Free Republic

Dozens of resorts with permits to operate on national forests have bought or acquired rights to use nearby bodies of water for snowmaking. The Forest Service had adopted a clause that said those resorts had to transfer their water rights to the federal government ... After the National Ski Areas Association sued, a judge ruled last year that the agency violated procedure in not seeking public comment before adopting the clause. The agency now plans open houses April 16 in Lakewood, Colo., on April 17 in Salt Lake City, and April 18 in Lake Tahoe, Calif., to get input.

American citizens can be ordered to decrypt their PGP-scrambled hard drives for police to peruse for incriminating files, a federal judge in Colorado ruled today in what could become a precedent-setting case. Judge Robert Blackburn ordered a Peyton, Colo., woman to decrypt the hard drive of a Toshiba laptop computer no later than February 21--or face the consequences including contempt of court. Blackburn, a George W. Bush appointee, ruled that the Fifth Amendment posed no barrier to his decryption order. The Fifth Amendment says that nobody may be "compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself," which...

Second Amendment activists have shot down gun-control legislation in Montpelier and are drawing a bead on Sen. Patrick Leahy’s anti-weapons-trafficking proposal and other measures in Washington. But Gun Owners of Vermont, the state affiliate of a group described by the New York Times as more militant than the National Rifle Association, hasn’t yet managed to kill Burlington’s bid to ban assault rifles and high-capacity ammunition clips. “Burlington is saying ‘our state government isn’t doing anything, our federal government isn’t doing anything, so we’re going to do something,’” comments State Rep. Linda Waite-Simpson (D-Essex), Vermont’s foremost gun-control advocate. “Burlington’s trying to...

**SNIP** Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, one of Congress' most outspoken liberals and a vehement opponent of chained CPI, warned Obama on Friday morning not to renege on his promise to avoid cuts to entitlement programs and veterans benefits as a way to reduce the deficit. “Millions of working people, seniors, disabled veterans, those who have lost a loved one in combat, and women will be extremely disappointed if President Obama caves into the long standing Republican effort to cut Social Security and benefits for disabled veterans and their survivors through a so-called chained CPI,” he said in a...

Calvin Coolidge and the Greatness of a 'Not Great' President Written by Jack Kenny If brevity is the soul of wit, it is unfortunate that Calvin Coolidge (shown) is remembered more for his greatly exaggerated brevity than for his frequently overlooked wit. Indeed, two of the famous quotes attributed to Coolidge have often been cited to suggest dullness rather than keenness of insight. "The business of America is business," our 30th president said, suggesting to some people a too narrow view of the meaning of life and politics in this blessed Republic. Worse, a badly worded statement about unemployment ("When...

Since the murder of 20 kindergarten students in Newtown, Conn., sparked a nationwide debate over firearms, Gov. Peter Shumlin has been unwavering in his opposition to any new Vermont laws aimed at restricting the rights of gun owners. “I just think you need a 50-state solution,” Shumlin said at a press conference last Thursday. “That’s not something that I feel any ambiguity about.” Could a new piece of information change his mind? At that same press conference, Shumlin was asked whether state and local police should be able to enforce federal gun laws that aren’t codified in Vermont statute. Federal...

Maggie Hassan, the Democratic .. governor .. New Hamphshire. Maggie is married to Thomas Hassan, the principal of Phillips Exeter Academy. ... On Thomas Hassan’s watch, numerous Islamic scholars and activists with ties to radical Islamic groups have been invited to address student assemblies and other student forums. Among them, Hadia Mubarak, former president of the Muslim Student Association, spoke at a PEA assembly on Oct, 1, 2007. Founded by the Muslim Brotherhood, the MSA was labeled “a virtual terror factory” by terrorism expert Patrick Poole. Its former members include such notable jihadists as Anwar al-Awlaki, Ramy Zamzam, Omar Hammami,...

A federal court is scheduled on Monday to sentence a Mennonite pastor who was convicted of helping a Lesbian-turned-Christian woman to flee the country with her daughter after her former partner was awarded custody of the girl. Kenneth L. Miller of Stuarts Draft, Va., will appear before Burlington, Vt., Judge William Sessions on Monday afternoon, and faces up to three years in prison, according to The Associated Press. Prosecutors want Miller to be sentenced to two-and-a-half or three years in prison – the maximum sentence for his conviction in abetting international parental kidnapping. "Because of his brazen intervention, a child...

