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Vermont Business Magazine The Environmental Justice Clinic at Vermont Law School and Vermont’s Racial Justice Alliance (VRJA) challenged the Burlington "Champlain Parkway project.” The lawsuit supports residents of neighborhoods in the South End of Burlington through which part of the parkway will pass. The plaintiffs argue the $47 million dollar project relies on a legally insufficient traffic analysis, violates public participation requirements related to federal projects of this size in environmental justice communities, and fails to acknowledge changing demographics in the area.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) today announced the first wave of approved grant applications to support community recovery and revitalization through the Capital Investment Program (CIP). The program aims to strengthen communities by reversing the harm caused by the COVID-19 pandemic through assistance with capital investments that will help businesses to recover, retain existing jobs and spur economic growth.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan today announced that he is stepping down from the office of Attorney General effective Monday, June 20, 2022, at 5 pm in order to accept the position of Director of Public Policy and US State Strategies for the company Roblox. Roblox is a California-based online gaming firm. Donovan will be based in Vermont. Donovan announced in early May that he would not seek reelection. Rumors circulated shortly after that he would not serve out the rest of his term.

​Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont General Assembly’s Omnibus Appropriations bill, signed into law late yesterday by Governor Phil Scott, appropriates an additional $10 million to the University of Vermont. The additional investment—together with UVM President Suresh Garimella’s commitment to keeping tuition frozen for a fourth consecutive year—bolsters efforts to keep UVM affordable to families in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott Thursday signed into law the state budget, H.740, an Act Relating to making appropriations for the support of government. H.740 appropriates $8.126 billion across all funds, and with $178 million allocated in related bills, state appropriations for Fiscal Year 2023, which begins on July 1, total $8.304 billion. This is the first time total appropriation has surpassed $8 billion.

H. 736 Dedicates More Than $868 Million to State Transportation Infrastructure and Programs

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott on Thursday signed into law a record-setting Transportation bill (H.736, An act relating to the Transportation Program and miscellaneous changes to laws related to transportation) with the largest-ever state transportation budget, totaling more than $868 million.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott announced Thursday that he has now acted on all bills passed by the General Assembly this session, including the massive transportation bill (H736) and budget (H740). However, he let H720, An act relating to the system of care for individuals with developmental disabilities, become law without his signature because of a "significant error" in what he views as an important bill. While he hopes and expects this to be corrected next January, he took lawmakers to task for many "egregious" errors in various pieces of legislation. He said the Legislature pushed through bills, many at the end of the session, in a rush to adjourn.

Vermont Business Magazine Vail Resorts, Inc (NYSE: MTN) today reported results for the third quarter of fiscal 2022 ended April 30, 2022. A big jump in revenues from the previous year was largely because of the impact of COVID-19 in 2020-2021. Vail also reported an increase in early season pass sales for the 2022/2023 North American ski season. Vail owns Mount Snow, Okemo and Stowe Mountain Resorts in Vermont. Net income was $372.6 million for the third fiscal quarter of 2022 compared to net income of $274.6 million in the same period in the prior year. The increase is primarily due to the greater impact of COVID-19 and related limitations and restrictions on results in the prior year.

Vermont Business Magazine CSX Corp (NASDAQ: CSX) on Thursday announced it has completed the acquisition of Pan Am Railways, Inc, expanding its reach into the rapidly growing Northeast region of the country. The rail lines include the Vermont Railway link in Bellows Falls and part of the Amtrak line along the Connecticut River in Vermont. The deal was finalized in April. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

by Jack Hoffman, Public Assets Institute In the past few years, Vermont has gotten a taste of what it would be like to have a state that worked for everyone who lives here. Thanks to extraordinary federal relief in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the state received billions of dollars that allowed policy makers, at least for a time, to acknowledge and address gaps that had been lingering for decades: health care, childcare, livable incomes, and clean water to name a few. The state budget for fiscal 2023, which begins July 1, will top $8 billion for the first time. State spending for next year will be about 40 percent higher than fiscal 2019, the year before the pandemic. In normal times, we might expect the budget to grow about 12 or 13 percent over that period.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. News & World Report has ranked University of Vermont Nursing among the nation’s top 100 graduate nursing programs. UVM Nursing tied in the 2023 rankings for No. 76 in Best Nursing Schools: Master's and No. 91 in Best Nursing Schools: Doctor of Nursing Practice. The Best Graduate Schools rankings are based on expert opinion about program excellence and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research, and students.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Thursday delivered an opening statement at the committee's hearing titled “Saving Social Security: Expanding Benefits and Demanding the Wealthy Pay Their Fair Share or Cutting Benefits and Increasing Retirement Anxiety.”