The move comes as federal lawmakers raise concerns that Vermont’s $2.3 billion program may be vulnerable to the same “industrial-scale” fraud recently uncovered in states like Minnesota.
During a recent budget hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee, Vermont officials cited a specific example of what multilingual access can cost: approximately $18,000 to translate one statewide policy into 13 languages and produce an American Sign Language (ASL) video version.
The following testimony from Retta Dunlap, Woodbury, VT was submitted to Senate Natural Resources Committee.
ADF clients dismiss appeal after state officials rescind decision to revoke their licenses
At Friday’s meeting of the Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee, lawmakers received an update on the ongoing development of Act 181 “Tier 3” areas under Vermont’s evolving land-use framework — a category that could shape where and how Act 250 applies in certain parts of the state.
When the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife issued permits for fishing tournaments on the reservoir for the 2026 season—without notifying the city that relies on it for drinking water—Barre officials were caught off guard. When they protested, state officials reportedly offered a creative solution: tournament participants could technically “parachute in” to avoid trespassing on city land.
It would be easy to label these debates as hunters and trappers versus those who oppose hunting and trapping. But that false assessment would trivialize and misdirect the debate as well as ignore the findings of a major values survey that shines a bright light as to just why these controversial wildlife practices are so protected by FWD.
The couple objected to participating in certain aspects of the training, citing their personal beliefs. Their license was subsequently revoked, prompting legal action.
At issue is approximately $11.1 million in General Assistance (GA) emergency housing funds originally appropriated in State Fiscal Year 2025 and carried forward into FY2026. According to testimony and internal communications reviewed by the House Human Services Committee, DCF expected at least a $5.5 million underspend in the GA emergency housing line.
A Vermont House Committee heard testimony on Wednesday about the Scott administration’s efforts on tourism and marketing the Vermont brand. Heather Pelham, the Commissioner of the Department of Tourism and Marketing, testified in front of the House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development about the department’s successes and new programs that they’ve developed.
State policies and regulations considered in Archbridge’s index include “child-to-staff ratio requirements by age, maximum group sizes by age, required annual training hours for staff, and minimum educational requirements for center directors and lead teachers.”
The land that you think is “your land” might well become “my land” in the State’s eyes. The time is NOW for you to find out how the State’s Act 181 may impact your use of your own land.
Vermont Sen. Andy Perchlik defends the State paying “independent” news media, blames Trump.
“Voting should be based on the character, integrity, and capabilities of the nominees, and the integrity and independence of our judicial branch, rather than the chaotic time we happen to be living in,” Gov. Scott said.
Should Vermont tax dollars be used to quell civil unrest in Burlington? During discussion of the Senate Committee on Appropriations on Tuesday, Senate Pro Tempore, Philip Baruth (D/P-Chittenden Central) proposed policy language to expand H.790 to allow the allocation of up to around $39 million of taxpayer funds to reimburse anticipated public safety costs in some of Vermont’s most populous municipalities in the event of increased federal immigration enforcement operations.
Several Democrat senators said the Trump administration’s immigration policy is so harmful that Vermont should signal its opposition by rejecting the nomination of the prosecutor who argued the DOJ position in last year’s civil detention lawsuits of two anti-Israel activists.
The 2024 Vermont Senate rushed a proposed amendment to the Vermont Constitution guaranteeing equal protection for ‘race, ethnicity, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or national origin,” a parents’ rights advocate told a Senate committee Thursday.
Senator says we need to be discussing return on investment, and YEAH!
A bill that would ban the sale of car and truck tires in Vermont unless the manufacturer has an approved plan to dispose of waste tires will get a hearing in House Environment at 9 AM Thursday morning.
This past Tuesday Governor Phil Scott delivered his 2026 Budget Address to Vermonters and the General Assembly saying the time for structural reform is now. With federal stimulus dollars winding down and revenue forecasts downgraded, Vermont faces a pivotal moment that demands discipline, innovation, and collaboration.
Gov. Phil Scott on Tuesday unveiled his proposed FY2027 budget, saying the $9.4 billion plan reins in costs, provides targeted property tax relief, and begins addressing long-term structural challenges in education, transportation, housing, and human services—without raising broad-based taxes.
