While you nurse an Easter candy hangover, here's what's happening in Vermont news and politics this week. Got a newsworthy event for next week's calendar? Email by Friday to submit.
Monday, April 1
- At 7:10 a.m., House Minority Leader Don Turner is on "Charlie + Ernie + Lisa in the Morning" - WMVT 620 AM. At 8:10 a.m., the guest is Burlington Police Chief Mike Schirling.
- Congressman Peter Welch will confab with renewable- energy execs in Williston today to announce legislation on funding clean-energy projects. 12:45 p.m. at AllEarth Renewables.
- Showdown at the Burlington City Council: Joan Shannon vs. Karen Paul for all the marbles. 7 p.m. Mayor Miro Weinberger also delivers a state-of-the-city address.
Rest of the week after the break...
Tuesday, April 2
- At 7:10 a.m., House Speaker Shap Smith is on "Charlie + Ernie + Lisa" - WVMT 620 AM.
- At 8:30 a.m., the Vermont Senate has scheduled a second reading for S.38, a bill to grant driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants. (Oops. It's on the notice calendar, not the action calendar. Thanks to an eagle-eyed lobbyist for the correction.) The bill passed the Senate Transportation Committee by 4-1 on Friday.
- Big day for health care: The public and lawmakers finally get their first look at how Team Shumlin plans to fund its health care overhaul. The House Health Care Committee begins hearings after 10 a.m. Also, departing chair of the Green Mountain Care Board, Anya Rader Wallack, is on "The Mark Johnson Show" at 9 a.m. - WDEV 96.1 FM.
- This morning, the House Committee on Housing, General and Military Affairs begins taking testimony on S.14, a "fair share fee" bill that would require public employees who opt out of union membership to pay fees when they benefit from the terms of union-negotiated contacts.
- Meanwhile, the House Government Operations Committee takes up campaign-finance reform this week. First up: super-PAC-loving Attorney General Bill Sorrell at 11 a.m.
Wednesday, April 3
- More testimony on H.200, the pot decrim bill. Beginning at 8:30 a.m., House Judiciary hears from Sorrell, Chittenden County State's Attorney T.J. Donovan, Winooski Police Chief Steve McQueen and Bram Kranichfeld, former Burlington city councilor and current director of the state's attorneys and sheriffs association. Uh, you sure that's not spelled "Chronicfeld," dude?
- At 9 a.m., two legislative committees hold a joint hearing on Lyme disease.
- Also at 9 a.m., catch Team Shumlin health care guru Robin Lunge on "The Mark Johnson Show" - WDEV 96.1 FM.
- At 1 p.m., the group Vermonters for Health Care Freedom holds a Statehouse presser in the Cedar Creek Room with doctors mad about provisions of Shumlin's health reform agenda.
Thursday, April 4
- At 7:10 a.m., Lt. Gov. Phil Scott is on "Charlie + Ernie + Lisa" - WVMT 620 AM.
- Remember that public-records bill that caused so many headaches for us reporter types? It's now before the House Judiciary Committee, which begins work on S.148 at 8:30 a.m.
- At 10:30 a.m., a different pot decrim bill gets a hearing in Senate Judiciary. This one sets the criminal cutoff at possession of 1 ounce. Buzzkill!
- The annual Burlington Business Association dinner is 5 p.m. at the Hilton. A bunch of mucky-mucks will be there, including a crew from Seven Days (except for the ones going to the SEABA meetup at the Emergent Media Center at Champlain College, 5:30).
Friday, April 5
- At 9:30, Shummy is on "The Mark Johnson Show" - WDEV 96.1 FM.
- As always, catch Stu Ledbetter and the gang of pundits on "Vermont This Week" on VPT. 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 6
- At 10 a.m., Mayor Miro is holding a "public coffee" with Progressive City Councilor and sometimes critic Max Tracy at Panadero Bakery on North Winooski Ave.
Sunday, April 7
