Salary increases for Vermont’s statewide elected officials are moving forward as part of a broader biennial bill that adjusts state employee wages based on collective bargaining agreements (CBAs).
Pay Act boosts state salaries – guv to earn $243,520
Soulia: Pre-K changes could ripple across Vermont childcare
At issue is Vermont’s Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) system, which currently guarantees up to 10 hours per week of publicly funded preschool for most 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds. The program, fully implemented in 2016, operates through a mix of public schools and private childcare providers.
Roper: VT Democrats have a rural voter problem. Clinging to Act 181 won’t help
The ‘Cave Dwellers’ are catching on.
Pass Save America Act – call senators NOW!
Call your senators and Sens. Thune and Fetterman – phone numbers provided.
Health care bill that may violate constitutional rights passes House
The constitutional rights of faith-based organizations operating in Vermont may be under attack with the passage of a bill on Thursday.
$82 million homeless care bill passes committee straw poll
Act 181 reform goes to floor next week/ School reform now ‘Act 46 2.0’?/ Local highway $$ redirected to statewide reappraisal
VT Headlines: 3 women say former Dem. Rep. Bob Hooper’s pattern of behavior included unwanted touches
Migrant detained by ICE in South Burlington granted bond; Second person charged with burglary in Tractor Supply Company thefts; High-energy dance party group for 30+ crowd grows legs in Vermont
The public safety bills nobody’s talking about — and why they matter to you
In Vermont, a person could be convicted of ten separate offenses in a year, receive short sentences or probation on each one, and none of it would register as recidivism in the state’s data.
Electric planes over Lake Champlain this summer?
The FAA–BETA “Other Terms Agreements,” setting safety rules, limits, and reporting for Vermont airspace remain unsigned—and are key to everything that follows.
Victim of Brownington homicide identified
An autopsy of a homicide in the Northeast Kingdom town of Brownington was completed Thursday, March 19 at the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington. The Vermont State Police is able to identify the victim as Alton Wheeler, 79, of Brownington.
Tagliavia: Property tax freeze bill needs attention
Vermont is one of only three states with no safety-valve restrictions on how much a property tax bill can increase in a given year. In the months ahead, the Legislature should examine how the other 47 states manage this issue, identify policies that could work here, and adapt them to Vermont’s unique circumstances. Property taxpayers deserve both immediate relief and long-term predictability.
House passes land posting, manufactured home, AI legislation
In the week after the Crossover deadline, the Vermont House has been busy passing bills. Below are all of the bills passed in the House and sent to the Senate this week.
Drag Queen Story Hour canceled due to security concerns
Beeman Elementary has canceled the entire DEI unit due to alleged communications that threaten the safety of students and staff.
VT Headlines: Vermont AG’s office to prosecute Addison County criminal cases amid state’s attorney controversy
Police to testify in joint hearing following South Burlington ICE activity; South Burlington School Board to meet after ICE protest near schools, safety concerns take center stage; Legislative panel votes against keeping southern Vermont judge on the bench; Fight over Middlebury College chapel name argued before Vt. Supreme Court
Massage shops under scrutiny
Reports and online reviews raise concerns about illicit activity
Drought caused big farm production losses
Three respondents from Corinth reported 670 acres were affected by drought, causing $325,000 in losses.
Newport woman charged with murder
Ariana Rodger, 43, was taken into custody late March 18 in connection with the death of a man found at a residence on Willoughby Lake Road. She has been charged with second-degree murder, first-degree aggravated domestic assault, and violation of conditions of release.
Letters: Learning from the death and destruction of perpetual war
The U.S. has spent $8 trillion on post-9/11 wars, including at least $2.2 trillion in obligations to care for veterans over the coming decades.
Klar: ICE turns its attention to Sanctuary State Vermont
The Green Mountain State favors criminals above public safety.
Top cop defends state police protecting ICE, Vermonters
Peaceful protesters don’t mind being directed by police. Agitators do – and suckerpunch the cops, Morrison said.
Vergennes man pleads innocent to human trafficking
Memoli has a sex crime record going back as far as 2008.
