State News

The Hartland Garden Club (HGC) has run an annual plant sale for 25 years in front of Damon Hall, but new town manager John Broker-Campbell notified HGC president Dan Talbot the sale could not take place at Damon Hall on May 18 as planned. By Curt Peterson He cited a 1995 town “Vendors Ordinance” clearly…

There are about two weeks left in Vermont’s 2024 Legislative Session. This is not a lot of time to negotiate policy differences between the House and the Senate. A great deal of policy work is still not settled, which concerns me. I am not a fan of the work that is often done in the…

The last few weeks of the legislative session often contain a bit of theater, eureka moments, surprises, and just plain old disagreements. With the legislature scheduled to adjourn on May 10, the next two weeks could prove interesting. Major legislation, such as the state budget, education property tax rates, higher electric costs related to the…

Rutland and Woodstock are two of the five communities selected for apartment developments The Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) Board of Commissioners announced April 15, that its annual award of federal housing tax credits will support the construction of 156 in “perpetually affordable” apartment buildings in five communities across the state. The sale of this…

Currently, putting on sunscreen in Vt. schools is regulated like medicine By Holly Sullivan, Community News Service Editor’s note: The Community News Service is a program in which University of Vermont students work with professional editors to provide content for local news outlets at no cost. Despite being one of the cloudiest and coldest states, Vermont…

Rate of illnesses from tick bites continues to rise in Vermont  As springlike temperatures set in and people enjoy more time outside, it’s time to start checking for ticks and taking the simple steps to prevent tick bite illnesses. Ticks can be found throughout Vermont whenever temperatures are above freezing, with populations peaking during spring…

Beginning this fall, students will have two additional pathways to high-demand careers through new certificate programs at the Community College of Vermont (CCV). The new certificate offerings are data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) and manufacturing. These join the college’s 24 existing certificate programs to provide a comprehensive offering of high-value credentials that prepare students…

On Tuesday, April 23, the House is expected to vote on the education financing bill, which sets the statewide property tax rate to fund the growth in pre-K-12 spending. The tax bill, H.887, went through at least 10 drafts before it was approved by the House Ways & Means Committee on an 8-4 vote. It…

Vermont’s wildland fire season is now underway, according to a news release from the Dept. of Forests, Parks, and Recreation’s (FPR) April 15. The Wildland Fire Program is geared up to provide daily updates and seasonal tips to Vermonters to keep them informed about fire danger risks and to help them prevent wildfires in their…

Last month, the Senate passed S.114, which will establish a psychedelic therapy advisory working group. This group will be tasked with continuing to examine the use of psychedelics to improve physical and mental health. They will also make recommendations regarding the establishment of a Vermont state program to permit health care providers to legally access psychedelics under state law, according to S.114. “Over the years, many institutions have conducted studies regarding the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin, a…

With spring underway and the bulk of construction season ahead, the Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is reminding those who withdraw surface water to track and report usage. Under the newly enacted Act 135 of 2022, anyone withdrawing surface water must file an annual report with DEC each January. The purpose of Act 135 is…

By Curt Peterson The Vermont House Ways and Means Committee is rushing madly to solve a crushing education tax problem. Early in January, several state representatives warned colleagues that an education fund issue would cause severe pain property taxpayers across the state. Many of the elected, and Governor Scott, chanted, “Cut your budgets!” as their…

$1 billion aimed at removing harmful PFAS from drinking water On April 10, the Biden-Harris Administration issued the first-ever national, legally enforceable drinking water standard to protect communities from exposure to harmful per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as ‘forever chemicals.’ Exposure to PFAS has been linked to deadly cancers, impacts to the liver and…

April 10, the same day new national standards were set, the Vermont House advanced legislation (S.25) on a strong voice vote to ban per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) and other toxic chemicals from personal care products and menstrual products, and to ban PFAS from apparel, cookware, artificial turf, and children’s products. An earlier version of…

Last Tuesday, the House Ways & Means Committee unveiled a proposal to make significant changes to Vermont’s education financing system, including limits on how much school budgets could go up going forward. The plan even garnered some support from the Scott Administration. However, by Thursday, April 11, when organizations representing various education sectors came out…