VT Committee Advances Bill To Raise Smoking Age

Montpelier (VtDigger) — The House Human Services committee approved a bill Thursday night that would gradually raise the legal age for tobacco products from 18 to 21.

If enacted, the bill, H. 93, would raise the legal age to purchase and consume tobacco to 19 beginning in 2017, and would raise it gradually until 2019, when 21 would become the law in Vermont.

All four Republicans on the committee voted against the bill. They voiced concerns that it represented an unnecessary government intrusion and would be difficult to enforce.

Innis Drops Bid to Run For N.H. House Seat

Manchester, n.h. (ap) — Republican businessman Dan Innis is dropping out of the race for the 1st District U.S. House seat.

In a statement released Friday, Innis says there are a “host of personal and professional factors” that went into his decision to drop out the race for the seat held by U.S. Rep. Frank Guinta.

Innis said it makes sense at this time to step away from the race. He said there are no health issues behind his decision.

Innis unsuccessfully ran in a primary against Guinta in 2014.

Vermont Unemployment Rate Holds Steady in February

Montpelier (ap) — The Vermont Department of Labor says the state’s unemployment rate was 3.4 percent in February, unchanged since January.

Labor Commissioner Annie Noonan says Vermont continues to be in a period of economic growth, with many educational and job programs to help people prepare for work.

The February rate of 3.4 percent was compared to 3.7 percent in February 2015.
Unemployment in Vermont’s 17 labor market areas ranged from 2.6 percent in Burlington to 7.5 percent in Derby.

N.H.’s Strafford County Is Fastest-Growing

Portsmouth, n.h. (Portsmouth Herald) — Strafford County was New Hampshire’s fastest growing county, while Rockingham County was ranked fourth, according to the U.S. Census Bureau for the period of 1, 2014 to July 1, 2015.

Strafford County saw a growth rate of 0.5 percent over the period. Strafford was followed by Belknap (0.4 percent), Merrimack (0.4 percent), Rockingham (0.4 percent) and Hillsborough (0.3 percent).

According to the Census Bureau, in terms of numerical growth, Hillsborough County added 1,339 people over the period, more than any other county in the state. It was followed by Rockingham, which grew by 1,139 people, Strafford (634), Merrimack (533) and Belknap (213).

Hillsborough is the most populous county in New Hampshire, with 406,678 residents, followed by Rockingham and Merrimack.

Rockingham Park Racetrack Put Up for Sale

Salem, n.h. (ap) — A 110-year-old New Hampshire racetrack is up for sale.

Ed Callahan, manager of Rockingham Park in Salem, says the decision was made after over 20 years of trying to obtain alternative forms of gaming or casino gambling.

Callahan told WMUR-TV he believes that had legislation been passed to build a casino, the track complex would have generated millions of dollars in revenue for the state.

It stopped holding live horse racing events in 2010.

Convicted N.H. Lawyer Seeks New Trial

Concord, n.h. (ap) — A former Manchester lawyer convicted of sexually exploiting a teenage girl has requested a new trial.

The Concord Monitor reported Lisa Biron’s lawyer says in a motion filed Wednesday in federal court that both Biron’s mental health and the credibility of government witnesses should have been investigated before the trial.

Biron was found guilty in 2013 of arranging and filming repeated sexual encounters between the then-14-year-old girl and two young men. She was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison.

Biron’s lawyer says her former defense attorney rushed through the case and didn’t investigate an “insanity or diminished capacity” defense.

The 46-year-old woman is currently being held at a Texas facility for inmates with special medical and mental health needs.

Vt. House Budget Finds Money For St. Johnsbury Work Camp

Montpelier (ap) — The state budget that has passed the Vermont House this week would keep a St. Johnsbury work camp open by filling it with additional inmates.

Rep. Mary Hooper, a Democrat, said the plan would also allow about 50 inmates to return to Vermont from an out-of-state prison.

The Caledonia Community Work Camp currently houses 56 inmates, but has the capacity for 112.

— Wire reports