Act 73 formed a statewide redistricting task force, which is holding meetings–one of which could be held at Oxbow next month.
Emotions run high as towns discuss losing high schools to Act 73
Gov names former ICE public defender as state’s attorney
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.
Soulia: Act 21, VT’s $1M medical debt jubilee
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.
Soulia: Dark money in Vermont: It’s not coming from AFP
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.
AG Clark ‘plays no role in immigration enforcement’ while issuing anti-ICE press release
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.
Vermont hesitant to remove gender ideology from federal education materials
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.
Scott administration prepares plan to return state employees to offices
Supporters of state employees working from home say it helps hire and retain high-skilled workers, particularly those in the IT field.
Scott letter to Bondi: You’re wrong, VT is not a sanctuary state
Vermont: illegal sanctuary state, or complying with federal law?
Soulia: VT’s climate spending vs. drug interdiction
Vermont has chosen to spend heavily on climate mitigation, with more than a quarter-billion dollars in state funds committed over just a few years. Meanwhile, as the toll of overdoses continues to outpace weather-related deaths by a factor of nearly 100 to 1, a contrast likely to grow harder for policymakers—and taxpayers—to ignore.
Flags at half-mast for Gov. Thomas Salmon
“Governor Salmon led Vermont through some of our nation’s most difficult times, doing his best to stabilize our economy and strengthen trust of government. His efforts on behalf of Vermont are worthy of our gratitude, remembrance, and respect.”
A bridge project exposes NH’s battle against Vermont-style overreach
Regional recreation project hits a snag: New Hampshire resists Vermont’s soft stance on homeless encampments while enforcing strict rules that block the fix—new housing.
Vermont tangled in red tape and knotweed
In the Netherlands, a design group called Why Knot turns knotweed into lightweight, formaldehyde-free building panels. Vermont’s regulatory system is too antiquated to see it as a win-win.
VT parents demand public schools comply with feds
SPEAK VT President Marie Tiemann added that national developments raise questions for Vermont’s Agency of Education: whether it will respect parents’ right to opt out of controversial classroom material, and whether it will protect female athletes under Title IX.
Reporters ask Scott: Do you trust Trump?
Scott: “I’m going to call balls and strikes. We’re not going to oppose every single issue the federal government brings up, but we will take action and push back when necessary.”
Scott defends SNAP data amid condemnation by Dem leaders
“The bottom line is, this is a federal benefit,” Scott’s press secretary said. “The federal government is legally entitled to this information and has been for much of the last decade.”
Compass Vermont: VT gives Trump admin 5 years of data on SNAP recipients
The deputy commissioner at DCF noted that Vermont faced the risk of “unspecified sanctions,” which could include withholding of federal funds that cover half of the state’s SNAP program costs.
State working on finding, training young people to work
The state’s Regional Workforce Expansion Pilot program is hiring coordinators to find and train (mostly) young people to join the labor force.
Vermont Judge dismisses CFL climate lawsuit against State of Vermont
“This case demonstrates the problematic nature of the Global Warming Solutions Act’s expansive private right of action provision,” said Vermont’s Secretary of Natural Resources, Julie Moore, in a written statement to VDC yesterday morning.
Ex-Burlington chief Murad to run Vermont prisons
Governor Phil Scott today announced that Department of Corrections Commissioner Nick Deml will step down from his role on August 15, with former Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad named to serve as interim commissioner.
56 state employees earn more than $200K
Doctors, judges and a race car driver lead the pack among the best paid state workers.
Americans for Prosperity targets Vermont lawmakers in new accountability campaign
Campaign spotlights housing, taxes, and energy mandates
State funds free meals all summer for all children
”It’s amazing how easy it is to feed my kids for free all summer long,” a social media influencer for the free summer meals program said.
Mechanics are criminally liable for their work – but not judges or lawmakers
For now, the Law remains unequal.
How Vermont’s SNAP Program spends $155M each year
SNAP was created in 1964 to fight hunger by increasing access to calories. But critics argue it has not kept pace with nutrition science. Research shows SNAP participants often consume more calories than non-recipients, but their diets are higher in carbohydrates, sugar, and sodium—raising concerns about diet quality and long-term health outcomes.
Soulia: How Vermont’s 250th anniversary logo was chosen—and what’s missing
Without clear and consistent records of its meetings, Vermonters are left with few details about how significant decisions, such as selecting the anniversary logo, were made. As the 2026 celebrations approach, maintaining transparency and ensuring that future meetings are fully documented will be key to building public confidence in the commission’s work.
