The Burlington Free Press from Burlington, Vermont • Page A6

6A BURLINGTONFREEPRESS.COMMONDAY,MARCH21,2016 NEED EXTRA INCOME? CALL TODAY ABOUT A FREE PRESS ROUTE! CALL 802-660-1811 TODAY! ROUTES AVAILABLE: Burlington Jericho Richmond Williston South Hero FP-0000393028 HTTPS://DELIVERYOPPORTUNITIES.GANNETT.COM Police Department, said he supports the ill, but he reacted strongly last month hen a marijuana legalization advocate said that police more strictly enforce marijuana laws against minorities. take offense to anybody inferring hat our application of the law in the state i prejudicial. he said at the urlington Free February debate on marijuana, but added that police were not beyond reproach. see racial profiling as an issue i Merkel said in response to the bill, adding that he does not condone he practice and would want to take steps to address profiling if examples were ointed out to him. someone says a he said, we need to hear Merkel said he supports training offi- ers to overcome biases, because every- ne has biases.

athy Taylor-Patch, who oversees the anti-bias training at the Vermont Police Academy, said the programfocuses on overcoming unconscious biases. The raining recognizes that an officer can ave a bias without being racist. How do you keep that in check in your she said. he Legislature originally wanted all fficers to complete their training by December, but the deadline was pushed back two years. Taylor-Patch said the delay came because of concerns about having nough resources to complete the work in ime.

ssex County Sheriff Trevor Colby said he also supports the training, but is wary of the data collection. Colby said his department has only one erson on the administrative side, and the i ncreased data input would be a strain on heir resources. In addition, he feels uncomfortable asking his officers to guess a race. When the original data collection law ent into effect, Colby asked Gov. Shum- lin to support adding race to li- enses, because people should be allowed to choose how to identify themselves.

ep. Ruqaiyah Morris, D-Bennington, who sponsored the bill, said she was glad to see the bill pass without much resistance. She credited the inclusive process drafting the bill, saying the Legislature ad worked with police instead of against hem She called it a positive conversation. The bill will now move to the Senate. Contact Jess Aloe at 802-660-1874 or ja- Follow her on witter at www.twitter.com/jess_aloe JESS PRESS Rep.

Ruqaiyah Morris, D-Bennington, stands in the House chamber in the Statehouse in Montpelier after a fair and impartial policing bill she sponsored passed the House on Friday. Profiling Continued from Page 5A Vermont state cops launch new website for unsolved killings WATERBURY Vermont State Police etectives have launched a new website that lists the unsolved killings and issing persons cases in hopes that addi- ional public attention can help solve the mysteries. he website includes 55 unsolved homicides and 35 long-term, ongoing missing persons cases. he site includes a map of Vermont with the names of the victims and information about each case. Criminal Division Commander Glenn Hall says hoped that the ermont Missing Persons and Unsolved pages will conversation, awareness and potentially new in- ormation to assist The launch of the site coincided with the 12th anniversary of the disappearance rom Montgomery of 17-year-old Brianna Maitland, who has not been seen since she left work on March 19, 2004.

House panels set marijuana hearing for March 31 MONTPELIER A legislative proposal legalize the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana will be the topic at a tatehouse hearing later this month. he House Judiciary and Government Operations committees will take testimo- on Senate Bill 241from 5 to 7 p.m. March 31in the House chamber. Abig crowd is expected, and the comm ittees are limiting each speaker to two minutes. The Senate last month passed a bill calling for legalizing possession of up to an ounce of marijuana by people 21or old- in Vermont.

Gov. Peter Shumlin has said he supports the measure. Secretary of State hosting civics a wareness poster contest MONTPELIER The Vermont Secretary of office is looking for entries for its annual student poster and essay contest that is designed to promote awareness of Vermont history, the state Constitution and the importance of civic involvement. he contest is for students in grades kindergarten through grade 12. his topics for older students fo- us on youth involvement in politics and governance.

Students are asked to imag- i ne creative ways to encourage and increase participation by young people. Younger students are asked to create heir own version of state symbols and posters by thinking about what Vermont means to them. Winner and their classmates will be invited to tour the Vermont Statehouse in ontpelier, the Vermont History Museum and attend an awards ceremony. The deadline for submissions in May 1. Rhode Island lawmakers to onsider GMO labeling PROVIDENCE, R.I.

Rhode Island lawmakers are debating whether to re- quire food companies to label products that contain genetically modified ingredients. The Senate Committee on Health and uman Services is set to hold a hearing on the legislation Tuesday. he bill would require GMO labeling if our other states adopt similar laws. Sen. Donna Nesselbush, a Pawtucket emocrat, introduced the bill.

Her bill would affect all raw and packaged food products with genetically engi- eered ingredients. Vermont is set to become the first state in the country to require GMO labeling in July. General Mills said Friday it will start ationwide labeling of products that contain genetically modified ingredients to comply with the Vermont law. aine and Connecticut have passed laws that require such labeling if other nearby states put one into effect. NEWS IN BRIEF.