Vermont Lawmakers Weigh Gun Control Bills

Montpelier— Lawmakers in Vermont are considering bills that could strengthen or ease up restrictions on firearms.

The Times Argus reported that the legislation includes a proposal to allow hunters to make guns quieter using suppressors.

Democratic state Rep. George Till said many states allow suppressors. Till adds that longtime hunters frequently suffer hearing loss.

Democratic Rep. Maxine Grad is proposing make it a crime for anyone under a relief from abuse order to possess a firearm. She wants to require them to relinquish any firearms until the order’s no longer in effect.

Other bills include easing Vermont’s ban passed last year on high-capacity magazines. Lawmakers are also weighing proposals to outlaw 3D printing of firearms and create a 48-hour waiting period for firearm purchases.

New Hampshire Bill Would Repeal Law Charging Inmates

Concord — A new bill aims to get rid of a rarely used law that allows New Hampshire to recoup the cost of an inmate’s care.

The Concord Monitor reported Republican state Rep. David Welch and Democratic Rep. Sandra Keans are sponsoring the bill over concerns that the law unfairly burdens individuals re-entering society. Current state law says a prisoner can spend years locked up and then face a bill up to six years after their release.

A Hooksett man recently sued the state for medical malpractice and is in court protesting a $119,000 bill he then received for the cost of his care. The Department of Corrections would eventually lose about $81,000 annually if the law is repealed. Two out of roughly 2,500 inmates in the state pay for their care.

Business Pitch Competition Offers $25K Grand Prize

Raymond, n.h — A New Hampshire business pitch competition is offering a $25,000 grand prize to help the winning business grow.

The Granite State Growth Competition is being launched by the nonprofit Regional Economic Development Center. The deadline for entries is March 6.

Companies across the state are eligible to apply. Businesses must be for-profit, registered in New Hampshire and in existence for fewer than three years as of the deadline date. They also had to have generated less than $300,000 in revenue in 2018. The competition will include three rounds and culminate with the five finalists presenting their pitches live at the center’s 25th anniversary celebration on May 9 at Birchwood Vineyards in Derry.

State Court to Hear Appeal For Woman Who Killed Four

Montpelier — The state’s top court is set to hear an appeal from a Vermont woman sentenced to life without parole for killing a social worker and three relatives she thought played a role in her losing custody of her daughter.

The Times Argus reported the Vermont Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Feb. 19. Jody Herring is appealing her 2017 conviction in the 2015 shooting deaths of social worker Lara Sobel, as well as Herring’s two cousins, Rhonda Herring and Regina Herring, and aunt, Julie Falzarano. Herring’s attorney, Joshua O’Hara, argues that Superior Court Judge John Pacht unfairly sentenced his 43-year-old client to life without parole, penalizing her “for being the victim of a lifetime of abuse.”

The state argues Pacht “reasonably exercised” discretion and the sentence was supported by evidence.

New Hampshire Moves to Online Teacher Credential System

Concord — New Hampshire’s education commissioner said a new online system for processing teaching credentials will allow educators to focus more on children instead of pushing paper. The Department of Education processes about 13,000 credential applications each year, which used to mean getting boxes full of documents that had to be scanned and then mailed back to educators.

It recently created an online New Hampshire Educator Information System for teachers, support staff and administrators.

Commissioner Frank Edelblut said such modernization was long overdue. Officials said the changes will save the department thousands of labor hours, plus the cost of paper, postage and other items.

Vermont Supreme Court: State Must Refund Wind Developer

Montpelier — The Vermont Supreme Court has ruled that the state must refund a wind developer all or part of a $100,000 fee now that the Swanton project is on hold.

Vermont Public Radio reported that Swanton Wind had paid the fee required for an environmental review of the project.

Swanton Wind withdrew the 20-megawatt planned project in 2017 after the Public Utility Commission said the developer had not done a study on the effects on the regional electric grid. Swanton Wind then asked for the money back. The developer appealed when the commission said it did not have the authority to order a refund. The court ruled last month that the commission did have the authority and returned the case to the commission to determine how much should be refunded.

— Wire reports