VT Headlines: Mohsen Mahdawi faces deportation again after Trump administration appeal
Five arrested by Border Patrol in Plattsburgh on human smuggling charges; Federal judge orders man detained by ICE in South Burlington to remain in custody; ICE Tours VT hosts guided tour to multiple DHS facilities across Chittenden County; Vermont police investigate death in Brownington
House tax committee kills federal tax credit for independent schools
One Big Beautiful Bill gives scholarship donors $1700 federal tax credit – but Dem majority doesn’t want it
Resigned Rep. Hooper: “the environment of the House has changed significantly”
Burlington Democrat Rep. Bob Hooper’s statement of resignation from the Vermont House published in the Tuesday, March 17 House Journal underscores several points he made in his Monday, March 16 interview with the Vermont Daily Chronicle.
As revenue shrinks, Vermont’s public access stations are navigating an uncertain future
Public access television is looking to the state government for additional funding to preserve programming.
Reviving Randolph’s history museum
Forrest MacGregor takes care of the community and hundreds of years of Randolph history.
Stevenson: Who really benefits from VT’s Fish and Wildlife laws?
The fundamental mission of state wildlife agencies is not animal welfare—it is resource management for human use and profit.
CLG: Iran bombards Israel, Baghdad as projectile hits Bushehr nuclear plant
Trump’s top counterintelligence official quits in protest over Iran as he issues blistering statement claiming Israel dragged U.S. into war; Trump says he’s ‘not afraid’ of Vietnam-style ground combat in Iran; Trump calls Zelensky the ‘last person we need help from’
A last-minute addition to Act 181 could block family homes on rural land
A family who has lived on their land for 100 years and wants to give their child a piece of that land to build a road and home may not be able to afford these new cost burdens.
Meet Rutland’s new go-getter first lady Gayle Donahue
Rutland’s write-in mayoral election was already a week over, and a triumphant Tom Donahue joined a business chamber mixer last Tuesday to press the flesh and thank voters. No surprise: his wife Gayle, a frequent campaign partner and prolific social media supporter of her husband, was by his side. “I wouldn’t be anywhere without her,” the incoming mayor frequently said during the campaign.
Double murderer from Vermont may get new trial over cell phone snafu
Logan Clegg was convicted of killing Steven and Wendy Reid in April 2022. Police searched for months for the killer before Clegg was arrested in Vermont in October 2022 after authorities tracked him down in a Burlington public library. Clegg is a former employee of a Burlington grocery store, according to other news reports.
Smuggler’s Notch crackdown and kei trucks headline transport, economy bills in Senate
S.326, a miscellaneous bill introduced by the Senate Transportation Committee, makes a number of technical and minor changes to Vermont’s transportation laws. These include increasing the amount towing companies may charge and requiring life preservers during cold-weather months. Another provision would raise the penalty for getting stuck in Smuggler’s Notch from $1,000 to $10,000 for a first offense.
Cops take down barricaded assault suspect with non-lethal munitions
Belmore threw a liquefied petroleum gas cylinder at police then advanced on them with a blunt metal object.
VT Headlines: Addison County State’s Attorney Eva Vekos fires back against bid to suspend her law license
Vermont Green FC getting ready to host first round of US Open Cup 2026; Woman detained by ICE agents in South Burlington ordered released; Bennington agency settles with the state over service failures for adults with developmental disabilities; Brattleboro prepares for mud season road impacts
Vermont a school choice destination? Press conference today
Rep. Mike Tagliavia (R-Corinth) will promote H.89, the statewide school choice bill he introduced last year, at a press conference at 1 PM today, Tuesday March 17 in the Cedar Creek Room.
Reestablishing psych facility moves forward
With crossover week fully behind us, lawmakers begin the work of finalizing the bills that passed successfully from policy committees by the deadline.
McGuinness: State custody of children advances in House
Many legislators believe the bills will help children and adolescents that are uncomfortable talking to their parents about their mental health issues, and help children that are homeless and without guardians, but both bills cast a much wider net.
Farmers push back on municipal control of livestock
A proposal discussed this week in the House Environment Committee could change how Vermont regulates small livestock operations, raising questions among farm groups about enforcement authority, water quality oversight, and the role of municipal zoning.
Sciortino: We need more classroom instruction time!
