Current News

Veto looms with Special Session likely

Vermont Business Magazine The Legislature adjourned very early Sunday morning with the $5.8 billion budget passed but likely facing a veto, at this point, if some adjustment is not made. Legislative leadership has declined to set a veto session. The governor could also call a Special Session, possibly this week, under which any piece of legislation could be reviewed. State government will shut down July 1 without a budget. Late Saturday evening, Governor Phil Scott offered the following statement on the fiscal year 2019 budget passed by the state Legislature:

Vermont Business Magazine The Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS), Vermont’s largest service provider for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, today announced receipt of a $150,000 grant from KeyBank Foundation to help them expand a project entitled Ending Family Homelessness: Helping Parents and Children by Keeping Them Home. Support from KeyBank is targeted to help reduce by 50 percent the number of families falling into homelessness for the first time in Burlington/Chittenden County – the largest population center in Vermont. This three-year goal will be achieved by combining financial assistance with customized housing retention services to households at imminent risk of homelessness, stopping evictions and foreclosures.

Vermont Business Magazine The Flexible Capital Fund (Flex Fund) announced a $300,000 investment in Aqua ViTea, LLC, to support the continued growth of the Company’s Vermont operations today. Aqua ViTea employs 34 Vermonters, producing Kombucha, a handcrafted, tea-based, functional health beverage.

Flex Fund’s investment will support the critical purchase of a bottling line that will help Aqua ViTea expand its production capacity in Middlebury and meet the growing demand of its customers in Vermont and beyond. The Flexible Fund helps small and innovative companies, like Aqua ViTea, stay and grow in Vermont through the use of an innovative investment structure known as royalty (or revenue-share) financing.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) will host a town hall at 7 pm ET tonight to examine the consequences of Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. The town hall will be live streamed on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter in partnership with The Guardian, The Intercept, NowThis, The Young Turks, Act.tv and MoveOn.org.

by Donald L Baker, Vermont Market President, KeyBank Today consumers want to know how corporations, as a whole, are taking a stand. In fact, customers are 43 percent more likely to purchase a product from a company they know is committed to social value. The number of companies directing corporate social responsibility from the C-Suite has increased nearly 75 percent compared to five years ago. Major financial service industry leaders, like KeyBank’s Beth Mooney and BlackRock’s Larry Fink, are challenging business owners and the C-Suite to rethink their economic impact, environmental footprint and social conscience. At KeyBank, corporate social responsibility initiatives are woven into the fabric of who we are and in whom we invest.

by Richard Burgoyne, MD Almost half the deer ticks in our region carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, so it’s important to be careful before and after venturing into tall grass or forests during the spring, summer and fall. Before heading into the woods, spray pants, legs and shoes with an insect repellent that contains 20 percent DEET. DEET comes in different strengths, so check the label when you buy. Be careful not to spray it in the eyes or on the face and use it just when you’re outside. Apply it to shoes and pants, or on the lower legs if you’re wearing shorts. Wash it off when you get home.

Photo courtesy of CVMC/iStock.

Fuse LLC Esports is quickly becoming one of youth culture’s largest and most influential platforms. In fact, these days more brands ask us about esports than any other of youth culture's platforms. So why are more brands not already on board? The short answer is that to esports' newcomers, the landscape can appear a little messy and confusing. This white paper is dedicated to clarifying some of that perceived chaos and our recommendation that brands look closely into four key areas to determine whether esports is right for them.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) received and began its review of the proposed 2019 health insurance rates for plans offered to individuals, families and small businesses through Vermont Health Connect. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont (BCBSVT) is requesting an average annual rate increase of 7.5% over 2018 rates, while MVP Health Care (MVP) is requesting a 10.9% average annual rate increase.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the House passed H.196, the Paid Family Leave Insurance Bill on a vote of 90-53. The bill allows Vermont employees to take up to 12 weeks of paid family leave for the birth or adoption of a new child or 6 weeks for familial illness.

Vermont Business Magazine On Wednesday, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced its second round of funding for FY2018. Six Vermont organizations will receive grants through the Art Works program. The Vermont Arts Council will receive $717,200 through the NEA’s partnership program to support arts programs, services, and activities associated with carrying out the Council’s NEA-approved strategic plan.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont US Senators Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders issued the following statements Friday in response to President Donald Trump's address on drug prices.

Vermont Business Magazine Homelessness and housing leaders announced today an increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness in Chittenden County during the annual Point in Time count conducted January 31, 2018. The total number increased from 291 in 2017 to 359 this year. While the overall increase is cause for concern, they said, other indicators imbedded in the count demonstrate progress. The Alliance, in a press release, stated it believes that in the next three years, it can virtually eliminate chronic homelessness.

Point in Time counts are conducted nationally each year in January and represent a one-night count of those experiencing “literal homelessness,” meaning individuals and families who live in a place not meant for human habitation (including the streets or in their car), emergency shelter, transitional housing, and hotels paid for by a government or charitable organization.