Wake-Up Call: Wednesday, May 21, 2008

With the PolitickerVT.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Vermont's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

With the PolitickerVT.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Vermont's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

Progressives fill leadership post

At its state committee meeting in Randolph this weekend, the Vermont Progressive Party elected Lee Madden of Brattleboro to fill the vice chairman slot vacated by gubernatorial candidate Anthony Pollina. (PolitickerVT.com, Zach Silber)

Link: http://www.politickervt.com/zach-silber/954/progressives-fill-leadership...

South Burlington voters OK budgets

SOUTH BURLINGTON -- Voters passed city and school budgets, and approved the use of sales tax revenue to fund a portion of the cost of adding six firefighters to the department Tuesday. Residents also approved an increase in the disabled veterans' property tax exemption, and voted against the continued use of bond funds to develop a wood-chip heating facility on school property. (Burlington Free Press, Sarah Buscher)

Link: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080521/N...

Bush signs Welch's oil bill

WASHINGTON -- Despite his initial opposition, President Bush has signed legislation by Rep. Peter Welch of Vermont to stop stockpiling oil in the nation's emergency reserve and use it to help lower the price of gasoline at the pump. (Burlington Free Press, Erin Kelly)

Link: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080521/N...

Leahy: 'Everybody is down'

A subdued Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said Tuesday he was pushing himself to get through the day after learning that a seizure suffered by his longtime friend, Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., last weekend was caused by a malignant brain tumor. (Burlington Free Press, Sam Hemingway)

Link: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080521/N...

Middlebury votes to OK option tax

MIDDLEBURY — The local option tax takes effect in October.

Voters approved a 1 percent tax on sales, meals, rooms and alcohol Tuesday, 305 to 102. Middlebury has a total checklist of 4,257, according to Town Clerk Ann Webster, putting turnout at about 9.6 percent. (Rutland Herald, Gordon Dritschilo)

Link: http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080521/NEWS01/...

Douglas signs bill to contain cost of mammogram co-pay
 
MONTPELIER — For many Vermont women, the choice between their own good health or the financial needs of their families isn't much of a contest.

Mortgage, fuel and grocery bills generally win out over expensive health care procedures, studies have shown, and the sacrifice can have dire consequences down the road. (Rutland Herald, Peter Hirschfeld)

Link: http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080521/NEWS03/...

Unclaimed assets return sets record

MONTPELIER — The money grab is on in Montpelier as a record number of Vermonters are snapping up unclaimed assets from the State Treasurer's office.

State Treasurer Jeb Spaulding said Monday that between July 2007 and May of this year, nearly 10,000 residents claimed about $4 million in unclaimed property. (Rutland Herald, Peter Hirschfeld)

Link: http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080521/NEWS03/...

MD opts not to run for Lt. Gov.

MONTPELIER—A Montpelier physician who is a voice for broad health care reform in Vermont is not going to run for lieutenant governor.

Deb Richter says she had considered running for the office as a Democrat. (Boston Globe, AP)

Link:  http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2008/05/20/md_opts_not...

With the PolitickerVT.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Vermont's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.