(CNSNews.com) – A group of House Democrats labeling themselves the Safe Climate Caucus held a press conference today to warn that if Congress does not address global warming, the country could face dire consequences, including detrimental effects to California wines and an end to Vermont skiing. One Democratic representative even worried that global warming could destroy the state of Maryland. “If we do nothing about what is happening, it will destroy our economy, it will destroy our state, and it will have a broad impact not just here in this country but around the world,” Maryland Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.)...

There is a showdown over guns coming to the Senate Wednesday, but no firearms are allowed. In advance of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday morning, two of the committee’s Republican members sent a complaint that they were refused permission to bring guns to the hearing. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas sent a letter Tuesday night to Chairman Patrick Leahy, Vermont Democrat, that the purpose of bringing the firearms was to educate fellow Senators and “shatter the mistaken belief that guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens are a danger to society.” However,...

BURLINGTON, Vt. (CBS Connecticut) — A gun range has banned a Vermont police department from training there in protest to the city council drafting legislation to ban assault-style firearms. The Stowe Reporter reports that the Lamoille Valley Fish and Game Club decided to ban the Burlington Police Department because the executive board feels that the Burlington City Council wants to take away their Second Amendment rights. We “can no longer support the City of Burlington with such a prejudice against our club and its members, and has voted to suspend the City’s use of our range for its law enforcement....

The Burlington Police Department last week found itself in a crossfire between the Burlington City Council and the Lamoille Valley Fish and Game Club. The club’s Morristown shooting range is no longer allowing the police department to train there because its executive board feels the city council is infringing on Second Amendment freedoms.

BURLINGTON, Vt. —The Burlington Police Department is getting caught in the crossfire between Burlington City Council and Second Amendment advocates. A shooting range in Morrisville, Vt. is no longer letting Burlington Police officers train there.

MONTPELIER, Vt. - Vermont officials overseeing the state's transition to a single-payer health care system say providing health insurance to undocumented immigrants would not likely cost taxpayers much money. Lawmakers asked the Green Mountain Care Board to examine the costs of coverage for people who are here illegally. But officials say it's difficult to nail down a price tag because there are no firm numbers of how many undocumented people live in Vermont. It's estimated to be between 1,500 and 3,000. "But we did learn, I think, enough kind of useful facts about the demographics of the population and some...

BENNINGTON -- State lawmakers are planning to challenge Vermont’s permissive gun laws in the upcoming legislative session, but any attempt to restrict firearms or ammunition is likely to be met with opposition steeped in a history and culture emanating from before statehood. Incoming Senate Majority Leader Philip Baruth, D-Burlington, plans to file legislation in the coming days to enact a state-level assault weapons ban. It would prevent the sale of semi-automatic firearms utilizing a detachable magazine and ban high-capacity magazines. The bill also would require trigger locks on all firearms. Additional provisions restricting firearms could be added to garner support...

Last night the Brattleboro City Council voted to ban whatever it labels as an "assault weapon." Film of the meeting shows a lively exchange between outraged citizens and the toffy noses on the council. This despite there being no laws regarding firearms ownership or licensing in the State of Vermont. "Constitution of the State of Vermont: Article 16th. Right to bear arms; standing armies; military power subordinate to civil "That the people have a right to bear arms for the defence of themselves and the State - and as standing armies in time of peace are dangerous to liberty, they...

BURLINGTON, Vt. - A passionate crowd - many in blaze orange - packed City Hall Monday night. Most of whom were there to voice concern and contest the proposed change to the city charter. "It's not really good to pass feel good legislations," said one gun rights advocate to the city council. The proposed amendment banning semi-automatic assault weapons and multiple ammunition clips came from Norm Blais, (D-Burlington City Council) in the wake of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. "To those people who say we don't need this legislation in Burlington because nothing like this...

The right to bear arms is the law of the land. But after an unprecedented series of shooting rampages last year, some state and local governments are now considering bans on assault weapons on their streets. Burlington's City Council will vote Monday night on a charter change that would prohibit certain weapons in Vermont's largest city. Vermont state statute blocks such bans, but that isn't stopping some Burlington City Council members. They'll consider a strongly-worded resolution that essentially asks for an exception to the state law. They've proposed a charter change that would ban semi-automatic assault weapons and multiple ammunition...

The New Year could push milk prices to $7 a gallon. With Congress spending all its time trying to avert the fiscal cliff, a slew of other legislative matters are going unattended. One of them is the agriculture bill which, if not addressed, could lead to a doubling of the price of milk early next year. ... Sky-high milk prices wouldn't necessarily be good for dairy farmers either, according to Chris Galen, a spokesman for the National Milk Producers Federation, which represents over 30,000 dairy farmers. While it might provide a short term boost to profits, there's a fear that...

