Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Ranking Member Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA) on Tuesday issued the following statement announcing a bipartisan deal on legislation to lower drug prices in America: “We are happy to announce that we’ve come to an agreement to consider critical pieces of legislation to reform pharmacy benefit managers and expand the availability of low-cost generic drugs through the HELP Committee. We will hold an official markup of the legislation on May 2nd.”

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski issued the following statement regarding the misinformation that was released by Governor Scott’s administration on S.5, the Affordable Heat Act: “Last week, the Governor released a statement in response to the passage of S.5. This statement contained inaccurate information regarding the impact of the bill and the legislature's intent. Thankfully, Vermonters brought these inaccuracies to his attention, and as a result, he corrected some of his statements and released an updated version. However, the amended release still contained incorrect assertions that intentionally or unintentionally undermined the true intent of the legislation. So let’s correct the record."

Vermont Business Magazine Bennington alum, former trustee, and noted photography collector Bruce Berman ’74 and his wife Lea Russo have donated 77 works of art, mostly notable American photography, to benefit Bennington College’s innovative Art for Access program. The gift includes photographs by Graciela Iturbide, Mary Ellen Marks, Guillermo Srodek-Hart, Mike Smith, Joel Sternfeld, in addition to some 30 photographs by Chilean-born writer, photographer, documentarian, and MacArthur Fellow Camilo José Vergara. Berman retired as chairperson and chief executive officer of Village Roadshow Pictures Entertainment in Los Angeles in 2021. Throughout his career, he oversaw more than a hundred movies, including the Ocean’s Eleven franchise, the Matrix franchise, Mad Max: Fury Road, and the Clint Eastwood films Mystic River, American Sniper, Gran Torino, Sully, and Joker.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont-based Lawson’s Finest Liquids wins a 2023 Good Food Award. Recognized for its delicious Maple Tripple Ale and its sustainability- and community-minded business practices, Lawson’s Finest has been selected as a Good Food Award Winner following a rigorous blind tasting process. In addition to taste, all winners of the Good Food Awards are recognized for being upstanding members of their communities, committed to equity and inclusion in all levels of their business. Enticing, rich and complex, Lawson’s Finest’s award-winning Maple Tripple is a ‘once-a-year beer’ brewed only during sugaring season with 100% Vermont maple sap. Maple Tripple has also received international recognition at the prestigious World Beer Cup.

Vermont Business Magazine VITL, the trusted source for securely delivering health data for Vermonters, announces today the launch of Vermont’s first two-way immunization data sharing connection between the Vermont Department of Health and Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital in St. Johnsbury. Using the two-way connection built with VITL, clinicians and the health department will be able to easily and efficiently exchange immunization data, back and forth, in real time. Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital’s clinicians will benefit from efficient access to patients’ immunization histories delivered through the new, two-way connection provided by VITL. The data is available with a single click in the hospital’s electronic health record (EHR).

Vermont Business Magazine The Emergency Department at Rutland Regional Medical Center has launched a new Nurse Practitioner Triage Model of Care with three Nurse Practitioners specializing in Emergency Medicine. The traditional triage model involves nurses who assess/stabilize the patient, and then await the evaluation by a provider who can then place orders such as x-rays, Cat Scan, labs, etc. Under the new triage model of care, the patient will first see a Nurse Practitioner who is licensed to order diagnostic tests, x-rays, scans, labs immediately. When the attending physician sees the patient, they will already have the results of the patient’s testing, etc. in hand and can make a diagnosis or recommendation for next steps.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Federal Credit Union has partnered with the Boys and Girls Club of Burlington to support its Early Promise Program. The Early Promise Program provides partial sponsorships to all Early Promise graduates while they are enrolled in post-secondary education programs. “At Vermont Federal Credit Union, supporting our community is at the heart of everything we do” said Jean Giard, CEO of VFCU. “The Boys and Girls Club of Burlington is an incredible resource to our community and we are delighted to be able to support the continuing education of its members”.

by John McClaughry Up to now criticism of the Clean Heat Standard bill (S.5) has focused on its intended result of driving up prices of heating oil, propane, kerosene and natural gas somewhere from seventy cents to four dollars a gallon, in order to finance $2 billion worth of subsidies to people to quit using those fuels and install “cold climate heat pumps”, “advanced wood heat”, and home weatherization. The bill is built upon a complex “credit” system managed by the unaccountable Public Utility Commission, designed to shield the law from the charge of being a carbon tax – although it will have precisely the same effect on consumers. The two largest corporate cheerleaders for the CHS are Vermont Gas Systems (VGS), the regulated monopoly that controls natural gas delivery, and Green Mountain Power (GMP), the state’s largest electricity supplier. Both are owned by the Quebec energy giant Energir.

by Devon Green, VP of Government Relations On Friday evening, the Senate Appropriations Committee wrapped up their work on the FY 24 budget, and passed it out of their committee unanimously. This truly signals the ramp up to the end of the session, where we expect to see child care and paid family leave as some of the biggest initiatives for the House and Senate to hash out. They include: Workplace Violence; APS Bill; Shield Laws; among others.

Vermont Business Magazine St Johnsbury’s Barrett Insurance Agency has officially awarded a $10,000 donation to Northeast Kingdom Cancer Action Network, Inc. (NEKCAN), a local organization dedicated to providing grants to those fighting cancer while raising awareness and supporting cancer research in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. The $10,000 award will help NEKCAN provide direct monetary support to individuals being treated for cancer in the Northeast Kingdom (Caledonia, Orleans, and Essex in Northern Vermont counties). This includes paying for gas for patients to drive to and from treatment, purchasing heating oil for their tanks to keep warm in the winter, covering the cost of groceries and so much more.