By Guy Page

The Vermont General Assembly, meeting in joint session today, elected Brigadier General Henry “Hank” Harder as the next Adjutant General of the Vermont National Guard.

The Adjutant General of the Vermont National Guard is elected by a majority vote of the Vermont General Assembly meeting in joint session of the House and Senate. Voting is conducted by secret ballot, and the office carries a two-year term. Brig. Gen. Harder will assume duties effective March 1, 2026.

Harder most recently served as the Deputy Adjutant General. He received his commission in 1989 after graduating from the University of Vermont. He has held many senior positions in aviation and cyberwarfare. He is a command pilot with over 3,000 hours of military flying, the majority in the F-16; his flying time includes over 330 hours of combat time in four separate tours in operations in and over Iraq. General Harder holds a BA in Political Science and a graduate certificate in secondary education from the University of Vermont and resides in Shelburne with his wife of 29 years, Natalie. They have three adult children. 

Vermont is unique in that the Legislature elects its Adjutant General. The office serves a two-year term and oversees readiness, deployment, personnel, and emergency response operations for Vermont’s Army and Air National Guard forces. Candidates must meet statutory military eligibility requirements, including senior rank and qualifications for federal recognition as a general officer. 

Harder’s opponent in the race, Colonel Roger “Brent” Zeigler congratulated Harder on a well-run campaign. The two long-time colleagues ran a very collegial race, often citing that they were “on same team, they were just running to decide who was the captain of the team.” Zeigler will continue his role as a senior leader in the Vermont Army National Guard.

St. Albans Town lawmaker named – Governor Phil Scott today announced his appointment of John (Jack) Brigham of St. Albans Town to fill the vacant Franklin-8 seat in the House of Representatives. Brigham replaces Casey Toof, who resigned last month.

Brigham is a lifelong dairy farmer on the multi-generational Holyoke Farm, where they also produce organic maple syrup, raise beef, and sell hay. Brigham is also a member of the St. Albans Town selectboard, serves on the Act 250 district 6 commission, and has served on other local boards including the town planning commission, development review board, and local school board. Brigham resides in St. Albans Town with his wife of 44 years, Heather. Together they have four adult children. His appointment is effective immediately and was recommended by the local Republican Party.

Bradford Republican to run for House – A Bradford man has announced he will run to represent Orange 2 House seat now held by Rep. Monique Priestley (D), the Journal-Opinion reports.

Priestley currently represents the district, which covers Fairlee and West Fairlee as well. She previously announced she would run for the state Senate seat in Orange County.

“I’m running because I love this community,” Nicholas DiLorenzo said in a campaign announcement. “I love our back roads, our school concerts and youth sports, our town meetings, and the way people here still look each other in the eye and help when help is needed. This isn’t just where we live, it’s home.”

DiLorenzo said he is seeking office as a “Republican with moderate views.” 

“I believe state government should live within its means, respect taxpayers, and stop pushing one-size-fits-all policies that make it harder to live, work, and run a business in Vermont communities.”  

He is a former military police officer and he is married with two children in the public school system. He coaches youth sports, volunteers with the Scouts and with the Civil Air Patrol.

Low proficiency scores – The Vermont Agency of Education has released assessment results from the 2024-2025 school year, the Journal-Opinion reports. Generally, the results throughout Vermont were not great. 

• English Language Arts proficiency rates ranged from 46% to 61% across grades
• Math proficiency rates ranged from 33% to 48% across grades
• Science proficiency rates ranged from 41% to 45% across grades
• Fewer than 60% of high school seniors demonstrated proficiency on at least one college and career readiness assessment

Dam safety bill likely to be voted out of House Environment – a bill enjoying rare bi-partisan support would provide coordinated planning for multiple local, state and federal agencies to prevent and, if necessary, respond to threats to dam safety posed by flooding. H.778, slated to be voted on by the House Environment Committee today, is in response to concerns about the safety of aging Vermont dams following the 2023 flood. 

AI data center impact bill – A bill sponsored by Sen. Rebecca White would impose a moratorium on power-hungry AI data centers in Vermont until a study could be conducted on their environmental and energy grid impacts. The study also would make “recommendations to the General Assembly for a regulatory regime that would best serve the general good of the State,” S205 states. In a brief State House conversation with VDC yesterday, Sen. White said the location and operation of data centers in Vermont isn’t up to Big Tech, it’s up to the people of Vermont.