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Vermont Business Magazine Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) voted Friday evening against reauthorizing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), citing a lack of pragmatic reforms—including a targeted warrant requirement and a Welch-led amendment that would have brought additional accountability to the FISA court. Senator Welch released the following statement: “Section 702 is an important tool for the intelligence community. But the bill we voted on tonight lacked reforms that would have further balanced the need for intelligence gathering with the need to protect Americans’ privacy and civil liberties."

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University is delighted to announce the upcoming annual Master’s Hooding, Commencement, and Commissioning Ceremonies. The graduation weekend opens with the celebration of the Master’s Hooding Ceremony on Friday, April 26. The subsequent Commencement and Commissioning Ceremonies are slated to occur on Saturday, April 27. This year, Norwich University will proudly inaugurate more than 920 graduates into the next state of their professional journeys. The graduating class of 2024 will have the opportunity to hear from two distinguished four-star Air Force generals. Retired United States Air Force General Lori Robinson will be the keynote speaker for the 2024 Norwich University Commencement. Gen Robinson’s storied 36-year career began through Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) in 1982. Throughout her career she served in a variety of positions up to and including Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and United States Northern Command (NORTHCOM). 

by Bill Schubart We like to think of ourselves as progressive, pioneering and aware of our neighbors’ needs. Why then do we have some of the worst socioeconomic benchmarks in America? Unsheltered: As of a January 2023 count, Vermont had the second-highest rate of homelessness in the country. Food insecurity: Twenty-seven percent of Vermonters experienced food insecurity in 2022, and families with children are more than five times more likely to be food insecure than those without. Suicide: As of 2021, Vermont ranked among the higher states in the country (13th) for suicides at 20.3 per 100,000 (142 total). As of 2022, the hospital visit rate for intentional self-harm was 366 per 100,000 people aged 15-24. Medical debt: According to a study from the Peterson Center on Healthcare and KFF, Vermont has among the highest rates of medical debt in the country at 12.2% of the population. Drug addiction: As of 2010, 4.57% of Vermont residents reported using an illicit drug other than marijuana in the past month (the national average was 3.6%). The rate of accidental fatal opioid-related overdoses has increased to 33.6 per 100,000 in 2021, and reached 37 per 100,000 in 2022. What are we doing wrong?

Vermont Business Magazine The Friends of the Fletcher Free Library was awarded a FY2024 Cultural Facilities Grant to support fixed audio-visual equipment to improve arts experiences at the library. The newly installed screen and sound bar, as well as a stage and sound-proofing panels, will improve the free programs and discussions offered in the Pickering Room at the Fletcher Free Library. 

by Elizabeth “Liz” Medina (Executive Director, VT AFL-CIO What keeps the few in power over the many? It’s simple: divide and conquer. The “same old rich man strategy” – in the words of the artist collective the Peace Poets – is as old as the institutions of colonization and slavery. The British Empire and the emerging plantation class in the United States stoked racial resentments to prevent landless Europeans and enslaved Africans from standing together across racial lines to demand freedom and justice. 

Vermont Business Magazine Middlebury’s Architectural Studies program focuses on a defining principle: that architecture is for everyone—not just for the privileged few. More importantly, it is for all who use and inhabit individual and communal spaces. Faculty and staff have built the program around that mission by adding programming and partnerships with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, through which students design, secure permits for, and help build affordable, net-zero housing in the local community, according to Pieter Broucke, director of Architectural Studies. The Architectural Studies program is hosting a symposium, “Architecture for All,” April 22-26, at Dana Auditorium and its newly renovated home in the Christian A. Johnson Memorial Building, with the goal of exploring that mission with world-renowned architects who share its philosophy.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), along with Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vermont), on Friday introduced legislation that would take on the greed of the food and beverage industry and address the growing diabetes and obesity epidemics negatively impacting millions of American children and families across the country. The Childhood Diabetes Reduction Act establishes a first-of-its-kind federal ban on junk food advertising targeted to children in the United States, requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to implement strong health and nutrient warning labeling, directs the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to investigate the dangers posed by ultra-processed foods, and develops a national education campaign for children and caregivers through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

by Joan Goldstein, Commissioner, Department of Economic Development Quoting is underway for Vermont Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FMLI). State employees are already enrolled in the program and, starting July 1st, businesses with two or more employees can offer Vermont FMLI. FMLI is highly customizable and it is voluntary. Employers must opt-in to participate. Vermont FMLI is fully insured and self-funded, meaning it relies on no public money. Also, The Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program run by the Vermont Economic Progress Council released its 2023 Annual Report. Inside you can learn more about this tool that spurs growth in downtowns, including the success of Winooski’s TIF which helped grow the Onion City’s grand list from $25 million in 2004 to $104 million today.

Vermont Business Magazine Spring has arrived and it's the perfect time for some cleaning. The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) encourages residents to properly dispose of or recycle unwanted household items. DEC Commissioner Jason Batchelder urges homeowners "to keep hazardous and recyclable materials out of the trash. Proper disposal not only protects our communities but also reduces the risks associated with harmful chemicals and potential battery fires." Unwanted items like old TVs, leftover fluorescent light bulbs, mercury thermostats, leftover paint, and expired batteries can be taken to free special recycling locations across the state. Special recycling collections save natural resources, reduce carbon emissions and waste, and provide materials that are made into new products, like Local Color Paint, appliances, and batteries.

Vermont Outdoor Guide Association While communities are struggling with funding for education and citizens are left hanging with exorbitant property taxes, some elected officials are spending their time attempting to bring down a wildlife management system that has benefited all Vermonters. When I think of Vermont, I think about the wildlife that we have the good fortune to experience. From non-game to game species, from our fisheries to forests that are homes to a wide variety of wildlife we are truly fortunate. This abundance of wildlife has not come about by accident. Sportsmen and women have been involved in planning and funding wildlife management programs for decades. Fish and Wildlife Department's biologists and the Fish and Wildlife Board should be congratulated for a job well done. Instead, the Senate Bill No. 258 proposes to disrupt this system by placing anti-hunting individuals on the F&W Board and stripping the board of its rulemaking authority and instead make it an advisory body to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.

Saint Michael’s College celebrated diversity, equity and inclusion during DEI Week, which kicked off on April 1, with events continuing through April 10. During the opening remarks, Omara Rivera-Vázquez, Ph.D., who is the Director of the Center for Equity and Justice at Saint Michael’s, said the mission of the week was to highlight the equity work that is being done at Saint Michael’s. “We aim to inspire students, staff, faculty, to begin to do the work in their own lives and to become more compassionate, educated global citizens. Most importantly, we want to encourage members to take action and become equity practitioners,” Rivera-Vázquez said. Margaret Bass, Ph.D., was the keynote speaker and other events included an Edmundite panel and a presentation from Sefakor G.M.A. Komabu-Pomeyie, Ph.D., on disability.

Vermont Business Magazine This week, Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) was awarded the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians’ (NAEMT) ‘Legislator of the Year Award,’ which he accepted at the association’s Annual “EMS On the Hill Day” with EMS professionals and health care advocates. Earlier this year, Senator Welch introduced the Emergency Medical Services Reimbursement for On-scene Care and Support (EMS ROCS) Act, bicameral legislation that ensures EMS providers are reimbursed for care provided on-scene, regardless of whether transportation to the hospital is required. The bill is co-sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and was introduced in the House by Rep. Becca Balint (VT-AL).