The listening session report makes clear that while the survey showed respondents favoring Vermont’s geography, farms, forests, and history, the handful of attendees at the closed-door listening sessions voiced concern that such imagery was “overused” or “not inclusive.”

Lumping together high-crime metro areas with low-crime rural states may make for easy national statistics, but it doesn’t help us understand the problem. Worse, it leads to policy debates that treat Vermont like Chicago or Montana like Baltimore — even though the lived reality is worlds apart.

What changes and what doesn’t

Will Vermont get on board?

A regional war could break out if Iran responds by targeting American allies and assets, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Iran could also close the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil flows.

As various studies and reports come back in, there will also likely be adjustments, potential detours and even offramps along the way.

The matter, according to the Court, is one for individual states and their residents to decide.

S.131 and the end of Dillon’s Rule? Burlington gun ban tests Vermont’s Constitution and State authority

“The Ikhwan [Muslim Brotherhood] must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and ‘sabotaging’ its miserable house…”

There are no reports indicating that Mahdawi was physically mistreated, verbally abused, or otherwise handled roughly during his arrest. He was subsequently transported to a detention facility pending immigration proceedings. 

The Vermont House Appropriations Committee got more granular on the one-third of the state’s budget that comes from federal funding, which is a source of vulnerability and concern.

Legal precedent from court cases across the nation further establishes that Vermont is positioning itself unfavorably if its pro-DEI stance were put to the scrutiny of courts.

Vermont’s typically steady economic boat won’t have as much federal money to keep her afloat if a stormy recession hits. Also, ‘Medicaid cuts’ talk explained.

House passes stormwater revision, ’26 budget, yield bill, and housing and data privacy bills.

The chorus was picked up by many members of the cheering crowd – as its simple, repetitive nature suggests it was meant to be. 

Understanding the ongoing challenge facing Americans, including Green Mountain State residents, due to the National Public Data Breach.

With the session now seven weeks old, Senate Republicans are getting impatient with lack of consideration to changes to any of the previously passed energy bills that had been enacted by overriding gubernatorial vetoes.

If you’re an employer or an employee, this will affect your paycheck and business operations starting in July 2025.

Vermont’s education funding reform is a work in progress. An exchange at a Jan. 31 Senate Education Committee is not encouraging for supporters of public funding for independent religious schools.

It is unclear why the press release is missing the standard information for a somewhat routine case. Is it due to poor drafting by BPD’s Public Information Officer? Or was the news release slashed by the red editing pen wielded by the Mayor?

VT had the third highest population increase via migration in the nation. Only SC and ND experienced greater population increases due to migration.

There was no mention by Hass of the more than 250,000 Israelis displaced from their homes since October 7th.

Lobbyists and environmental groups are quietly pushing to sideline firewood as a heating option, arguing it contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and local air quality issues.

The roots of the school over-spending tree stump go very deep indeed, branch off in many directions. A blast of legislative Round-Up won’t get the job done. We’re talking backhoe, maybe dynamite.

A bill introduced in January providing state-funded health care benefits to adults ‘regardless of immigration status’ could be re-introduced in 2025.

Democrats lost two Committee Chairs, an Assistant Majority Leader, and a Vice-Chair of the only committee chaired by a Republican.

Less federal aid, negative impact of tariffs, fewer foreign worker visas projected.

In Vermont, we see a clear pattern of policies and laws that mirror the goals of Agenda 21 and Agenda 2030.

If their aim is visibility by combating stigma, creating value neutral language and holding public education campaigns, then Vermonters should unabashedly continue to rightfully stigmatize pedophilia for the criminal, harmful behavior it is.

Secret Service Director Cheatle admitted to Congress that Saturday, July 13 was an epic fail. Does it merit civil or criminal prosecution for negligence?

Vermont Gas Systems, Green Mountain Power, and Avangrid Renewables (three organizations Leonine represents) have significant stake in the decisions made by the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee, which Bray chairs. 

“It is unfortunate that this new tax law singles out short-term rental owners as the only contributors toward this increase. Hotels, Inns, restaurants, and all other Meals & Rooms Tax payers will remain at the 9% tax rate, while short-term rental owners will foot the bill for 12%.”

Just as the Sheriff of Nottingham could stiff the toll collector to ride his horse across a bridge, electrical vehicle drivers don’t have to pay for the upkeep of Vermont highways.

I showed up promptly at 8:55 to find an empty room. Apparently, they canceled the hearing. One can’t help but wonder…Why?

Both the Legislature and the governor have a plan to get to 100% zero emissions from power generation by 2030. One will cost $110 million over 10 years – and the other is far more expensive.

Any school district without an approved 2024 budget by July 1 will face the 87% Solution.

Is it even constitutional to tax unrealized capital gains?

Legislators that work for The People must be transparent. Any legislation on the oversight of minors must be presented as its own bill, not hidden within another bill.

A previous version of Proposition 4 from 2019 included “religion” between “sex” and “disability.” No more. Some demand to know why.

The State may need to forfeit the $9M in a budget year when every dollar counts.

Being the most popular governor in the nation cuts no ice when it comes to setting legislative priorities.

There is ubiquitous agreement that action is needed on housing, but how?