If you had Exxon, Shell, Occidental, BP sitting on one side of the negotiating table, people would be up in arms! Why not the same for the heavy handed teachers’ unions. We also need to identify all legislators who have received political donations from these same unions and call them out on their voting records.
50 huskies rescued
Malnourished huskies rescued in raid on Hyde Park barn.
Hooper: Photo of legislator rolling around committee room floor led to resignation
To illustrate the rug/dress color coordination, Hooper said, the member got down on the floor of the committee room and rolled around.
Lawmaker to resign over sexual harassment finding
All but three House Democrats signed a letter calling on Hooper, a Vietnam veteran and lawmaker representing North Burlington since 2019, to resign his seat in the Legislature
VT Headlines: Addison County crash leaves one dead, another seriously injured
Josh’s House celebrates five years of supporting veterans; Vermont lawmakers narrowly advance bill increasing gun restrictions and crimes; Strong wind Monday could lead to scattered power outages
Oil truck catches fire in Waterbury
Smoke and fire pouring out of the truck greeted I-89 exit 10 traffic – including this reporter.
Senator defends state funding of news media
Digger, VDC ‘not going to cover Vermont high school basketball game,’ Perchlik says
Tell your Covid-19 mandate story at State House Wednesday, March 25
Six years after Covid-19 began, it’s time to be heard.
Gray, McLaren neck-and-neck in fundraising for Dem LG race
The two top Dem fundraisers challenging John Rodgers for lieutenant governor both have received $$ from backers of U.S. senators past and present.
Nutmeg State drug, indecent exposure suspects arrested
CT teenager charged with felony drug possession after raid on drug house jailed – for now.
Hide your bird feeders, here come the bears!
“Do not wait to take down your birdfeeders and bearproof your yard until a bear comes to visit,” said Jaclyn Comeau, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s bear biologist.
North: House of cards in flames
As cross-over day in the VT Legislature came and went on Friday and more electric buses burst into flames, so did many of our hopes for any real progress this legislative session toward solving Vermont’s affordability crisis. To make any significant change we need more legislators who are serious about addressing this crisis.
Grace Potter joins LG candidate at site of his life-changing ski accident Tuesday
The evening event will feature a special performance by Vermont musician Grace Potter.
Election integrity forum Friday in Burlington
How do we make it easy to vote, but hard to cheat? Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas, Rob Roper, Montpelier City Clerk John Odum, and Ron Lawrence will explain their positions.
CLG: Trump sends 5,000 Marines to Strait of Hormuz
4 Army drone systems stolen from Kentucky base ; Iran war death toll climbs to 13 after all crew onboard U.S. refueling plane died in crash; Italy’s Meloni breaks with Trump over Iran war; Zelensky considering suspending elections for years
A drink for Vermonters
While Vermont is now well-known for its breweries, the state has a complicated history when it comes to alcohol. It boasted one of the longest prohibitionary periods, even before the arrival of Prohibition in 1919, and out of that environment came a Burlington company that became well known for its drinks throughout Vermont and New England: M. & F.C. Dorn Company.
Herron: Decoding the Declaration’s rights before modern dictionaries watered them down
When Thomas Jefferson wrote, “they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness,” the definition of those words mattered. All 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence had to understand exactly what the document claimed, and agree with it, before they would sign their Lives, Fortunes, and sacred Honor to defend its cause.
Prison nurse busted for giving drugs to inmate
Baker was suspended from her position the same day the drug was discovered and resigned three days later, on Oct. 27, 2025.
Secret Service seeks EBT card fraud in VT next week
If a skimming device is discovered during a visit, trained personnel will remove and collect the device for further analysis.
19-year-old charged with sex with minor
According to investigators, authorities received a report that Stryker had been involved in a sexual relationship with a juvenile.
Book Review: ‘Rack’ by Jim Hogue
The novel may be abrasive, but it is also alert, literate, and deeply rooted in Vermont — just not the Vermont we usually like to imagine.
Road rule can kicked down the road
The road rule would be delayed, and rural properties affected by develop regulation would be taxed accordingly.
Letters: Mazur on American bishops’ lack of perspective
Iran was close to acquiring a nuclear weapon within weeks which would put the region and the United States in grave danger.
Sportsmen’s banquet Saturday night
The event helps support the organization’s efforts to promote Vermont’s outdoor traditions and provide youth education programs.
