Current News

Vermont Business Magazine In the wake of devastating honeybee losses nationwide and increasing threats to native pollinators, the One Hive Foundation, a Vermont-based private foundation, has announced over $1.7 million in grants to support urgent pollinator conservation work across the state. This landmark investment, awarded to 10 organizations for projects spanning one to three years, represents a major step forward for pollinator recovery in Vermont and beyond. The funded initiatives focus on key areas identified by the Vermont Pollinator Working Group, including pesticide reduction, habitat restoration, and expanding pollinator education statewide.

by Alison Despathy Open Letter to the VT House and Senate Energy Committees: On Thursday, March 27, the House Transportation Committee invited testimony on the Advanced Clean Car and Truck Regulations that were adopted by Vermont and several states choosing to follow California's Clean Air Act Waiver. It was made abundantly clear how devastating these mandates have been to the vehicle industry in New York and Massachusetts, who also adopted these rules and are currently a year ahead in implementation. We must prevent this widespread, small business economic destruction in Vermont. I implore you to watch this testimony to understand the urgent need to move House Bill 65 or Senate Bill 101 through this session and revoke the California Air Act Waiver. It is both disturbing and unclear why you have not received this testimony in your own committees. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Gretchen E. Lewis, 58, of Williamstown, Vermont, was sentenced in Vermont Superior Court, Orleans Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to one misdemeanor count of Unauthorized Practice of Psychotherapy and one misdemeanor count of defrauding Vermont Medicaid by False Pretenses. The Court, Judge Rory Thibault presiding, sentenced the defendant to a two-year term of probation, payment of $22,750 in restitution to Vermont Medicaid, 100 hours of community service, and a prohibition on any further work as a Medicaid service provider.

Vermont Business Magazine United Way of Northwest Vermont (UWNWVT) recently reaffirmed its commitment to trust-based funding values and announced that it will continue providing local organizations with flexible, multi-year funding and support as Vermont nonprofits navigate an uncertain federal landscape. In 2025, a portfolio of 28 organizations will receive $715,500 from United Way in community funding for year two of a three-year grant cycle. This portfolio of organizations is meeting an array of interconnected needs in our community.   

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark joined an open letter to the legal community yesterday, expressing support for law firms that have fought back against President Trump’s unconstitutional attempts to target law firms for advocacy and representation the Trump Administration disfavors. The letter also expresses the coalition’s profound disappointment that several of the country’s largest law firms have capitulated in the face of these dangerous attacks on the rule of law. The open letter to the legal community comes as President Trump has issued unconstitutional executive orders targeting several law firms for their advocacy and representation, and as some of the nation’s largest law firms have struck “deals” with the President and his Administration that commit the firms to provide free legal services to support the Trump Administration’s priorities.  

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Congressional Delegation, US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), US Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), and US Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont-At Large) today issued the following statement in reaction to Judge Geoffrey Crawford ordering the release of Mohsen Mahdawi, who was detained by the Trump Administration.

by Vermont Auditor of Accounts Doug Hoffer The Legislature and Executive branches’ joint admonition that “the same State entity should not both promote and regulate a program” applies across state government, not just to EB-5, and in the closing weeks of the Legislative session, the Legislature has two immediate opportunities to improve government performance by decoupling promotion and regulation. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Lake Champlain Chamber has announced a new partnership with the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing to promote Greater Burlington not just as a premier travel destination—but as a place to call home. Through a joint initiative called GROW, the campaign will help address workforce gaps in our region and prepare for the future by building a long-term pipeline of potential new residents. As Vermont’s workforce ages and hiring challenges persist, this initiative is an intentional step toward creating a more resilient, sustainable, and vibrant community.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) today joined Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) in introducing the Equality Act, historic, comprehensive legislation to enshrine civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ people in federal law. The Equality Act amends landmark federal anti-discrimination laws to explicitly add sexual orientation and gender identity to longstanding bans on discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, jury service, access to credit, federal funding, and more. The bicameral legislation, led by U.S. Representative Mark Takano (D-CA-39) in the House, would also add protections against sex discrimination in parts of anti-discrimination laws where these protections had not been included previously, such as public accommodations and federal funding.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), alongside Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), today introduced the Medicare for All Act. Hundreds of nurses, health care providers and workers from around the nation joined the lawmakers for a press conference in front of the Capitol. In America today, despite spending twice as much per person on health care as other wealthy nations, more than 85 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured, one out of every four Americans cannot afford their prescription drugs, over half a million people go bankrupt due to medically-related debt, and more than 60,000 die because they cannot afford to go to a doctor.

Vermont Business Magazine Following a one-day trial in Vermont Superior Court, Bennington Criminal Division, a jury has found Max Misch, 42, of Bennington, Vermont, guilty of two counts of misdemeanor possession of large capacity ammunition feeding devices. The case against Mr. Misch was brought by the Attorney General’s Office in February 2019 as the result of a criminal investigation conducted by the Vermont State Police with the assistance of the Bennington Police Department.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor is proud to spotlight the growing success of the Teacher Registered Apprenticeship Program, a recent initiative designed to support aspiring educators, strengthen Vermont’s schools, and foster community investment in education. The concept of the program is simple: take established members of a community with a bachelor’s degree (often already working in a school as a paraeducator or support staff) and provide them with a low-cost, peer-supportive pathway to teaching credentials. Following the “earn while you learn” Registered Apprenticeship model, participants leverage work under a two-year provisional teaching license to accumulate the requisite experience, instruction, and portfolio to lead to full licensure.