Current News

​Vermont Business Magazine At his weekly media briefing, Governor Phil Scott and Administration Secretary Kristin Clouser today emphasized the importance of investing historic federal funds wisely to ensure Vermonters see the greatest value. Reacting to the current version of the Budget Adjustment bill (BAA), which makes mid-year appropriations rather than waiting for the new fiscal year on July 1, they called on the Legislature to restore critical proposals funding housing, debt relief and more.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington law firm Dinse, PC, announced today that former Speaker of the House Shap Smith was elected as its president and managing partner to succeed Jeff McMahan, effective January 1, 2022. Regarding the transition, McMahan said, “The firm is fortunate to have many outstanding leaders and the unanimous selection of Shap as our new President is exciting. Shap has the right leadership skills, collaboration and communication experience to lead the firm into the future.”

Vermont Business Magazine DealerPolicy, the leading insurance marketplace for automotive retail, today announced a rebranding and insurance agency name change to Polly to better engage consumer audiences. The name change will take effect on March 2, 2022. Polly’s existing suite of technology solutions designed for use by automotive dealers will continue to be easily accessible via a web interface or smartphone application called “Polly for Dealers,” which can be downloaded at The App Store or Google Play.

Vermont Business Magazine Christina Nolan, former United States Attorney in Vermont, announced today that she will run for US Senate as a Republican. After leaving the US Attorney's office, Nolan, 42, joined the Burlington-based law firm Sheehey Furlong & Behm PC last April. She would likely face Democratic Congressman Peter Welch in the general election this November, to fill the seat held by retiring Senator Patrick Leahy. Vermont has never sent a woman to Congress.

Vermont Business Magazine On February 22, Governor Phil Scott returned without signature and vetoed S.30, "An act relating to prohibiting possession of firearms within hospital buildings." The governor, referring to the sweeping gun laws he signed into law in 2018, said in the veto letter to the Legislature that, "It's my belief that we need to give these new provisions more time to be fully understood and utilized, and that the Legislature should focus on educating Vermonters on these changes – and on addressing Vermont’s mental health crisis – before additional gun laws are passed."

VPR and Vermont PBS To what extent do you think climate change will affect life in Vermont over the next 30 years? Would you recommend an 18-year-old stay in or leave Vermont? Is access to high-speed internet a problem for you or your family, or not? VPR and Vermont PBS have released the results of a statewide poll that asked hundreds of Vermonters these questions and more.

Vermont Business Magazine The Regional Development Corporations of Vermont are part of a new Community Navigator Pilot Program (CNPP) that will deliver technical assistance service contracts to aid Vermont business recovery. This program is part of a national initiative through the Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC) as part of the Small Business Administration’s CNPP. Funding for the program is coming through the Small Business Administration and Vermont’s COVID community development block grant program (CDBG-CV). U.S. Housing and Urban Development’s CDBG program provides federal funds, passed through the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD).

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott announced the appointment of Miranda Gray, to be the next Deputy Commissioner of the Child Development Division (CDD) of the Department for Children and Families (DCF) within the Agency of Human Services. Gray will lead the Department’s childcare and early learning work. She spent 15 years working in various roles within the Economic Services Division before coming to CDD as Interim Deputy Commissioner.

Vermont Business Magazine GlobalFoundries Inc (Nasdaq: GFS) has issued the following statement in response to the decision from Vermont’s Public Utilities Commission (PUC) on the company’s petition to become a self-managed utility (SMU). GF said it is committed to the state's energy and environmental goals and that it will move ahead with its petition to become a self-managed utility at the Essex Junction site. GF employs about 2,200 in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (VAHHS) responded today to the Vermont Agency of Human Service’s health care access report on wait times for certain medical specialties. The assessment has been underway since the fall of 2021. The report itself uses various methodologies to compare services and wait times for medical appointments. It also makes regional, national and global comparisons. Hospital leaders welcomed the review but cautioned that it should be used to reveal opportunities for improvement and not to confuse or mislead from the challenges—some very unique to Vermont and some global—facing health care today.

by Devon Green, VP of Government Relations, VAHHS When Representative Fagan from the House Appropriations Committee asked me to quickly pull together all of our chief nursing officers to discuss workforce and increasing clinical education opportunities, I knew it was a tall order. Our chief nursing officers are working the floor right now due to staffing shortages. In the end, the only time that worked was 6:30 am on Friday. Luckily, key legislators and several representatives from higher education accommodated our schedule, and our chief nursing officers had the opportunity to advocate for increasing resources towards the shared faculty model, preceptor pay, back-filling clinical positions that are used for instruction and livable stipends for nurses pursuing advanced degrees.

by John McClaughry Earlier this month the Scott Administration released the Report of the Governor’s Commission on the Future of Agriculture. The Report is well-written and constructive, but for many people seriously concerned with this subject, it is likely to be a disappointment. The 33-page Report purports to chart a path forward to cope with today’s crucial challenges and opportunities. It does a good job explaining that “agriculture is a principal engine for Vermont’s rural economy,” and that our farming sector – especially its largest component, dairy farming – is essential to preserving Vermont’s scenery and indeed its iconic character. Point taken.