Vermonters use less total energy than the residents of any other state in the nation and their total energy consumption per capita is among the lowest five states. About 11% of Vermonters heat with wood, the highest share of any state, according to the EIA.
Governor Phil Scott’s office today announced a range of appointments made in the fourth quarter of 2025 – including former UVM police chief and public safety entrepreneur Gary Margolis of Shelburne to the State Police Advisory Commission.
The adorable Southern bog lemming, delicate small whorled pogonia orchid, mysterious lake sturgeon and humble wood turtle may not seem to have much in common. But, all four are classified as “Species of Greatest Conservation Need” (SGCN) in a newly-drafted update to Vermont’s Wildlife Action Plan, which is now available for public comment.
At two public meetings held a week apart, Council members and staff from the Climate Action Office walked through Vermont’s updated Climate Action Plan, introduced a list of “Top 10 Priority Actions,” and discussed next steps — even as the state has already missed its first statutory emissions benchmark and faces mounting costs to reach the next.
Vermont’s 2020 energy standards focused on basic quality and efficiency. In contrast, the 2024 standards are designed to support the state’s Global Warming Solutions Act.
Rep. Greg Burtt (R-Cabot) said he is developing a bill to repeal the so-called “Road Rule” included in Act 181, the sweeping Act 250 reform package passed by the Legislature’s 2024 Democratic supermajority. The provision places any development on a private road 800 feet or longer automatically under Act 250 jurisdiction, regardless of project size or environmental impact. It takes effect July 1 – hence Burtt’s effort to introduce a bill to rid Act 250 of what he believes is an onerous provision.
A nonprofit that helps immigrants, regardless of legal status, get to health care appointments is asking Vermont lawmakers for $167,000 in state funding after losing support from the University of Vermont Extension Service.
“She’s not going home to live her life because our government murdered her,” Pieciak told a large crowd in front of the federal building on Elwood Avenue.
Vermont has been awarded more than $195 million in federal funding to support rural health system innovation, though state officials cautioned lawmakers the money cannot be used to replace or stabilize existing programs.
As Beta Technology’s wealth converts to cash over the coming year, money will flow back to the state through multiple distinct channels—including three Vermont-based investment funds with substantial local ownership and hundreds of millions in potential capital gains taxes.
State Treasurer and legislative leaders push program that could save hundreds of dollars monthly—but critical details about insurance deductibles and pharmacy participation remain unclear
When Pittsford pushed back on the Rutland Regional Planning Commission’s draft Future Land Use (FLU) map, it sounded like a local fight: one town objecting to being painted dark-green “Rural Conservation” on a new set of regional maps.
Anti-Israel coalition asks for resignations, ethics probe
Employers must register through the Vermont Saves portal, provide employee census information, and facilitate payroll deductions at their own cost.
While a large portion of the country is moving toward restricting choices, Vermont has chosen a distinct path.
This is the kind of bipartisanship we’re talking about!
Former U.S. Attorney Christina E. Nolan, 46, of Burlington and current First Assistant Michael P. Drescher, 60, of Hinesburg will need to be confirmed by the Vermont Senate.
Two former prosecutors in the tough federal criminal justice system have been nominated to sit on the Vermont Supreme Court.
Vermont will receive over $195 million in Rural Health Transformation Funds in 2026, which is among the highest award per capita in the nation. But not all Vermont political figures are so complementary.
We are running out of time.
An anti-Israel umbrella organization comprised of socialist and pro-Palestinian advocacy groups wants five Vermont legislators to resign following their September junket to Israel.
The rapid rise in negative sentiment among young men—a group historically open to risk and digital gaming—suggests an experiential problem rather than a moral one.
While national elections draw the most attention, many of the most immediate impacts on Vermonters — particularly school spending and local taxes — are decided earlier in the year, often with less public awareness.
What Vermonters are experiencing now is the predictable result of multiple systems breaking down at the same time: education finance, demographic decline, housing scarcity, regulatory overreach, healthcare inflation, workforce deterioration, and a tax base that continues to shrink while public obligations grow.
Major dairy processors and manufacturers accumulated hundreds of permit violations in 2024 while state regulators emphasize “partnership” over enforcement.
