Current News

Leonine Public Affairs In the context of the budget negotiations, Secretary of Administration Kristin Clouser submitted a letter to the conference committee making recommendations on how to finalize the budget without raising taxes. Clouser emphasized strong revenues throughout the first four months of the calendar year and said lawmakers can leverage these revenues to balance the budget and buy down property taxes, which are projected to increase an average of 20 percent if the legislature fails to act on it. Clouser also urged legislators to reject a proposal to tax streaming services, which would be applied directly to consumers, saying the revenue is unnecessary given the state’s strong economic position. 

Vermont Business Magazine David Zuckerman announced today that he is running for re-election as lieutenant governor. He issued the following statement on his campaign page: I am pleased to announce that I am running for re-election as Vermont’s Lieutenant Governor to fight by your side for this future for ourselves, our families, and everyone in our communities.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Below are the letters and press releases sent to us from interested parties regarding the appointment of Zoie Saunders as Vermont Secretary of Education. She was appointed to the position by Governor Phil Scott on March 22 and her confirmation was rejected by the state Senate on April 30. Moments after her failed confirmation, Scott appointed her as the interim secretary, which does not require Senate confirmation. This is the first failed Cabinet appointment in memory and it could be unprecedented. Some in the Senate feel the interim appointment circumvents the political process and could be a violation of it. To date, no formal action has been taken by the Senate concerning the interim appointment. Saunders could be appointed full secretary by Scott after the Legislature adjourns. In any case, her term is only through February 2025 when all Cabinet posts must be confirmed for the new biennium.

Vermont Business Magazine NBT Bank, with branches in Vermont, earned a place on Forbes 2024 World’s Best Banks list, which was released on April 16, 2024. Forbes’ list is based on customer satisfaction. To develop the list, Forbes surveyed more than 49,000 customers around the globe for their opinions on their current and former banking relationships. Banks were rated on overall recommendation and satisfaction, as well as five subdimensions—trust, terms and conditions, digital services, customer services and financial advice. one of only 68 U.S. banks to be included on the list out of tens of thousands of banks globally that are eligible to be considered. 

Vermont Business Magazine NBT Bancorp Inc (NASDAQ: NBTB) has reported net income and diluted earnings per share for the three months ended March 31, 2024. Net income for the three months ended March 31, 2024, was $33.8 million, or $0.71 per diluted common share, compared to $33.7 million, or $0.78 per diluted common share, for the three months ended March 31, 2023, and $30.4 million, or $0.64 per diluted common share, for the fourth quarter of 2023. Operating diluted earnings per share1, a non-GAAP measure, which excludes acquisition expenses, acquisition-related provision for credit losses, securities gains (losses) and an impairment of a minority interest equity investment, net of tax, was $0.68 for the first quarter of 2024, compared to $0.88 for the first quarter of 2023 and $0.72 for the fourth quarter of 2023. 

Saint Michael's College Saint Michael's Diversity Coalition club held its annual International Festival, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the event on April 20. Through dance, music, speech and food, the Saint Michael’s community enjoyed an evening full of enthusiasm, engagement, and celebration of multiculturalism and diverse identities on our campus, continuing the club’s tradition. Read a first-hand account from the club's co-president Isabella Paredes Mendoza '24 and see photos from the event.

Vermont Business Magazine Collecting Insight Podcast, debuting its first episode on Leap Day 2024, is proud to announce it has already surpassed 1,000 downloads, marking the enthusiastic response from listeners around the globe. Co-Hosts Sara Byers (CEO turned soul explorer) and Lori Tarrant (mother/educator turned podcaster) use their combined century of life experience to engage in thought-provoking conversations about the essence of being human. Since its launch, Collecting Insight has garnered a five-star rating on Apple and Spotify Podcasts thanks to its engaging content, compelling storytelling and insightful discussions. Resonating with audiences in eighteen countries and over 250 cities, the podcast offers a unique blend of topics that inspire, entertain and educate, such as “Authenticity”, “Body Image and Ageism” and “Signs from the Universe.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont House of Representatives advanced the Climate Superfund Act, S.259, today on a preliminary vote of 100-33. Members of the Democratic, Republican and Progressive caucuses, as well as Independents, voted in favor of the legislation. It now goes to a third reading in the House. The Senate voted April 2 to pass it 26-3. S.259 holds the largest fossil fuel corporations responsible for a fair share of the damages Vermonters have suffered due to climate change resulting from greenhouse gas emissions attributable to the massive amount of fossil fuels extracted and refined by those corporations.

Vermont Business Magazine Food security advocates, service providers, and administrators from around the state attended Vermont Foodbank's annual Hunger Action Conference at the Killington Grand Hotel Resort in Killington, Vermont on Friday. The theme of the conference, “Getting to the Root of Hunger, Together,” presented attendees with the opportunity to consider the many systems and policies that perpetuate poverty and hunger in Vermont and look to the ways that food security in Vermont is possible and how together, we can all build a shared vision, understanding, and act together to end hunger for good.

Vermont Business Magazine In celebration of School Lunch Hero Day, the School Nutrition Association of Vermont and Hunger Free Vermont recognize the dedication, creativity and outstanding service of school nutrition professionals who ensure that Vermont students receive nutritious, healthy meals every day. As part of a national celebration, Vermont’s Essex Westford School District has received the School Nutrition Program of the Year Award. Newly established in 2024, the annual School Nutrition Program of the Year Award recognizes the Essex Westford School District for distinguishing itself with a spirit of excellence among the community of school nutrition programs in Vermont. This year the Essex Westford School District Child Nutrition Program is applauded for increasing its student lunch participation by 64 percent and doubling breakfast participation rates. 

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont House voted to pass S.213, the Flood Safety Act. This bill takes important steps to reduce flood risk across Vermont, at a critical time when flood-related disasters are becoming more frequent and more severe. The bill will now head back to the Senate for their consideration of the House amendments. Following the devastating floods of 2023, and in recognition that Vermont averages nearly 2 major flooding disasters annually, Vermont lawmakers took important steps to advance policies to improve our collective flood preparedness. These policies will improve public safety, reduce damages and the mounting costs associated with flood recovery, better support our municipalities and our residents, improve water quality, support biodiversity, and protect recreational opportunities. 

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Semiconductor Inc, a leading design house specializing in AI-related circuit design initiatives based in Burlington since 2014, has secured a Phase II contract from NASA. This achievement follows the successful completion of Phase I and underscores Green Mountain Semiconductor's commitment to advancing cutting-edge technology for space exploration. The Compute-In-Memory architecture developed by Green Mountain Semiconductor, with sponsorship from NASA, represents a significant breakthrough in edge AI inferencing for radiation-laden environments. This architecture integrates non-volatile memory directly on-chip, reducing data movements and enabling low-power, low-latency AI inferencing.