said he wants to see the investigation and inspections wrapped up and a decommissioning plan from the company.
“There are a lot of balls that are still in the air that may come down before we all feel comfortable,” Douglas said.
In testimony on Wednesday, Commissioner Douglas O’Brien said he would like to see a management team that had the authority to make decisions at Vermont Yankee. A reporter at the press conference asked Douglas what he would like to see.
“I’ve been vague because I don’t want to prescribe how the corporation is structured,” Douglas said. “What I’m interested in is not the structure, or the personalities, but the results.”
Douglas on the U.S. Supreme Court decision to allow corporations to contribute to political campaigns:
Douglas says the decision has no impact on state corporate contributions laws. “I’d rather have a statute than not, I’m also concerned we’re getting into an election. … Maybe the tradition of not making changes in an election year is one that should be respected.
Would the governor support bill in the legislature that would ask him to certify that there is congressional authorization for a war before the Vermont National Guard is deployed.
“The Congress has made it quite clear the president orders the National Guard into federal service, that he has that authority,” Douglas Said.
Do you have concerns that there are enough guard soldiers here? “I want to make sure that there are. … Some states had three quarters of their soldiers deployed and we made it clear we were uncomfortable with that.”
Do you care for legislation regarding use of hands-free cell phones?
Douglas supports a ban on texting, but “beyond that it gets to be a slippery slope.”
Is the governor pleased with the legislators’ draft legislation under the Challenges for Change plan to reorganize state government?
“I think the process is going along well,” Douglas said. The Legislature recognizes the need to get our spending under control. “We have to take the first step, which is relatively easy. It solves the first quarter of our budget gap and I think the legislators are doing a good job. I’d hoped we’d be a little further along by now, but I know they’re working hard on it.”