What do you do when you are an assistant professor at a public university and you’ve been caught red-handed retweeting a tweet advocating murder? If you’re University of Rhode Island professor Erik Loomis, you delete your entire Twitter account ... We’re glad he won’t be advocating violence on Twitter any longer. Hopefully, he will use the freed-up time to seek help from a mental health professional. * * * Update: What exactly is Loomis hiding? Before he deleted his Twitter account, we managed to make note of a few of his angrier tweets

Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont was sworn in Tuesday as president pro tempore of the Senate. As the longest serving Democrat now in the Senate, Leahy moved to third place in the line of presidential succession, behind Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker John Boehner. Biden swore Leahy in as the successor to Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye in the Senate post. Inouye, who also chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee, died Monday at age 88. A vase of white roses was on Inouye’s desk on the Senate floor.

The Democratic chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee says he plans to hold a hearing in January to consider changing federal drug laws to allow people to possess up to one ounce of marijuana. On Thursday, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) released a letter that he sent earlier this month to Gil Kerlikowske, the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), asking the nation’s drug czar how the administration intends to proceed now that two states have legalized marijuana use. …

MONTPELIER, December 6, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) – Despite strong opposition from pro-life forces and a recent high-profile defeat in neighboring Massachusetts, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin said last week he is confident the state legislature will pass a bill legalizing assisted suicide during the next session. Referring to assisted suicide as “death with dignity,” Shumlin laid out his agenda for 2013 in a press conference last week. “I’m confident that regardless of who leads the various bodies in the legislature, that we can pass decriminalization of marijuana, death with dignity, and the [unionization] bill for childcare workers,” the governor said. “We’re going...

If you don’t lock up your guns – or at least keep them unloaded – when you have guests, you could be sued when something goes wrong. One Vermont family is finding out just how horribly wrong things can go: They are being sued for wrongful death in the wake of an accidental shooting between two house guests, which left one of them dead. The suit alleges that the family was negligent, because the weapon involved in the incident was loaded, unsecured and belonged to a family member. Tragic Facts Jeffrey Charbonneau, 24, and his friend Nick Bell, 25, ran...

LYNDONVILLE, Vt. (BP) -- A Vermont bed and breakfast has settled a lawsuit brought by the state's Human Rights Commission and two women who wanted to have a same-sex wedding reception on the inn's property. The Wildflower Inn in Lyndonville agreed to pay $10,000 to the Vermont Human Rights Commission as a civil penalty for violating Vermont's Fair Housing and Public Accommodations Act as well as $20,000 in a charitable trust to be controlled by the couple, the Burlington Free Press reported Aug. 23. "The Wildflower Inn has always served -- and will continue to serve -- everyone in our...

BRATTLEBORO — Six anti-nuclear protesters were convicted Tuesday of unlawful trespass at the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant by a Windham County jury, after a judge rejected their attempts to turn the trial into a tribunal on nuclear power. After deliberating for more than an hour and a half, the four-man, eight-woman jury returned the unanimous guilty verdict.

As costs of college soars (with thanks to absurd union salaries and benefits, as well as absurd administrator salaries and benefits), those attending college have increasing trouble paying back loans. ... a stunning 37.8 percent of recent graduates are working in jobs that do not require a college degree. The study said that means wages are depressed, making the situation for graduates even more difficult.

Vermont is the only state in the nation on a path to a single payer health system. That could take a while, though. And in the meantime, the state has to set up an insurance exchange to comply with the Affordable Care Act. While some states are still struggling with the basic question of whether to do their own exchanges, Vermont is moving ahead at a rapid clip, digging into the details of how much various health plans will cost on its exchange. The Green Mountain Care Board this week released the basic outline of benefit packages that will be...

Ski and snowboard season for the Northeast opens in just a few weeks. And when it does, a Vermont ski area plans to unveil a gondola powered entirely by cow manure. Killington Resort in central Vermont has partnered with Green Mountain Power to convert manure from nearby dairy farms to electricity for its K-1 Express Gondola. The so-called "Cow Power" program uses manure from 10,000 cows producing 300,000 gallons of manure per day. "Easily the coolest thing you can possibly do with cow manure," the power company's website declares. "The short version is that we take cow manure, work some...

