Final Reading: Cat's out of the bag

At left is Cyrus. Right column from top: Ruthie and Leo, Suki and Leia.

Dogged readers may have sniffed out today that VTDogger’s editorial direction has gone to the dogs.

And the dedicated reporters behind Feline Reading’s operations are — excuse my French — hissed.

(Please continue scrolling for real news of the day.)

Suki, the most adolescent of Feline Reading’s crew, is fired up. Filled with youthful energy — and angst — she won’t have any of what she calls “blatant pawpaganda.” She’s sticking it to the man by digging in houseplants and tearing up the roll of paper towel.

Former assistant health reporter Cyrus got too close to the fire. His paws deep in crucial reporting on Vermont’s hospital systems, he was suddenly canned on the spot, his supervisor alleging that walking on the keyboard isn’t “real work.” Now he’s going rogue.

“Suspicious, isn’t it?” he mused Friday. “What are they hiding?”

Leia has done her time in this godforsaken industry. Asked for comment Friday, she frankly could not be bothered.

Also, senior members of the digital team, Leo and Ruthie, were too busy napping to comment when reached Friday. However, these food-motivated felines might stir for next week’s cafeteria mews.

— Sarah Mearhoff, Liora Engel-Smith and Natalie Williams

IN THE KNOW

Vermont lawmakers are barred from soliciting donations from lobbyists, PACs, corporations or labor unions during the legislative session. But that doesn’t stop state political parties from accepting donations while lawmakers are at work under the Golden Dome.

After a day of work in the Statehouse, lawmakers could walk a block down State Street Thursday evening to attend a fundraiser benefiting the Vermont Democratic Party’s Senate Caucus Fund, held at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Montpelier, according to the event invitation.

Claire Cummings, executive director of the Vermont Democratic Party, told VTDigger Friday that some lobbyists did attend Thursday “but as individual private citizens. The checks were not coming from the lobbying firms.”

Tickets to the in-person event started at $50, and jumped to $1,000 to reserve an eight-person table. Guests who purchased VIP tickets, starting at $150 a pop, were able to attend a VIP cocktail hour with “a more intimate setting for casual conversations with VDP leadership and the Democratic Senators.”

— Sarah Mearhoff

Washington Superior Court said Do Not Call! ?‍♀️

The court sided with Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan Thursday in a civil lawsuit against Karabell Industries, a Missouri-based company, and its owner, Eli Karabell. Prosecutors alleged Karabell harassed state lawmakers with late-night telemarketing calls, contract proposals and demands for large payments, up to $48 billion.

According to court documents, Karabell is barred from soliciting any Vermont residents, including lawmakers, and faces a $10,000 fine for each violation.

— Riley Robinson

ON THE MOVE

A Burlington charter change bill, H.448, got a preliminary OK from the Senate on Friday in a voice vote with no debate. The bill would empower the city council to regulate heating systems in residential and commercial buildings.

There were audible “no” votes from the body, but nobody requested a division or roll call.

And it seems we’re not the only ones looking for levity today: “It’s April Fool’s Day, and so I thought, Could I change the name of this charter to, ‘Capturing hot air from Burlington City Hall,’” joked Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale, D-Chittenden, in her presentation on the Senate floor.

— Riley Robinson

The Senate advanced another local charter change Friday — this one to create the City of Essex Junction, severing the village from the neighboring town of Essex.

H.491, the bill to adopt the charter change, lays out a yearlong separation process in which the two municipalities would continue to jointly pay for “assessing, clerk/treasurer, information technology, police, public works, and stormwater.”

Reporting the bill before the Senate, Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale, D-Chittenden, highlighted just how long the two neighbors have debated either merging or separating. “It is a historic vote in a 110-year journey for the relationship between Essex Junction and Essex town,” she said.

Read more here.

— Ethan Weinstein

A bill to exempt properties owned by the state-recognized Abenaki tribes from property taxes is close to the finish line.

By a preliminary voice vote on Friday, the Senate advanced H.556 with no dissent or debate. The bill faces one more vote before it heads to Gov. Phil Scott’s desk for his signature. Scott’s spokesperson, Jason Maulucci, said the governor supports the bill. With his signature, it would take effect July 1.

Sen. Ruth Hardy, D-Addison, said on the floor that the fiscal impact of the bill for the state would be “very small” — roughly $7,000 — but its impact on the state’s tribes would be greater. Tribes could invest the money back into their communities, she said, and the bill could be another step forward in addressing Vermont’s history of colonizing Abenaki lands.

— Sarah Mearhoff

COVID CORNER

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention removed three Vermont counties from its “high” Covid-19 community level category in its latest data update on Thursday evening.

Two of the three counties that were in the “high” category last week, Washington and Essex, were in the “medium” category as of Thursday, the CDC reported. The rest of the state was in the “low” category.

Read more here.

— Erin Petenko

IN CONGRESS

U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who remained mum about his retirement plans until last November, clearly moves in mysterious ways. But Politico spotted the senator celebrating his 82nd birthday in Washington on Thursday with none other than U2 frontman Bono.

When we learned the news, we were on The Edge of our seats. Has Leahy been stuck in a Senate seat he can’t get out of? Has he found what he’s looking for? Either way, happy birthday, senator. Boy, we hope it was a beautiful day — with or without Bono.

— The geriatric millennial editor of Final Reading

CORRECTION SECTION

You may need to update your GCal if you heeded my advice yesterday: Our U.S. House debate is actually April 13.

— Riley Robinson

WHAT’S FOR LUNCH

On Monday, the chef’s special will be Beef Stroganoff. I forgot to ask about Tuesday. I am very sorry. Please know that no one is more disappointed in me than I.

— Lola Duffort

[Editor’s note: That is not the case.]