VTDigger Minute is a weekly news digest from Vermont PBS. Tune in every Wednesday at 6 p.m. and Thursday at 6:30 a.m. to hear about the week’s top stories.
This week on the Minute:
VTDigger’s 2019 Legislature cheat sheet
Vermont’s 2019 legislative session starts today. Lawmakers are expected to take up familiar debates over retail marijuana, the minimum wage, paid family leave, and education finance. But the makeup of the Legislature has changed: 40 new House members start their terms this year, including enough Democrats to give the left wing of the chamber a veto-proof supermajority.
House removes legislator contact information due to rise in threats
Another change this year: personal contact information for lawmakers has been removed from the Legislature’s website after an increase in threats against lawmakers and political candidates last year. The Capitol Police chief and the speaker of the House both said they’ve tried to strike a balance between accessibility and personal safety.
Some school district mergers on hold – for now
Thirty-one school districts and towns that sued the state to challenge forced mergers under Act 46 have scored a temporary reprieve. The deadline for those districts to install transitional school boards has been pushed back to late February. Lawyers on both sides will use that time to bolster their arguments before a judge.
