When a person is caught with 4 ounces of pot in Vermont, what should the
legal punishment be? It’s question under debate at the Statehouse,
where a bill would reduce the severity of the offense from a criminal
act to a civil violation. Proponents say decriminalization would free up
police and court resources for more serious crimes, but law enforcement
officials say the change would lead to more trafficking and would make
serious drug offenders harder to find. We looks at the pros and cons of
bill S. 238 with Newport Police Chief Paul Duquette, and one of the lead
sponsors of the bill.
(Listen)
"Dean and Me"
Four years ago, when Howard Dean’s presidential campaign was heating up,
Stowe resident Heath Eiden grabbed his camera and hit the campaign trail
alongside the candidate. What he captured during those tumultuous weeks
is now collected in a documentary, "Dean and Me: Roadshow of an American
Primary. " We talk with Eiden about the movie, and about what he learned
on the campaign trail.
(Listen)
Postcards from Vermont towns
And our series of audio postcards from Vermont towns continues. This
week we visit the Windham County town of Athens: they have just under
400 residents, no store and no post office, but recently Athens found
itself at the center of a major TV production for "Extreme Makeover:
Home Edition." (Listen)