The Vermont Senate has advanced a bill that bans corporate and union contributions to state political candidates. The campaign finance legislation also strengthens reporting requirements and doubles public funding for those running for governor and lieutenant governor.

Supporters of decriminalizing - or even legalizing - the possession of small amounts of marijuana have cleared a major hurdle. The Vermont House voted 98-to-44 on Friday to make it a civil offense - instead of a crime - to possess one ounce or less of pot.

On Thursday, the U.S. Senate voted to open debate on gun control legislation. One person at the center of this discussion is Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Senator Patrick Leahy says he's pleased that the debate over gun control legislation will proceed in the U.S. Senate over the next few weeks. An effort to filibuster the legislation was defeated on Thursday.

Newscast: Thursday, April 11, 2013, 5:50 p.m.

Newscast: Wednesday, April 10, 2013, 5:50 p.m.

The Vermont Senate has overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to move the state's primary elections to early August. The early date was supported by Secretary of State Jim Condos, who said he needed more time between the primary and the general election to meet federal deadlines to get ballots to overseas voters.

The Vermont Health Department is launching a research study this month into Eastern Equine Encephalitis -- a rare, mosquito-borne disease.

Earlier this week officials in New Hampshire said they had found infestation of emerald ash borer in the Concord area. Now Vermont officials are reminding the public that the best way to prevent the spread of the insect is to burn local firewood.

John Gregg, local editor for the Valley News speaks with Vermont Edition about the political debates at the New Hampshire Statehouse this week.

Gov. Peter Shumlin made headlines in January when he proposed a five-year lifetime cap on welfare benefits. But lawmakers only recently found out that he also wants to eliminate 12 positions dedicated to helping welfare recipients find the jobs they need to get off the program.

The Senate Finance committee is working on a tax package for next year and the plan is likely to look quite different from a proposal adopted in the House several weeks ago.

Newscast, Tuesday, April 9, 2013, 5:50 p.m.

The Vermont House passed a version of a shoreline protection bill last month. But the compromise disappointed both environmentalists - who want to see tougher restrictions - and property rights advocates, who oppose new state regulation.

A natural gas pipeline planned for Addison County has prompted dozens of individuals and organizations to seek a voice in the upcoming permit hearings. Vermont Gas Systems wants to extend a pipeline south from Chittenden County to Middlebury and then under Lake Champlain to a paper mill in Ticonderoga, NY.

There's been a lot of soul-searching by Republicans following the recent presidential election. Many ideas are being advanced on how the GOP can rebuild. Jim Douglas, a long-time Republican officeholder, has some thoughts on the subject.

After two years of preparing to tackle health care reform, the Shumlin administration is losing its most important player, Anya Rader Wallack, the chair of Green Mountain Care Board. Her departure will change the effort, but won't derail it.

Governor Peter Shumlin's plan to finance a major expansion of child care programs is sharply dividing Vermont's early childhood community. There's nearly unanimous support for the proposal to increase funding for child care subsidies. But there's disagreement over how to pay for the initiative.

Newscast: Monday, April 8, 2013, 5:50 p.m.

A new report says report it's likely that by the second anniversary of Tropical Storm Irene in August, much of the recovery work will be finished and the focus will shift to preparing for the next disaster.

Lawmakers are set to vote on a bill this week that would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana. The House Judiciary Committee has been taking testimony for weeks and the bill is likely to pass Tuesday afternoon.

Coming home from war is never easy. Author Karl Marlantes and Psychologist Jon Coffin share their experiences.

The Vermont Telecommunications Authority has been awarded a $1.6 million federal grant to expand cellular phone service and provide wireless internet in areas hit by flooding in 2011. 

A recent poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation showed that most Americans are uninformed about the federal health care changes that are coming, and about how health care exchanges are going to work. That situation appears to bear out in Vermont, too.

The Vermont Senate overwhelmingly advanced a bill on Friday that would give driver's licenses to immigrants who are in the country illegally. The bill would create what are described as drivers' authorization cards that would look different from a regular state license.