The privacy paradox – Part 1
How America banned TikTok for data collection while leaving data brokers untouched
Vermont among states suing Trump administration over education funding freeze
These states are calling this freeze unconstitutional, unlawful and an arbitrary decision.
New cottage food law keeps Vermont products in home kitchens
A food-start up bill exempts home based food producers from requiring state food safety permits if they keep their sales under $30,000.
Homeless Hotel/Motel program is still active
Vermont’s General Assistance (GA) Emergency Housing Program, commonly known as the “hotel/motel program,” remains operational with no termination date, despite confusion among some residents, and cost Vermont taxpayers $33 million dollars last year.
Soulia: Vermont’s À La Carte Constitution
A statute can only stand if it fits within the Constitution. If it doesn’t, it must either be overturned in court, or the Constitution must be amended first. That is the proper process for changing how a government operates.
Soulia: VT ends telework for some ESD staff, highlighting oversight gaps in government remote work
Vermont’s decision to end telework for roughly 100 employees in its Economic Services Division (ESD) has reignited a broader national debate over remote work in government—and the lack of systems to measure whether it’s working.
Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas leads international trip to Taiwan
Several secretaries of state journeyed as part of a National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) delegation to Taiwan. The trip included meetings with government officials, universities, business and agriculture leaders.
Vermont Climate Superfund lawsuits pile up as advocacy groups join defense
The Vermont Climate Superfund Law aimed at holding oil companies financially responsible for flooding and other damages caused by climate change is facing a flurry of litigation that Gov. Phil Scott anticipated when he declined to endorse the measure last year.
Koch: Brainless law allows anyone to sue the state
It is no surprise, then, that the Conservation Law Foundation, which is proficient in bringing lawsuits, has taken the state up on its offer.
VT and NY governors battle over ‘Maple Syrup Supremacy’
Stick that in your maple creemee, Governor Hochul!
Senior China diplomat visits Vermont, meets state leaders
Notable Vermont companies doing business in China include snowboard maker Burton. China’s winter sports industry has boomed following its hosting of the 2022 Winter Olympics.
VT pols vote to ban cellphones at school
Vermont lawmakers voted Monday to ban smartphones and other electronic devices used by students during the school day. The goal is to improve academic performance as well as battle a disturbing rise in the rates of depression and anxiety among young people in the state.
McGuinness: Vermont AG dodges federal laws at “policy” forum
Attorney General Charity Clark gaslighted individuals challenging her failure to uphold federal laws regarding Title IX, parental rights, and immigration during a community forum held in Essex on Monday, June 2, to discuss The Impact of Federal Actions on Vermont.
Scott signs child digital safety bill
Says 2027 start date leaves time for court challenges
Independent school tuition hangs up education funding talks
Can the Vermont House and Senate agree this week on tuition for independent schools?
McGuinness: Democrats disguise partisan messaging as public policy discussion
If pants literally caught fire when people lied, there would be no back-ends to wipe among the elected officials who participated in this “policy” forum.
Soulia: Political theater over policy
Four months in, Vermont’s budget Is balanced—but the real fight might just Be delayed
Gervais: Vermont’s fiscal mess
Per the Joint Fiscal Office 2025 report, Vermont has the sixth highest per capita spending, at $15,426, yet when we look at results: Johnny can’t read, and our roads are crumbling. Let’s slash bloat and restore sanity
Dr. Oscar Peterson and the Vermont Civil Defense Division
Dr. Oscar S. Peterson Jr. believed that nuclear radiation played an important role in the future, in its capacity to extend the lives of his patients, as well as its ability to cause irreparable harm. His work specializing in radiation therapy at the University of Vermont led to an invitation to serve as Vermont’s Radiological Consultant to the Civil Defense Division of the Vermont Department of Public Safety.
Roper: Vermont has a $9.1 BILLION budget
Ronald Reagan once quipped that government is like a baby, an endless appetite on one end, and no discipline on the other. No place lives up to – or down to as the case may be — that analogy more so than Vermont.
Keelan: three out-of-control engines heading full speed to collision and disaster
The driverless engines of State
List or no list, DHS pushing on against sanctuary jurisdictions, Noem tells Fox News
The 3,000 member National Sheriffs Organization said the list was published without their knowledge and offers little direction on how sheriffs should proceed.
BREAKING: State of Vermont cited by Department of Homeland Security as ‘sanctuary jurisdiction defying federal immigration law’
The entire state of Vermont and the cities of Burlington, Montpelier, and Winooski have been labeled as ‘Sanctuary Jurisdictions’ by the department of Homeland Security, and now face federal funding cuts under Trump’s illegal immigration crackdown.
