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$285 million from 2010 and $35 million in 2019 alone

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont State Auditor Doug Hoffer today released a first-ever comprehensive accounting of Vermont state government’s total annual spending in support of Vermont’s dairy industry. From State fiscal year 2010 to 2019, the State Auditor’s Office estimates that Vermont taxpayers spent more than $285 million on programs and policies to support the dairy industry and/or address adverse environmental impacts caused by some dairy practices. In fiscal year 2019, the most recent year of the analysis, spending totaled more than $35 million.

Vermont Business Magazine Strengthening the connection between people and place, the five award-winning projects of the Vermont Art Council’s 2021 Animating Infrastructure grants worth $60,000 promise to bring vibrancy and vitality to their communities through public art.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont and its full-time faculty union, United Academics, have finalized an unprecedented 4-year labor contract that values the faculty and their contributions to the university, and recognizes the need for ongoing fiscal prudence, the UVM administration said in a statement announcing the agreement. The union said it was able to hold off cuts to base pay and benefits during the negotiations, which lasted virtually through the pandemic.

Vermont Business Magazine Citing serious concerns about the safety and well-being of children and the harm social media poses to them, Attorney General TJ Donovan has co-led a coalition of 44 attorneys general urging Facebook to abandon its plans to launch a version of Instagram for children under the age of 13. In a letter sent today to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the coalition contends that social media can be detrimental to children for many reasons and that Facebook has historically failed to protect the welfare of children on its platforms.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Public Radio has won three 2021 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for its journalism in 2020 from the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA). The winning coverage includes: Excellence in Innovation: But Why Live Broadcasts For At-Home Learning; Feature Reporting: ‘Our Moms Have To Talk’: Pocket Dial Connects Grieving Moms—Reporter Nina Keck; Podcast: Brave Little State.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott proclaimed May 9-15, 2021 Inclusion Week in Vermont and reiterated Vermont’s commitment to welcoming all people. The governor also established a Proclamation of Inclusion, which makes clear the State of Vermont condemns discrimination in all forms, and welcomes all people who want to live, work and visit Vermont. Both proclamations acknowledge the work of many in state and local government and by community groups across the state, while recognizing there is more work to do to consistently address racism and systemic inequities.

By Bill Schubart The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD)’s deep dive into the issues facing Vermont is informed by interviews with and input from thousands of Vermonters. There are several lenses through which one must view the generation and implementation of public policy in Vermont. We’ve all seen top-down mandates succeed. Governor Dean Davis’s Billboard Law and Act 250 were two examples. Both have survived challenges. We’ve also seen them fail as in Governor Shumlin’s Single-payer Healthcare initiative. Still others like Act 46, the bill mandating Statewide School District Mergers, flounder.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) today announced that the Senate Budget Committee will hold a hearing Wednesday, May 12 at 11 am, on “Waste, Fraud, Cost Overruns, and Auditing at the Pentagon.” Over the past 20 years, the military industrial complex has spent over $2.6 billion in lobbying and campaign contributions to influence Congress. Currently, the US spends more on our nation’s military than the next nine countries combined and over half of our discretionary spending goes to the Pentagon.

Vermont Business Magazine In recognition of its continued commitment to and advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion practices, KeyBank has earned the #23 place on the 2021 DiversityInc “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” list, improving 12 spots from #35 in 2020. This year’s recognition marks the twelfth time and eighth consecutive year KeyBank was named a Top 50 Company.

Vermont Business Magazine The employee owners of PC Construction announced today that Maureen Usifer of Colchester, Vermont, has been elected to the company’s six-member Board of Directors. Usifer is the first woman to join the board, and her election marks a significant milestone in the company’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Usifer joins a growing number of women in leadership at the South Burlington-based construction company.

Vermont Business Magazine Administration Secretary Susanne Young today announced the retirement of Susan A Zeller (Sue), Chief Performance Officer for the State of Vermont. Zeller began her career with the State of Vermont on July 5, 2005, after over 25 years of experience in positions such as Accounting Manager, Controller and Vice President of Finance for both Fortune 500 companies and private corporations. Her last day will be Friday May 21.

With New Federal Funding, A Solid Plan and A Transformational Vision, We Can and Must Act on Climate

by Joe Flynn, June Tierney and Julie Moore The Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) was a centerpiece of the last legislative session. It was driven by very real concerns around Vermont’s changing climate and the magnitude of what must be done to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and make our landscape more resilient.

In its forthcoming 2020 Annual Progress Report for Vermont, the Energy Action Network (EAN) estimates that to achieve the GWSA’s emissions reduction requirement for 2025, we will need to put more than 46,000 electric vehicles (EVs) on the road and replace nearly 32,000 fossil fuel-based home and building heating systems with heat pumps or advanced wood heat.