BURLINGTON, Vt. -Overseas Vermont voters will get more time to vote by absentee ballot. The state of Vermont agreed to push the deadline back to November 16th. Ballots went out late to overseas Vermont residents and military personnel -- and the U.S. Justice Department sued the state - saying Vermont needed to give voters more time. Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos says the ballots went out late - because of a recount in the Progressive primary for Governor.

BURLINGTON, VT - A new school lunch report card gives Burlington schools a D+ plus for failing to offer students enough vegetarian and vegan choices. Burlington is the only Vermont school district included in a nationwide sampling conducted by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. In general the group says school lunches are getting healthier, in part due to new federal regulations. But the district loses points for only offering vegetarian entrees twice a week, offering no vegan entrees at all and also for not educating kids about the health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Vermont could be first in line for single payerBy JOANNE KENEN | 9/17/12 4:28 AM EDT **SNIP** Shumlin can’t get there by 2014. He may not get there by 2017, when states get more flexibility under the health law to design their own health care systems. He may not get there at all. But he believes that even small states must aim big. **SNIP** The rest of the United States has no interest in single payer, of course, not now nor in the near future. Not only did the 2010 health law reject single payer or a public option, its...

A second Vermonter has died from the eastern equine encephalitis, a rare and potentially fatal brain infection spread by mosquitoes, Health Department officials confirmed on Tuesday. Scott Sgorbati, 49, of Sudbury, died within the last few days after fighting the virus for several weeks. Two weeks ago, Richard Hollis Breen, 87, of Brandon died of EEE, after being sick with the disease for five days. Vermont Health Commissioner Dr. Harry Chen on Tuesday offered condolences to the families of both men and reminded Vermonters that EEE is a very rare virus. On average there are only six cases a year...

The Vermont Yankee nuclear plant on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against the state over taxes on the plant that the Legislature passed this year. Vermont Yankee had already won a round in federal court over the state's efforts to close the reactor in Vernon, 120 miles south of Montpelier. That case is now on appeal at the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York. The new lawsuit, by New Orleans-based plant owner Entergy Corp., targets taxes that increase the reactor's annual state tax levy from about $5 million to about $12.8 million, according to a statement released by...

A Republican-controlled Senate in 2012 looks less likely than it did a few weeks ago, but the prospect for GOP gains is still quite solid. Of the 33 Senate seats up for grabs this cycle, seven are occupied by Democrats or Democrat-leaning independents who are not seeking reelection, three are occupied by Republicans who are not seeking reelection, 16 are occupied by Democrats seeking reelection, and seven are occupied by Republicans seeking reelection. This is the class of senators last elected in 2006, a midterm election that almost could not have gone worse for the GOP. A few recent developments...

MONTPELIER, Vt. -- Two New York women and a Vermont country inn have settled a lawsuit that accused the business of refusing to host the couple's wedding reception... Kate and Ming Linsley contacted the ACLU after Ming's mother was told last year by the Wildflower Inn's events manager that the inn didn't host "gay receptions" due to the innkeepers' "personal feelings." The women say they will use the money for legal costs and donate the rest to charity. As part of the settlement, the Wildflower Inn agreed to no longer host wedding receptions.

He fought the law, and the law got crushed. The man who drove a tractor over several police vehicles in northern Vermont last week is on the verge of becoming a modern-day folk hero to some, with various online sites cropping up to canonize and defend the "simple farmer" from Newport, Vt. Roger Pion, 34, was so angry about his arrest last month on marijuana and other charges, he took the law into his own hands, so to speak, and flattened 6 police cruisers and a van from the ">Orleans County Sheriff's Department. The Aug. 2 incident got Pion arrested....

A Vermont man is accused of single-handedly leaving a path of destruction at one police station... Police say 34-year-old Roger Pion of Newport, Vt. took his family's farm tractor and ran over the cars just after lunchtime Thursday. Apparently, Pion was none-too happy about being arrested for resisting arrest after being caught with marijuana.

VT. POL KOS 9/11 HERO MEDALS By VINCENT MORRIS SEN. LEAHYKills bill. April 12, 2002 -- WASHINGTON - A Vermont senator has single-handedly killed a plan to honor the cops and firefighters who gave their lives on 9/11 with special presidential medals, The Post has learned. Sen. Patrick Leahy, the Democratic chairman of the Judiciary Committee, pulled the plug on legislation to bestow the "Presidential Medal of Valor" on public-safety workers who perished in the terror attacks. The new medal, which is the nation's highest public-safety award, was created about a year ago, and the 9/11 heroes were set...