Mechanical fire caused quadruple EV-bus blaze
The Champlain Valley School District, which operates a fleet of about 60 buses including eight leased electric models (valued at roughly $400,000 each through a partnership with Highland Electric Fleets and EPA grant funding), has grounded its remaining electric buses as a precaution.
VT Headlines: Ice jam, rapid flooding in St. Johnsbury
32 candidates become new citizens at Chittenden naturalization ceremony; Several detained during protest of ICE operation in South Burlington; $4 million announced for Brattleboro workforce housing project; Burlington mayor confirms use-of-force review involving one police officer
Hot Off The Press today: Feedback Friday
House rep’s resignation after a harassment probe, a key senator defending the controversial “road rule” on rural development, and Burlington’s mayor shutting down online criticism of police in an ICE raid.
Road rule ‘not going anywhere,’ key senator says
The road rule is the sticking point in Act 250 reform legislation. The current law, Act 181, strictly limits rural development on parcels with 800 ft. or more of on-property or adjacent road.
Full slate of House bills on Crossover Friday
It’s Friday of Crossover Week, and the Vermont House has a very full agenda of legislation up for action today.
School choice backers to hold press conference, urge parent participation
A Vermont school choice advocacy group is asking concerned Vermonters to contact their legislators and attend a Tuesday press conference as the Legislature considers school choice legislation.
Roper: The VT Left would rather make a statement than a difference
Latest evidence: Their overdose prevention center fiasco….
EXCLUSIVE: House Rep resigns from committee after sex harrassment probe
Krowinski commended the complainant, who is not named in the letter, for “an extraordinarily courageous action.”
Burlington mayor clamps down on online criticism of police role in ICE raid
Without local police on site, the mayor warned, the situation could have spiraled into the kind of unchecked escalation seen in Minneapolis during past ICE engagements, where absent municipal support reportedly contributed to extreme violence and civilian deaths.
Beta Technologies lands major airline deal: Hawaii to get first electric passenger flights
The deal that positions the Vermont company to move from test flights to commercial airline operations.
Purple paint property posting proposal pulled
Heffernan left the Senate chamber shortly after Pro Tem Phil Baruth announced the vote on Prop 4.
Sophisticated phishing scam steals $3M from Vermont’s largest solid waste district
The Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD), Vermont’s largest solid waste management entity, has fallen victim to a highly sophisticated phishing scam, losing $3 million—nearly 20% of its $15.6 million fiscal year 2026 budget.
Electric school buses destroyed in late-night fire at Williston school, over $2M damage
Four electric school buses were destroyed in a fire late Wednesday night at Allen Brook School in Williston, causing an estimated $2 million in damages to the vehicles and their charging stations.
VT Headlines: Vermont lawmakers consider banning machine gun parts
Immigration lawyers accuse Vermont prisons of impeding their work; More calls for Addison County State’s Attorney Eva Vekos to resign following DUI plea; Vermont introduces AI guidelines for schools; Vermont Gov. Phil Scott applauds Amanda Janoo for running for governor
Vermont, who is thy neighbor?
For years, the state has made itself unusually welcoming to people who are in the country illegally – and less welcome to rural families who have lived here for generations.
Vermont among 12 states explicitly allowing teacher strikes
Twelve states explicitly allow teacher strikes, including Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Vermont. In a few states, such as South Carolina, Utah and Wyoming, the legality of strikes is not clearly defined in statutes or case law.
North Country Hospital team raises over $6,000 at Jay Peak cancer fundraiser
The hospital’s team, NCH Heroes for Hope, brought in $6,164 with 14 participants, surpassing its $5,000 goal. The team placed eighth out of 23 teams at the event, which brings together groups from across the region for a day of skiing and fundraising to support people and families affected by cancer.
Letters: Klar on Vance Derangement Syndrome
Also: Dyer on the Dome of the Rock, and McCormick on H.740
CLG: Blast outside U.S. Embassy in Oslo investigated as possible terrorist attack
FBI alerted California law enforcement to brace for potential Iranian drone strikes in retaliation for U.S. war; 140 U.S. troops wounded in Iran War, Pentagon confirms; France’s Macron Orders Major Naval Deployment to Middle East
Secretary of State warns Vermont businesses of phishing scam impersonating state regulators
Anyone who receives a suspicious email or phone call claiming to be from a Vermont state agency should not click any links, open attachments, or respond to the message.
