Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont House and Senate Committees on Appropriations are seeking public input on the Governor’s Recommended FY 2021 State Budget and will hold community-based public hearings on Monday, February 10, 2020, at the following locations: Barre City; Dorset; Morrisville; Rutland City; St. Johnsbury; St. Albans City; Winooski; Bennington; Springfield.

Leonine Public Affairs Week four of the 2020 legislative session brought the second annual NEK (Northeast Kingdom) Day to the statehouse. More than 100 NEK residents, business owners, artists and entrepreneurs came to Montpelier to talk to legislators about the opportunities and challenges facing the region and to encourage a variety of rural economic development strategies. The top issues that were highlighted included broadband, Act 250, the creative economy and outdoor recreation.

Vermont Business Magazine Betty ’93 and Paul Mayer of Shelburne, Vermont have made an extraordinary gift in support of women’s basketball at the University of Vermont (UVM), Director of Athletics Jeff Schulman announced this afternoon before the team tipped-off against the University at Albany. The gift is the largest ever made exclusively to a UVM women’s athletics program and will permanently endow the Elizabeth F. Mayer ’93 and Paul J. Mayer, M.D. Women’s Basketball Head Coach.

Vermont Business Magazine When the Soviet Union disintegrated in the early 1990s, food production on the island of Cuba was reduced—as the supply of Russian fertilizers, pesticides, tractors, and oil dried up. Under the stress of an imminent food crisis, the island quickly rebuilt a new form of diversified farming—including many urban organic gardens—that depended less on imported synthetic chemicals. Over the last two decades, Cuba blossomed into a worldwide model for conservation agriculture, with improved soils and cleaner water.

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) The President’s decision to roll back the policy on anti-personnel landmines is as perplexing as it is disappointing, and reflexive, and unwise. As far as I know, Congress was not consulted about this decision, despite requests to be consulted. The policy that has been in place, limiting the use of this inherently indiscriminate weapon to the Korean Peninsula, was the culmination of nearly 30 years of incremental steps, taken by both Democratic and Republican administrations after extensive analysis and consultation, toward the growing global consensus that anti-personnel mines should be universally banned.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today did what was expected he would do with the recently passed family leave bill except that he did it faster than expected. Scott announced his veto of the bill Friday afternoon and that he will move forward with his own voluntary paid family and medical leave program. He said he vetoed H107 because it levied a $29 million payroll tax on Vermont workers to fund a mandatory paid leave program.

The Vermont House passed H.107, the Paid Family and Medical Leave bill, January 23 on a vote of 89-58. The Senate had passed it on a 20-9 vote on January 17th.

The Democratic leadership in the House would need 100 votes to override the veto.

by Representatives Sarah Copeland Hanzas, Lori Houghton and Stephanie Jerome We are women business owners who serve in the legislature and we believe more Vermonters should have access to paid family leave in their time of need. Paid family leave should not be limited to people who work for large employers or have high income jobs. As business owners, we know the value of our workers and we believe that paid family leave is good for employees and good for business. That’s why the House and Senate passed a plan to create a statewide paid family and medical leave program to cover more Vermonters. Simply put, we can’t afford to delay.

Vermont Business Magazine Hull Street Energy has signed an agreement to acquire thirty-one hydroelectric facilities with 255 MW of capacity from EGPNA Renewable Energy Partners (EGPNA REP), a joint venture between Enel Green Power North America and GE Energy Financial Services. The transaction will close in two phases. The first phase, which closed this week, includes 30 hydro projects totaling 175 MW. The second phase, which includes the remaining 80 MW of capacity, is expected to close during the first quarter of 2020, pending regulatory approval. The plants supply reliable, low-carbon energy to regional electricity customers in Vermont, Washington, Massachusetts, New York, Virginia, South Carolina, Idaho, California, North Carolina, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims continue to relax following the typically raucous holiday season. Initial claims for the week of January 25, 2020, were 518, which is more inline with typical weekly numbers throughout the year. Claims fell 237 from last week and were 10 fewer than they were at this time last year.

Vermont Business Magazine The contractor continued driving pipe piles for the western marine drilling platform this week at the US Route 2, drawbridge connecting North Hero and Grand Isle. They have driven 9 out of 12 pipe piles so far, and will continue this work through next week. Driving pipe piles are shown in the foreground of the VTrans photo above. The contractor will also be installing sheetpiles for a cofferdam on the eastern side of the new bridge. This work will continue through next week.

Vermont Business Magazine Ben & Jerry's recognizes the next generation in its 2020 lineup, offering even more non-dairy flavors and a new base mix with a sunny disposition: sunflower butter! Ben & Jerry's new sunflower butter based Non-Dairy Frozen Desserts use flower power to deliver on the full Ben & Jerry's experience with loads of chunks and swirls, while providing a delicious alternative to the existing almond based lineup.

Vermont Business Magazine Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard resort in Eastern North America and a POWDR mountain resort, today announced the opportunity for its guests to enter into a user generated content contest to qualify for the 2020 Woodward Peace Park Championships, which will be hosted at Mt Bachelor, also a POWDR mountain resort, in Bend, OR, from April 20-26, 2020.