Vermont Democratic Party

 We went from fall foliage to winter tires and the first snow rather quickly, but hopefully you can celebrate at least one more weekend of fall at this weekend’s Autumn Harvest rally in Barre on Saturday.  Click here to RSVP.

President Obama announced a new Pay as You Earn Program for student loan repayment.  WCAX covered what the plan might mean for Vermont students.  

State Street News
Governor Shumlin was interviewed about Green Mountain Care for Governing Magazine.  

Vermont House Speaker Shap Smith spoke with VTDigger about the timeline for the implementation of tax commission reforms.  

Former Vermont State Representative Mark Mitchell, who retired from office earlier this year, passed away on October 26 after a battle with lung cancer.  VDP Vice Chair Dottie Deans offered these words:  
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of my friend, Mark Mitchell. Mark served in the Vermont House for six years, but his contributions and service to Vermont were decades longer.  He was passionate about energy conservation, as he demonstrated by living off the grid in his Barnard home. I will especially miss his engaging sense of humor and caring, creative ideas.  He will be greatly missed and my thoughts and prayers are with his loving wife Sarah, his family, and his many friends.”

Vermont’s Congressional Delegation:
Senator Leahy announced that the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal DOMA (the legislation that bans federal recognition of marriage equality) will be debated by the Judiciary Committee, where Leahy is Chair, on November 3.  You can watch the debate live online.  

Congressman Welch announced legislation that would provide tax relief to Vermonters affected by Tropical Storm Irene. The tax-relief provisions are modeled after ones provided to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Congressman Welch and Senator Sanders are joining with other Congressional leaders to demand investigation of potential conflicts of interest relating to the proposed Keystone crude oil pipeline. 

-Jake