Legislative

Senator Patrick Leahy: USDA Secretary Vilsack - Lake Champlain Water Quality Initiatives 08/28/2014

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visits Vermont to announce significant funding related to improving water quality through conservation-related practices on Vermont farms.

Leahy is the most senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and one of the architects of the recently enacted Farm Bill, which includes a variety of land conservation and water quality initiatives. Vilsack on Thursday will join Leahy and other Vermont leaders at ECHO at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain on the waterfront in Burlington, for the announcement at 9 a.m.

Immediately following the announcement Vilsack hosts a national press availability by conference call from the Leahy Center to announce the rollout of the dairy margin insurance program that was created in the 2014 Farm Bill. That initiative was also led by Leahy in the Agriculture Committee’s work on the Farm Bill, in efforts joined by Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Peter Welch.

Senator Patrick Leahy: Groundbreaking for Waterfront North Improvements 08/05/2014

Senator Leahy, Mayor Weinberger and other officials took part in breaking ground for improvements to the area known as Waterfront North. Senator Leahy obtained $2.7 million for changes to the infrastructure on the Burlington Waterfront. Groundbreaking was held near the site for the new skate park, just north of the Moran building and the sailing center’s outdoor boat storage.

Senator Patrick Leahy: Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act 07/28/2014

Senator Leahy discusses the benefits consumers will soon see under his legislation, The Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, which cleared Congress Friday and within days will reach the President’s desk. Leahy’s bill allows consumers to “unlock” their used cell phones to connect to their preferred wireless networks, and makes it easier for organizations such as WHBW to expand programs to help domestic violence victims -- for instance by providing them with used cell phones on which they can summon 9-1-1 emergency help. Burlington Police Chief Mike Schirling also in attendance.

NOTE: Leahy at this news conference offers his first scheduled general comments on his breakthrough in negotiations over his USA FREEDOM Act, to end NSA’s dragnet collection of Americans’ electronic communications.

Legislative Report: Vermont State Employees' Association 07/21/2014

Hosts, Reps. Dave Sharpe (D) and Joey Donovan (D) speak with Steve Howard, Executive Director of the Vermont State Employees' Association.

Congressman Peter Welch: Brand USA 07/18/2014

Rep. Welch is joined by Vermont leaders on tourism to discuss his bipartisan efforts in the House to reauthorize Brand USA, a voluntary public-private partnership that promotes global tourism in the United State and supports Vermont’s vibrant tourism economy. Just this week, Brand USA was unanimously passed in the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

http://www.welch.house.gov

Senator Patrick Leahy: U.S. Senate Field Hearing In Vermont On Open Internet Rules 07/01/2014

Senator Patrick Leahy, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, holds a field hearing in Vermont on “Preserving an Open Internet: Rules to Promote Competition and Protect Main Street Consumers.” A panel of four witnesses testify at the hearing, including Michael Copps, a former Commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission; Martha Reid, Vermont State Librarian; Cabot Orton, proprietor of the Vermont Country Store; and Lisa Groeneveld, co-owner and Chief Operating Officer of the South Burlington-based Logic Supply Inc.

The Judiciary Committee field hearing focuses on the need to restore open Internet rules to replace FCC rules that were struck down earlier this year by the D.C. Circuit Court, including the rule prohibiting broadband providers from blocking lawful content and the rule barring them from unreasonably discriminating against lawful Internet traffic. The FCC currently is accepting public comments on a new set of proposed open Internet rules.

Leahy recently introduced legislation to require the FCC to ban so-called “paid prioritization” agreements between broadband providers and content providers, to help prevent creation of a two-tiered Internet system. The legislation, the Online Competition and Consumer Choice Act, would ensure that start-ups, entrepreneurs and small businesses, like the Vermont Country Store and Logic Supply, have ready access to the marketplace.

The Senator is joined by Vermont's sole Representative to Congress, Peter Welch (D).

Pomerleau Family - Gift to Burlington Boys & Girls Club 06/30/2014

Senator Patrick Leahy makes remarks at an announcement of a major gift by the Pomerleau family (the Senator's wife Marcelle, is a Pomerleau) to the Burlington Boys and Girls Club. Representative Peter Welch also attends.

Senator Bernie Sanders: Wealth and Income Inequality 06/20/2014

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is joined by Bishop Thomas Ely, Rabbi Joshua Chasan, the Rev. Lynn Bujnak, and Monsignor Roland Rivard focussing on wealth and income inequality.

Legislative Report: Speaker of the House, Shap Smith 06/16/2014

Hosts, Reps. Dave Sharpe (D) and Joey Donovan (D) host Shap Smith (D), Speaker of the House and Represenative of Lamoille-Washington.

Congressman Peter Welch: Affordable Housing Legislation 06/13/2014

Congressman Welch, joined by Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger and Vermont housing leaders, unveils legislation to extend a federal tax credit to stimulate the construction of affordable housing.

http://www.hvt.org/

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Applications Now Open for the Spring 2025 Cohort of the Neighborhood Community Media Internship Program

Town Meeting TV is excited to announce that applications are now open for the Spring 2025 cohort of the Neighborhood Community Media Internship program. Join up to 8 other youth to engage in interesting media making projects! This paid media internship opportunity is designed for youth aged 16-20 who are eager to gain professional experience in the audio-visual field and develop a deeper understanding of their local community. The group will meet under the leadership of Town Meeting TV's Travis Washington from the end of January 2025 to the beginning of June 2025, on a schedule agreed upon by the whole cohort. Click here to apply!