Peter Shumlin in 2016 Governor's State of the State speeches


On Drugs: Time to make marijuana well-regulated legal substance

The War on Drugs has failed, and there is no greater example than our nation's marijuana laws. Vermont took steps to institute a well-regulated medical marijuana system that now serves 2,400 Vermonters. But the black market of drug dealers selling marijuana for recreational use is alive and well, that's why I will work with you to craft the right bill that eliminates the era of prohibition that is currently failing us. I will insist on 5 things before I'll sign a bill:
  1. A legal market must keep marijuana and other drugs out of the hands of underage kids.
  2. The tax imposed must be low enough to wipe out the black market and get rid of the illegal drug dealers.
  3. Revenue from legalization must be used to expand addiction prevention programs.
  4. We must strengthen law enforcement's capacity to respond to impaired drivers under the influence of Marijuana
  5. Take a hard lesson learned from other states and ban the sale of edibles until other states figure out how to do it right.
Source: 2016 State of the State speech to Vermont legislature Jan 7, 2016

On Drugs: Prioritize reducing opioid misuse

Let's put an end to the system where doctors, dentists, and health care providers send patients home with 80 or 90 Oxycontin pills in their pocket. I am proposing a new system, where a maximum of 10 pills will be the limit for minor procedures. Second, we are partnering with pharmacies to expand drug take back programs. Third, we are partnering with neighboring states to upgrade the Prescription Monitoring System to prevent addicts from crossing state borders to go pill shopping.
Source: 2016 State of the State speech to Vermont legislature Jan 7, 2016

On Education: Publicly fund a college savings plan for each child

Despite having one of the highest graduation rates in the country, we continue to fall short getting more students the college education that is now a prerequisite to earning a decent wage. That's why I signed a bill last year to help families start saving for college from the day their children are born. My budget will ensure every child born in Vermont will receive a $250 contribution to get a savings plan started, and for low-income Vermonters we will double that to $500.
Source: 2016 State of the State speech to Vermont legislature Jan 7, 2016

On Education: Provide free college courses for low income people

We need to make it easier for those who are working hard in low-paying jobs to get back to school. In partnership with CCV, Vermont State Colleges and UVM my budget will provide $2 million to launch Step Up, funding a semester of free courses and support services to help first generation and low income students get back to school.
Source: 2016 State of the State speech to Vermont legislature Jan 7, 2016

On Environment: VT should divest from coal and ExxonMobil

California recently passed a bill to divest state funds from dirty coal, and explore divesting from Big Oil. Our small state must partner with California, which manages hundreds of billions of dollars of state funds, and divest Vermont of coal. While we await the California study on oil, Vermont should not wait to rid ourselves of ExxonMobil stock.
Source: 2016 State of the State speech to Vermont legislature Jan 7, 2016

The above quotations are from 2016 Governor's State of the State speeches.
Click here for other excerpts from 2016 Governor's State of the State speeches.
Click here for other excerpts by Peter Shumlin.
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Page last updated: Dec 09, 2018