Current News

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.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermonters may apply for the Emergency Broadband Benefit beginning Wednesday, May 12. The Emergency Broadband Benefit provides: Up to $50/month discount for broadband service; up to $75/month discount for households on qualifying Tribal lands; and a one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet purchased through a participating provider if the household contributes more than $10 but less than $50 toward the purchase price.

Vermont Business Magazine The application for Vermont’s CDBG-CV economic relief grants for Sole Proprietors closes on May 26th. All applications must be submitted through the online portal. Recorded webinar training, program information and the application are all available at www.vermont-cdbg-cv.com. Eligible applicants must be either Sole Proprietors with no W2 employees, or S-Corp owners with no W2 employees. Applicants may have received CDBG-CV or other grants but must have remaining unmet need.

Vermont Business Magazine As part of Bennington College's three-year initiative to address food insecurity in Bennington County, the Center for the Advancement of Public Action (CAPA) will host a day-long virtual conference on Saturday, May 15 from 10:00 AM - 5:30 PM. Supported by a grant from the Andrew W Mellon Foundation, this event is free, open to the public, and will take place virtually via Zoom. Register by May 13 to join the event.