A State’s Attorney with an on-duty DUI history and an alleged insensitivity problem should resign, Scott and Democrats agree. But who would take her place?
Vermont is facing an estimated 12% increase in education property taxes next year unless lawmakers again step in with a General Fund subsidy.
Morley grew up in, and resides in, Orleans County with his wife, Jodi. He has worked for the Village of Orleans for 33 years, managing an electric department, street department, water and wastewater department, fire department, and library. Morley is an active member of the community, serving on many boards, in addition to having served in the Vermont House of Representatives for six years from 2004 until 2010.
Governor Phil Scott defended Afghanistan refugees in Vermont on Facebook Tuesday in response to the recent high-profile shooting in Washington, D.C., involving an Afghan refugee suspect.
Also, Governor Scott on the need for “education transformation” this legislative session.
Return-to-office stays on track. The conflict now moves to the Vermont Labor Relations Board (VLRB) for adjudication.
Inside the multi-state fight against Federal funding caps
Vermont passed a bipartisan bill in May calling for the creation of the New Americans Study Committee in order to make recommendations on a forthcoming Office of New Americans. The committee is required to develop a summary of economic data regarding immigrants in Vermont and provide recommendations for how to improve immigrant services.
The debate in Pittsford wasn’t about personalities or local politics. It reflected a broader question confronting nearly every town in Vermont: Where does state law end and agency preference begin?
And Republicans have a second chance to avoid disaster.
This is among several concerns in their new report titled the Vermont Voter Roll Integrity Analysis, prompting a response from the Secretary of State’s Office, sent to VDC by its chief of staff Bryan Mills on Friday, November 14.
The two weeks of state taxpayers funding SNAP benefits is over. Now, what about health care subsidies?
Vermont’s forests are not dying; they are being managed into bureaucracy. The danger is not fragmentation of trees but fragmentation of responsibility—where the authority to decide is collective, but the obligation to pay is individual. The landscape that once symbolized independence is now the backdrop for rulemaking by committee.
The central challenge is not that state revenues are collapsing. Instead, the state’s fixed costs are growing faster than its baseline revenue.
Here’s the good news: this year, we proved that when Montpelier is balanced — when no one party can simply bulldoze the other — we can actually roll up our sleeves and get things done. For the first time in a while, there was real collaboration.
A state-funded “Public Truth-Telling Session” scheduled for Nov. 15 in St. Johnsbury will bar reporters from recording, photographing, or interviewing participants inside the event, according to guidelines released by organizers.
The UNH poll reveals a different perspective from the general public. Just over half of Vermont residents—51%—support requiring state employees to work in-person at least three days per week.
The lapse in federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known locally as 3SquaresVT, has triggered delays in November benefits for more than 64,000 residents, exacerbating pressures on the state’s food banks.
The state-funded benefit is equal to 50% of a household’s November 1st 3 Square benefit and will be loaded onto EBT cards or directly deposited into bank accounts on or before November 7th 2025.
Pricetag: $6.3 million
Kornheiser said she’s confident the State Emergency Board, including Gov. Scott, will confirm the 100% payments. A reporter said the governor had floated paying 50%, but Kornheiser said she believes he’s on board with 100%.
Since joining the Legislature, Priestley said she has focused on rural equity, data privacy, consumer protection, and youth engagement. In her Senate campaign, Priestley plans to highlight housing, climate resilience, affordability, economic fairness, and government transparency.
“I have directed my administration to work with Attorney General Clark to support a multi-state lawsuit,” Scott said.
SNAP benefits not paid by the federal government proposed to be paid out of a state reserve fund.
Predatory industrial-scale renewable energy development in Vermont has just reached an all-time low with continued ecological devastation and accompanying rate hikes in queue.
Lindsay conspired with others, known and unknown to the grand jury, to develop a scheme to obtain money and property from the Vermont Unclaimed Property website, the indictment said.
epresentatives Kornheiser and Scheu serve on the Vermont Emergency Board, a panel that includes two senators and the governor. Lawmakers are coordinating with Governor Phil Scott and his administration to schedule an Emergency Board meeting next week to approve temporary state funding for the federal programs.
If you are expecting to receive your November 1 benefit, unless the federal government reopens and authorizes November benefits, it will not be issued due to a lack of federal funds, state officials said.
