In the News...

This page excerpts some of the more recent articles in our largest local paper that have covered issues in which I've had an interest or have been directly involved with. Each has a link to the full article in PDF format, and links to the newspaper's actual article are in the right-hand column. Contact me with any questions about my stand as mentioned in these pieces, or on any other issues, via the phone/email at the bottom of the page.

Candidates on the Issues
October 21, 2010

The following six questions, along with a requested word limit, were asked of each local candidate for the Vermont House and Senate.

1. STATE BUDGET: With a projected state budget shortfall of around $120 million next fiscal year, would you look to cut programs or personnel, raise taxes, or a combination of the two? Please be specific in listing what you believe will be the cut and/or tax options.
2. EDUCATION FUNDING: Is Act 68 broken? What changes to the system would you make, or what alternative education funding system would you support during the coming biennium?
3. ENERGY: Should the state close the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant or renew its license? Either way, how should Vermont ensure that future power supplies meet demand at a reasonable price?
4. AGRICULTURE: How would you improve conditions for the state’s farmers, beyond programs that are being considered at the federal level?
5. HEALTH CARE: Should the state pursue additional health care reforms beyond Catamount Health and the federal health care law? If so, what measures can and should the state take on its own?
6. JOBS: What policies should Vermont pursue to create new jobs in a manner that will preserve the state’s scenic and agricultural identity?

Follow these links to read:   Will's responses as a PDF file  | online  |  full article & all responses online

Agricultural Development Board
Sept. 20, 2010

"...The Agricultural Development Board, which was created during the 2010 legislative session under Act 158 and includes five Addison County members, will addresses a range of agricultural topics. The act stipulates that the 12-person board is “the state's primary agricultural development entity,” and charges it with making recommendations to state agencies, the governor, the general assembly and the University of Vermont Extension Service that will further Vermont's agricultural sector.

“The board is designed to provide Vermont with a planning mechanism that can carry agricultural interests forward,” explained Rep. Will Stevens (I-Shoreham), a member of the house agriculture committee, which sponsored the bill.

The board, he said, will likely address the Vermont Seal of Quality, fluctuating milk prices, the Farm to Plate initiative, and other hot-button topics in agriculture.

The one drawback, said Stevens, is that the board is unfunded.

He cited a 2008 University of Vermont study in which 97 percent of Vermonters interviewed said that they valued the state's working landscape and its heritage. Because agriculture has such a large role to play in the state's economy, history, and its character, he said it is important to have a group watching and analyzing the trends, and recommending ways to improve the industry.

“Let's do something that will actually speak to the integrity of our agricultural practices, and make a commitment,” said Stevens. ..."

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Legislature Focuses on Farms
May 17, 2010

Lawmakers and farmers' advocates are saying that compromise and the importance of economic development programs rose to the forefront this year in the discussion about farm policy in Montpelier.

Agricultural policies that cleared the House and Senate this winter included new rules for farmers' markets; an overhaul of the Current Use program; small rules changes for the dairy industry; renewed funding for the "Farm to Plate" economic development plan; and the formation of a livestock care advisory committee, stronger penalties for slaughterhouse abuses, and the creation of a statewide agricultural development director, among other changes...

...Rep. Will Stevens, I-Shoreham, pointed out that many of this year's agricultural bills hinged on economic development. S.295, which expanded to include humane treatment issues, at its core was a piece of legislation designed to create a new position for a statewide agricultural development director.

...Stevens was the lead sponsor on another agricultural development bill, H.725, that aims to strengthen farmers? markets in the state. The bill creates statutory definitions for farmers' markets, acknowledges the Vermont Farmers' Market Association (VFMA), and puts the role of governing farmers' markets in the VFMA's hands. Stevens said that with the number of markets in the state around 85 and growing, the bill will give producers and the VFMA the power to regulate markets without bringing state-level interference into the picture. ..."

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Challenges for Change Cuts Touch Local Offices
April 12, 2010

"The Vermont Senate this week is expected to take its turn considering "Challenges for Change" legislation aimed at achieving $38 million in savings in the fiscal year 2011 state budget.

It was in February that the Douglas administration and legislative leaders agreed to undertake "Challenges for Change"— an effort they intended to go beyond one-time cost cutting and build long-term savings into state spending through changes in the way some state services are delivered.

An initial draft of the Challenges report, released on March 30, outlined several controversial proposals, including consolidating the state's 281 school districts into 50, using alternatives (such as electronic monitoring equipment) for non-violent offenders rather than more costly incarceration, and restructuring some human services programs in a manner that encourages preventative care and that requires some clients to pay more for services.

Scores of individuals and agencies that would be affected by the proposed Challenges cuts have been pleading their respective cases at the Statehouse. ..."

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