Breaking: Education finance bill compromise under discussion – Legislature could adjourn today
A House Education Committee member this morning told VDC that the H.454 Conference Committee is taking seriously Gov. Phil Scott’s concerns about affordability and implementation timeline in the current House/Senate versions of this session’s landmark legislation: transformation of Vermont’s public education financing and governance.
Digital wildfire: NotPetya, the most destructive cyberattack in history
How Russia weaponized America’s hacking tools to burn down the internet, and how Vermont lays vulnerable
House passes Gender X license bill
This Vermont bill is a response to a January 20 executive order issued by signed by President Donald Trump, mandating that federal agencies, including the State Department, recognize only two sexes (male and female) based on biological sex assigned at birth, effectively eliminating the “X” gender marker option for passports and prohibiting gender marker changes that do not align with birth certificates.
Soulia: S.124: A decade of drowning in Vermont’s water policy
Ten years and over $200 million later, Vermont is right back where it started—struggling to comply with the Clean Water Act, while farmers, taxpayers, and lawmakers all try to catch their breath.
Harrison: Sausage-makers grinding out housing, school funding bills
The legislative process is sometimes likened to sausage making, not pretty to watch. That was certainly true last week at the State House with education reform and a major housing bill being considered.
Roper: Unless it lowers taxes, vote NO on the education “reform” bill
Don’t just do something for the sake of doing something.
Soulia: Is 600,000 too small to count?
In a recently released open letter to Governor Phil Scott, health educator and Vermont Stands Up director Amy Hornblass raises a stark question: why has Vermont’s Department of Health not investigated the state’s persistent surge in excess deaths since the onset of COVID-19 restrictions?
Legislators preview enviro bills for next year
A House committee recently heard the introduction of seven new bills covering five topics legislators hope to tackle.
Soulia: Why won’t DCF disclose who’s using the system?
Department refuses to release even anonymized data about where recipients came from — or if they’re from Vermont at all.
Burlington, Montpelier, others get downtown dough
Installation of streetscape amenities along Main Street in Burlington include benches, bike racks, a bus shelter, and granite elevation indicators.
Roper: Fate of disastrous EV cars & truck mandates rests with Governor
Desperate calls for Scott to delay unrealistic, logistically impossible GWSA requirements with Executive Order.
State IT projects face closer oversight under bill
It comes from the House Committee on Energy and Digital Infrastructure, newly formed this session in part to prioritize digital technology initiatives that had been overshadowed.
Rodgers: Taxing veterans?
Everyone in this country owes our military veterans a debt of gratitude. It’s long past time for the Legislature to pay that debt forward.
‘State will fight lawsuits,’ says lead sponsor of Climate Superfund Bill
Supporters of Act 122 want the Legislature to budget $700,000 to implement the ‘groundbreaking’ law intended to Make Big Oil Pay.’
Keelan: Legislature keeps paying for consultants
If there is one constant I have witnessed since becoming a Vermont resident in 1988, it is the Legislature’s assigning State agency tasks to costly, out-of-state consultants.
Roper: Climate activist admits no real savings from “Social Cost of Carbon”
If there’s any benefit at all, it doesn’t get back to the people paying the bills.
Roper: Democrats – again – block efforts to repeal/reform unpopular climate laws
Special interests have issued their marching orders, and the Democrats are obeying.
State launches Paid Family and Medical Leave enrollment for individuals
For the first time, self-employed individuals and workers without employer-provided coverage can voluntarily enroll in the paid leave program, which offers partial income replacement during qualifying family or medical events.
Soulia: Vermont’s $78 million question
Vermont Employment Growth Incentive program quietly extended without a vote
Proposed farmer relief fund for floods and more could now include loggers
Over the last two years, “persistently rainy conditions made many forested areas too wet to harvest,” a logging industry rep told legislators.
Scott wouldn’t sign current Ed. Reform bill, aide says
Administration wants lawmakers to decrease spending and timeline for implementation before signing education reform bill
McGuinness: Hypocrisy of House child abuse resolution
The only way to end this long train of abuses and usurpations is for more voters to become aware of the fact that their state legislators’ policies harm, not help them; and to recruit and elect new leadership that respects the sacred family institution and supports legislation that fortifies parental rights.
Roper: Now a $17 million tax increase on beer, wine, & liquor?!
It’s enough to drive you to drink.
Soulia: PCB panic? A closer look at VT’s extreme school air standards
The EPA says 600 nanograms is safe. Vermont closes classrooms at 100. What do they know that the rest of the country doesn’t?