The suspects drove away from the scene in a dark, regular-cab pickup truck. The last four digits of the truck’s license plate are 3330, according to witnesses at the scene. Police across the region are on the lookout following an attempted abduction on the Virginia Tech campus Friday morning in which two men tried to drag a woman into a pickup truck, according to the Virginia Tech Police. Maj. Kevin L. Foust said the woman, who has not been identified, was crossing Henderson Lawn from College Avenue to Alumni Mall about 2:15 a.m. when two men approached her. Police said...

BURKE, Vt. (AP) - Vermont State Police say a man died after he broke into a home by smashing a glass window and was severely cut as he climbed through it.

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — A Vermont prosecutor says an Essex homeowner who stabbed to death an intruder found in his home in the middle of the night acted in self-defense and no charges will be filed. On Tuesday, Chittenden County State's Attorney T.J. Donovan released the results of his investigation into the June 1 incident at the home of 40-year-old Shawn Garrett.

(WSYB ("We Serve You Best") AM 1380 in Rutland VT dropped Rush Limbaugh. Here are some listener comments...there was a "drop Rush on WSYB" petition drive but I don't know if that was the reason Rush was pulled (in favor of Jim Rome). It could have been a cost factor. Anyway: --No more Rush? No reason to listen. Seems the GM politics stated clearly in the Rutland Herald article a few months ago trump station viability. But what the heck. The liberal management will just go elsewhere to make a living leaving local employees out of work. It is what...

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean blasted anti-tax rhetoric Thursday, arguing that Americans owed something back to the nation that created the world’s most successful economy. In an appearance with Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus on CNBC’s “The Kudlow Report,” Dean took a shot at the businessman’s stance. “You made a lot of money because you live in the United States of America,” he said. “We owe something to the government to grow up in this great country. I’m tired of hearing people in the private sector talk like they don’t owe the government anything. We do. This is a great...

WINOOSKI, Vt. - "I know they don't leave their door open like that late at night," Christine Cusson. Cusson watched as police swarmed her neighbors' home early Tuesday morning. She lives on River Street in Winooski with her young son. But a violent home invasion has her second guessing their safety. "It's pretty hard," she said. "It's scary." Police say at 1 a.m. Tuesday the tenants in an apartment heard a banging at the door. The male resident told police the woman standing outside was a stranger. She was looking for another man who occasionally stayed with the Winooski couple....

- FrontPage Magazine - http://frontpagemag.com - Pat Leahy’s Anti-Israel ExtremismPosted By Ben Shapiro On June 1, 2012 @ 12:40 am In Daily Mailer,FrontPage | 5 Comments Last Thursday, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) targeted an amendment by Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) that would force the State Department to determine how many actual Palestinian refugees – not their children, relatives, friends, or distant relations – are being served by US tax dollars. Leahy was upset because he knew, as most supporters of the Palestinian cause do, that the number of Palestinians who fled or were expelled from Israel during the 1948 war...

ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. - A man is dead following a home invasion early Friday morning. It happened at a residence on Main Street in Essex Junction. Police say the intruder was killed after getting into an altercation inside the building. More details are expected later.

BURLINGTON, VERMONT, May 22, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) – The city council of Burlington, Vermont, has passed a new ordinance that could have the effect of banning pro-life protesters from exercising their right to protest in front of the town’s Planned Parenthood facility. On Monday, council members voted to establish a 35-foot “safety zone” about the town’s abortion clinic by a vote of 13-1. Republican Paul Decelles cast the lone dissenting vote. The measure now goes to a three-member Ordinance Committee for final wording. Ten council members supported the measure going in, although the Burlington Free Press reports pro-life and pro-choice citizens...

(CNN) -- Vermont's governor has signed a bill making it the first U.S. state to ban fracking, the controversial practice to extract natural gas from the ground. "This is a big deal," Gov. Peter Shumlin said Wednesday. "This bill will ensure that we do not inject chemicals into groundwater in a desperate pursuit for energy."

Poor Phineas Gage. In 1848, the supervisor for the Rutland and Burlington Railroad in Vermont was using a 13-pound, 3-foot-7-inch rod to pack blasting powder into a rock when he triggered an explosion that drove the rod through his left cheek and out of the top of his head. As reported at the time, the rod was later found, "smeared with blood and brains." Miraculously, Gage lived, becoming the most famous case in the history of neuroscience — not only because he survived a horrific accident that led to the destruction of much of his left frontal lobe but also...