Vermont
From Ballotpedia
Vermont (IPA: /ˌvəɹˈmɑnt/) is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 45th by total area, and 43rd by land area at 9,250 square miles, and has a population of 608,827, making it the second least populous state (second to only Wyoming). The only New England state with no coastline along the Atlantic Ocean, Vermont is notable for the Green Mountains in the west and Lake Champlain in the northwest. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north.
Originally inhabited by Native American tribes (Abenaki, Algonquian, and Iroquois), the territory that is now Vermont was claimed by France but became a British possession after France's defeat in the French and Indian War. For many years, control of the area was disputed by the surrounding colonies, notably between New Hampshire and New York. Settlers who held land titles granted by these colonies were opposed by the Green Mountain Boys militia, which eventually prevailed in creating an independent state. Vermont became the 14th state to join the United States, following a 14-year period during and after the Revolutionary War as the independent Republic of Vermont. Vermont is one of only five U.S. states or parts of states to have once been an independent nation, the other four being California, Hawaii, Texas, and the Florida Parishes of Louisiana.
The state is famous for its scenery and dairy products. It is the leading producer of maple syrup in the United States.[2] The state capital is Montpelier, and the largest city is Burlington.
Contents |
Initiative, Referendum and Recall
Vote fraud
Statewide
- Initiative and Referendum Law
- Currently there is no initiative or referendum available in Vermont. An alternative is Legislative referendum which is possible in all states (click here for list), is when the state legislatures, an elected official, state appointed constitutional revision commission or other government agency or department submits propositions (constitutional amendments, statutes, bond issues, etc.) to the people for their approval or rejection. Every state requires that constitutional amendments proposed by the legislature be submitted to the citizenry via legislative referendum for approval or rejection. Legislative amendments (LA) are possible in Virginia, and are constitutional amendments placed on the ballot by the legislature or governmental body. This includes constitutional bond issues and amendments proposed by a constitutional revision commission.[[1]]
- History of direct democracy in Vermont
- Campaign finance in Vermont
Counties
Addison, Bennington, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, Windham, Windsor Township
Cities
Government and City Links
Key Government Officials
- Jim Douglas, Governor.
- Brian E. Dubie, Lt. Governor
- Bill Sorrell, Attorney General
- Deborah L. Markowitz, Secretary of State.
News and blogging resources
Portions of this article were taken from Wikipedia 6/26/07