Ellis: Bernie Sanders, an origin story
He is the second most recognized political figure in the world and yet we know little about him. But a new book changes all that.
Dame: Property tax revolt didn’t fade. It got focused.
Vermont Republicans are committed to moving toward the allowable growth formula in Act 73 that more closely aligns a community’s spending with the with taxes. If that change doesn’t happen, future legislatures may run out of tricks to keep taxes down, and voters may need to send another message to the Democratic Majority in Montpelier.
Book Review: When the Trees Came Back: The Great Battle to Save Vermont’s Forests
The Vermont Historical Society is pleased to announce When the Trees Came Back: The Great Battle to Save Vermont’s Forests by Robert Mello. This book explores the long campaign to reverse the deforestation that decimated Vermont’s ancient forests after the arrival of settlers in the mid-1700s.
Illegal immigrant identified in South Burlington
Arrested after day-long stand-off
ICE raids South Burlington home
As the wanted car fled, it collided with a vehicle traveling south.
Pit bull kills elderly man
Family members were inside the home at the time of the attack, including the dog’s owner, who was able to stop the attack and secure the animal, police said.
Parents seek accountability after son’s fatal motorcycle crash
The Messenger states that according to a crash report from the State of Vermont, Paradee was traveling north on Duffy Hill Road when a vehicle entering the intersection from Taylor Branch Road allegedly failed to stop and struck the motorcycle.
VT Headlines: Sarah George announces re-election bid
Man killed by dog in Essex, Vermont; State liaison working to lower health care costs at UVM Medical Center; Legal concerns slow effort to limit Vermont National Guard’s role in foreign wars
A satirical website is promoting phony bus tours of VT ICE facilities. But is it funny?
An anonymous group is spending real money to advertise fictional guided tours of Chittenden County’s very real DHS infrastructure. Seven Days says the tours are coming. The creators aren’t talking.
Vax bill passes House, Burtt amendment rejected by roll call
The Vermont House Tuesday morning gave preliminary approval to H.545, the vaccine bill rejecting the federal vaccine guidelines proposed by AHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy. It also voted against the bill’s proposed [Rep. Greg of Cabot] Burtt amendment, requiring more parental information about child vaccination.
Lawmakers target AI in health care and mental health services
Lawmakers are weighing two bills – H.814 and H.816 – that would create a new set of protections from neurotechnology in Vermont and regulate usage of artificial intelligence in mental health services, respectively.
VT Senate examines new Investment Income Tax
The discussion centered on S.282, legislation that would introduce several tax changes affecting upper-income taxpayers. The bill’s centerpiece is a 4% “wealth proceeds tax” on investment income, modeled on the federal 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax.
Drag Queen Story Hour scheduled at elementary school
The DQSH is part of an “identity unit” DEI week at Beeman Elementary School in New Haven.
War Department continues support for Scouting America after policy changes
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the decision followed discussions between Pentagon officials and the organization’s leadership regarding compliance with Executive Order 14173, signed Jan. 21, 2025. The order, titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” directs federal agencies to ensure that programs connected to federal funding or support do not include race- or sex-based preferences or policies the administration considers discriminatory.
Kranichfeld won’t run in Franklin County
May run for Chittenden County State’s Attorney
State trooper hurt in crash
4:34 p.m. on Vermont Route 279.
Walker was operating with his lights and siren activated near the intersection with Kocher Drive when his cruiser was involved in a collision with a second vehicle.
VT Headlines: Mad River ice jam still stuck in Moretown
First Democrat announces run for Vermont governor; Beta Technologies selected for federal pilot program, set to fly in Vermont this year; Special Olympics Vermont Winter Games kick off in Wilmington; Zach Weight announces run for Franklin County State’s Attorney
Vax parental consent rejected; rodenticide bill watered down; purple paint posting a priority
Vermont’s lawmakers are all back from their Town Meeting break and bracing for Crossover Week, when bills (with a few exceptions) must be voted out of committee in order to proceed to passage this year. Here are just a handful of developments as of this morning.
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