Governor Peter Shumlin will give his annual introductory address to the legislature at 2 p.m. on Wednesday.
While the imperative of the State of the State shouldn’t be overstated, it is an important ritual in Montpelier and it can help focus lawmakers attention on an issue.
Governor Peter Shumlin is expected to address what he has called an epidemic of opiate abuse in Vermont, and offer some solutions based on recent reports from the administration.
Opiate abuse isn’t a new issue for the administration, in the last two sessions, they’ve tried to build a treatment apparatus, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. The question is how to pay for any new programs, considering a $70 million budget shortfall. The governor has said that all new programs should be budget-neutral.
It’s not the first time the governor has focused an address on one issue. His 2013 address was focused on education.