In Vermont, the line between environmental policymaking and courtroom strategy has nearly disappeared. The same advocacy network that helped write the state’s climate and water rules now sues the agencies and farms that follow them—an endless loop of petitions, corrective orders, and consent decrees that leaves little room for either legislators or citizens.
It’s the time of year when we begin to get ready for the next season. Golf clubs and kayaks get cleaned and put away for next year. The list includes an appointment at Charlie Dorr’s to change over to snow tires, taking down the garden hoses at the house and much more. And while the State House is mostly quiet these days, some are preparing for the new legislative session, which begins January 6.
That’s not a crisis of resources—it’s a crisis of judgment.
The Caledonia Food Cooperative would be on the site of a former drug store on Railroad Street, the commercial district of Caledonia County’s largest town.
These hearings are an opportunity to learn about the Task Force’s work and to share your perspectives and priorities, which will help guide the Task Force as it develops proposals for Vermont’s school district boundaries. These hearings are not for commenting on finalized maps, but your input will inform the Task Force’s work and be included in their report to the legislature.
Oh, the hypocrisy, but there is an opportunity for redemption.
Trump Media makes up a minuscule 0.02% of the Russell 3000 total index—If its stock value went to zero tomorrow, the pension fund would lose less than two-hundredths of one percent.
Colby, who oversees a 10-deputy department, says the rules simply don’t work in Essex County, where federal officers are often the only backup available.
Bettors, particularly during the popular football season, performed significantly better than models anticipated, which directly reduced the state’s share of the proceeds.
The State is also reviewing, one by one, the cases of 1,532 non-citizens forbidden to receive food benefits under the OBBB.
Senate Republican Leader outlines some agenda items for next year.
“Remote work is so common that we fear the state will not be able to attract or retain high-quality employees if forced back into the office,” the union argues.
Currently, a quarter of Vermont renters spend more than 50% of their income on housing costs, which will continue to trend in the wrong direction if action isn’t taken, a Scott spokesperson said.
What are the people to do when a law creates a trap that plunders precious resources and hard earned money and brings harm to Vermonters, all for zero beneficial environmental impact?
Deputy involved in fatal shooting among them
Chris Winters, DCF Commissioner, will be the new deputy commissioner of the Department of Labor beginning September 22. The administration stresses the move is not a demotion.
Transportation fund receipts are down overall, with the largest deficits in diesel fuel sales tax and motor vehicle purchase and use taxes and fees. Gasoline sales are not below target.
It must be corruption because nobody is actually this stupid.
Act 73 formed a statewide redistricting task force, which is holding meetings–one of which could be held at Oxbow next month.
Claire Burns was recommended to the Governor by the Caledonia County Republican Committee. Burns has worked in public defenders’ offices in Colorado and California, representing individuals at all stages of criminal proceedings, including those facing deportation at the Aurora ICE Processing Center, as well as at a juvenile detention center in Colorado, providing group and individual therapy.
Act 21 appropriates $1 million for fiscal year 2026. That money goes from the State Treasurer to a nonprofit debt buyer, which purchases old hospital accounts for pennies on the dollar and then cancels them. Patients who qualify — Vermont residents with incomes under 400 percent of the federal poverty line (FPL), or whose debt exceeds five percent of household income (with no income limit) — get letters saying their debt has been forgiven.
The Affordable Heat Act raised costs, the PUC confirmed it, and the real outside cash is already funding Vermont’s media and advocacy landscape: they just don’t like competition.
Clark’s latest anti-Trump press release noted the detaining for possible deportation of illegal immigrants living in ‘the Northshire,’ an unofficial name for the Bennington County area. Press reports say that on August 25 ICE detained two Jamaican women working as home health aides and living in Manchester.
Human Services Secretary Jenney Samuelson: “Just to put some of the facts out there, the PREP program does provide information for adolescents and youth, particularly around STI [sexually transmitted infection] HIV, prevention and prevention of unintended pregnancies. It is not a school-based program, so it is not offered in the schools.
Supporters of state employees working from home say it helps hire and retain high-skilled workers, particularly those in the IT field.
Vermont: illegal sanctuary state, or complying with federal law?