Homelessness up by 212% in VT since 2020 – tops in nation
The report, by the free-enterprise Common Sense Institute, also called into question most of the state’s “housing first” approach, saying it “may not be the best approach to addressing this challenge.”
Soulia: Aid on autopilot
Vermont grows programs without data or limits
Former lawmaker/Navy Officer challenges Scott admin claim of lawful cooperation with feds
Tate is a former Republican two-term representative from Killington in the Vermont House from 2015 to 2017. During his second term, he resigned his seat to serve overseas in the Navy.
Roper: Could Federal spending cuts end VT vote-by-mail?
Or will the policy expand to cover school board elections and more?
Local food program seeks state money amid funding worries
Farmers say it helps secure their bottom line, and officials in and outside the Legislature say it’s vital to curbing hunger.
Debate surfaces over Vermont’s for-profit prison contracts
Lawmakers and officials agree it isn’t ideal to imprison Vermonters out of state, but they say bringing them back would put in-state prisons dangerously over capacity.
Private donors save DOGE’d Vermont history program
Multiple private donors, including Marilyn Blackwell and George Burrill, stepped forward with generous contributions to underwrite the program through October.
Vermont cops can’t enforce federal civil immigration law
The state board that makes and enforces policing policies today emphasized and clarified when Vermont police may and may not cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
Vermont Senate leader calls federal arrest ‘fascist, authoritarian’
Senate leaders call for governor to stop allowing feds to house detainees in VT prisons
With Vermont sicker than ever, insurers and hospitals struggle to stay afloat
“In 2024, claims were up more than 15% from the previous year as part of an unprecedented and sustained three-year cost surge,” the report states. The report does not speculate as to why there was a sudden uptick starting three years ago.
Harrison: Moving Day
At the State House, you might refer to last Friday as “Moving Day” when the session’s big issue of education reform passed the House and is now moving to the Senate.
Statehouse talks center on landowner concerns with stormwater regs
Around 100 of the 700 3-acre sites in Vermont are subdivisions, but the state doesn’t know exactly how many people live on those parcels.
Roper: Democrats’ education finance proposal is a betrayal
Voters want tax relief, but Dem plan spends MORE.
Roper: “Make Big Oil Pay!” flounders
Lawmakers can’t open $ million-plus spigot to pay for hopeless lawsuit.
Lawmakers look to expand unpaid time off
The bill would guarantee employees can take two weeks of unpaid time off from work after the death of a family member.
Murray: Building a stronger Vermont
For years, Montpelier’s answer to any problem has been more spending—paid for by Vermonters already stretched to the breaking point. Gov. Scott rejects that.
Roper: Special interests versus the Children
“Reform” is propping up a failing system, not fixing it.
Soulia: When good intentions backfire
The revisited hidden costs of Vermont’s Plastic Bag Ban, and how this hurts Vermont’s environment.
Geoengineering ban discussed in House Environment Committee
The bill specifically includes language on cloud seeding because as Representative Gregg Burt (R-Cabot) stated, Vermont doesn’t need more rain.
Soulia: Why don’t we move the state capitol to Burlington?
Until balance is restored, the Capitol may still be in Montpelier — but increasingly, Vermont’s future is being written somewhere else.
Lawmaker and former Teacher of the Year says special needs students make large class sizes difficult
Rep. Beth Quimby, R-Lyndon, suggested that where there are many special needs students in a classroom, there can sometimes be help.
Keelan: Will we be losing our high school?
Education spending is at a breaking point for many Vermont real estate taxpayers. And the Legislature just passes the buck yet again.
Green Mountain Care Board: Struggling insurance company passing high-interest loan costs onto customers
As Vermont’s hospitals struggle financially, a bill by the House Healthcare Committee would have the state oversee financial records.
House school reform bill would set $13,200 block grant per student
A key component is a $13,200 block grant-per-student proposal that could require big adjustments for high spending schools.
Harrison: At Crossover – State House half full or half empty
Depending on one’s perspective we might look at various issues as making progress or going in the wrong direction.
Detrans organizer wants apology from VT Democrat leaders for ‘attack’ statement
“I would like to see a public apology from Vermont Senate and House Democrats for mischaracterizing our event as an attack on the transgender community,” Rene McGuinness said.
Governor Phil Scott appoints 102 to boards and commissions
Governor Phil Scott’s office today announced a range of appointments made in the last two quarters of 2024. Beginning April 1, appointments will be announced on a quarterly basis.
Soulia: Unfunded budget pressures clash with Governor’s FY2025 spending plan
Governor Phil Scott’s proposed $8.6 billion budget prioritizes housing, public safety, and education, but leaves some critical obligations underfunded.
