By Guy Page
News that the Trump administration had suspended for 30 days the proposed tariff on (among other Canadian commodities) home heating fuels was most welcome to representatives of Vermont’s fuel dealers. A corresponding 10% tariff from Canada would have added about 25 cents per gallon, Matt Cota, representing the Vermont Fuel Dealers, said.
Former Free Press editor named interim head editor at VTDigger – Aki Soga, longtime Burlington Free Press photographer and editor, has been named the interim executive editor-in-chif at VTDigger, an online news outlet with two reporters and a photographer regularly at the State House, State House sources say.
Soga, who announced his resignation from the Free Press in November, will replace (for now) Paul Heintz, who leaves this month to pursue his own writing and reporting. Heintz has led the VTDigger news operation for four years.
These bills have passed the House and are headed to the Senate:
| Bill # | Date passed House | Bill Subject/Title |
| H.31 | 2/4/2025 | Health insurance claim edit standards and prior authorization requirements |
| H.35 | 1/30/2025 | unmerging the individual and small group health insurance markets |
| H.27 | 1/30/2025 | Allows the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Commission to review non-fatal cases of domestic abuse |
| H.78 | 1/29/2025 | Use of the Australian ballot system in local elections |
Senate car insurance bill moves forward – The Senate has yet to pass any bills. However, an auto insurance bill received preliminary approval on the Senate floor this morning. S.7, sponsored by Senate Judiciary Chair Nader Hashim (D-Windham), prohibits an insurer from deducting from the underinsurance motorist coverage any payments received by the policyholder through the at-fault driver’s liability insurance policy. It also limits an insurer’s subrogation rights about medical payments coverage.
Judges confirmed – The VErmont Senate confirmed Tuesday morning unanimously confirmed the following Superior Court judges: Bonnie Badgewick, Joe McLean, Timothy Doherty, Dana Marianna Di Sano, and Laura Rowntree. Jessica Seman was confirmed as a magistrate.
Bill targets disruptive behavior at government meetings – A House bill set for introduction would give presiding officials the right to remove disruptive people from meetings.
H.145, sponsored by Rep. Jim Harrison (R-Chittenden), would “expressly authorize the chairs of public bodies to adopt rules governing public comment and the disruption of a meeting by a member of the public. This bill also proposes to allow public bodies to remove an individual from a meeting when the individual engages in conduct that violates the rules governing public comment and the disruption of meetings. This bill further proposes to amend the statute governing disorderly conduct to add substantial impairment of the effective conduct of a meeting as a basis for a disorderly conduct violation.”
High school principal to speak on book at Farm Night – Kenneth Cadow, Oxbow High School co-principal and author of the National Book Award Finalist novel Gather, will speak at 7:30 PM Wednesday, Feb. 5 at Farm Night at the State House. Cadow will share his experiences traveling throughout the state to discuss his book. Topics he covers are related to community building and the larger issues of poverty, housing insecurity, and addiction.
The Farmers Night Concert Series is a longstanding State House tradition which goes back over 100 years to a time when lawmakers entertained themselves in the House Chamber mid-week while away from home. Artists from around the state, in genres ranging from classical music to bluegrass to spoken word, perform in the well of the House Chamber each Wednesday night at 7:30 during the legislative session.