An energy bill, budget tensions and the marijuana debate were only a few of the stories this week. The Senate paved the way for more women to get mammograms, the corporate structure of Entergy Nuclear was scrutinized and winter storms had road crews scrambling for salt and looking for places to put the plowed snow.
Here’s a listen back to some of the voices in this week’s news:
Lean budget year creates political tension at Statehouse
(Sen. Doug Racine) "And I got to tell you we didn’t hear a whole lot of rhetoric from Governor Snelling. What we got was leadership. And he did sit down and he did face these tough choices. He put didn’t all this wiggly language in his budget. And he didn’t shift costs. He sat down, we had a very open discussion about what needed to be done. And we all made tough choices about what needed to be done."
(Administration Secretary Mike Smith) "Showing leadership is making the tough decisions. The governor has made the tough decisions. It’s time for the legislature to make the tough decisions and agree with governor’s budget. Listen, we pointed out everything they have mentioned. Everything they have mentioned."
Senate approves legislation to make mammograms more
(Cassandra LaRae-Perez) "I knew I would get a mammogram that year but I was concerned that other women wouldn’t knowing it would be out of pocket for people and the fact that I happened to be diagnosed with breast cancer perhaps made it more poignant for me more relevant for me."
(GOP presidential candidate John McCain) "My friends I’m here, to start with, I’m asking for your vote on Tuesday. I need it. I want it. I want to win in Vermont. And I would be very honored by your support. And it does matter. And I want to tell you, you will help us on the road to the nomination and the presidency of the United States."
Legislature to investigate Entergy’s corporate structure
(Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin) "You know, the finance committee took some testimony on this from a number of people, and even Entergy could not explain to the committee exactly what this accomplished. So when that happens, it makes one nervous. So we just needed a level of expertise that we don’t have in this building."
Road crews worried about salt supplies
(Dennis Lutz, Essex public works director) "We’re fine for the coming storm. We’ve got experienced people. They’ve done it a long time. They’re good operators. They know what to put down, they know when not to put it down. It’s a question of stretching the supply and keeping the thoroughfares open, keeping the schools open, keeping businesses running."