Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Speaker Jill Krowinski, Representative Tim Briglin, and Representative Laura Sibilia today issued the following statements after the historic vote to invest $150 million to accelerate deployment of broadband internet for Vermonters across the state. On Friday, however, Governor Phil Scott said that the bill is well short of what is needed and he will present a $300 million broadband plan soon.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s revenue results for February 2021 show that General and Education Fund revenues came in above target, while the Transportation Fund came in below target. The state’s General Fund, Transportation Fund, and Education Fund receipts were a combined $32.82 million, or 23.8 percent above monthly consensus expectations.

Vermont Business Magazine The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, which has received emergency use authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration, has been administered to more than 1,200 educators and school staff, largely from the Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union (SVSU), at Southwestern Vermont Health Care’s (SVHC) COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics the last two Saturdays. They were the first two of three clinics that will be held to ensure that educators and school staff are vaccinated, according to Vermont’s vaccine rollout plan.

Vermont Business Magazine US Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Dick Durbin (D-IL) this week introduced legislation to combat straw purchasing and illegal trafficking in firearms in order to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals. The Stop Illegal Trafficking in Firearms Act of 2021 would, for the first time, make it an explicit federal crime to act as a straw purchaser of firearms. The bill would also create penalties for anyone who transfers a firearm with reasonable cause to believe that it will be used in a drug crime, crime of violence, or act of terrorism. These reforms would help keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals and reduce safety risks for law enforcement officers confronting criminals and criminal organizations.

Vermont Business Magazine VSECU, a member-owned cooperative and not-for-profit credit union for all Vermonters, is providing a total of $50,000 to five Vermont nonprofits through its member-directed giving program We Care 2. The funds will help these organizations continue to help Vermonters meet their essential needs, with a particular focus this year on food, shelter, heat, and COVID-19 relief efforts. Since the inception of the We Care 2 giving program in 2013, VSECU members have used their votes to direct $261,000 to nonprofit organizations working to improve the quality of life for all Vermonters.

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging (SVCOA) today announced its 2020 service results in conjunction with the release of its 2020 annual report.Among the results are: 8,989.75 case management and options counseling hours provided to 1,024 older Vermonters; 5,195 calls processed by the SVCOA HelpLine; 191,073 meals served to 3,311 older Vermonters.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Representatives Ro Khanna, (D-Calif), Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), Peter Welch (D-Vermont), and Cori Bush (D-MO), along with more than two dozen colleagues, on Tuesday introduced sweeping legislation to drastically reduce the cost of prescription drugs in the United States. The package of bills includes: The Prescription Drug Price Relief Act to peg the price of prescription drugs in the United States to the median price in Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Japan.

Vermont Business Magazine The American Cancer Society (ACS) has selected Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), part of Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC), as a Hospital Systems Capacity Building (HSCB) Community of Practice (COP) site to increase colorectal cancer screening rates. The HSCB COP initiative is 3-year project including 20 hospitals and their community partners nationwide.

by Devon Green, VAHHS Vice President of Government Relations Although the ink is barely dry, the Vermont Senate is taking full advantage of the $1.3 billion expected to come to Vermont from the latest federal COVID relief package, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). On Friday, senators advanced a state COVID relief bill with $63 million in federal funding. Unlike the last round of funding, which needed to be spent in a matter of months, the expiration date for ARPA funding is by the end of 2024. As discussions progress, VAHHS will continue to advocate for workforce initiatives, mental health resources and broadband connectivity.

Vermont Business Magazine Mount Mansfield Maple Products has partnered with Generosity Brings Joy and Jen Ellis, the mother, partner, teacher, community member, and crafter, who made the famous Bernie Sanders Inauguration Day Mittens to create a commemorative bottle of pure Vermont maple syrup to benefit Camp Ta-Kum-Ta. This limited-edition bottle features a custom label inspired by Bernie’s mittens to celebrate the movement spurred by Jen Ellis’ creation of Generosity Brings Joy, an organization that brings awareness to, and funding for, non-profit organizations working in our community.

Vermont Business Magazine The National Committee for Quality Assurance), a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality, has once again awarded Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center and Ottauquechee Health Center Recognition as a Patient-Centered Medical Home. The Hospital first earned this honor in 2015 and has re-certified yearly since then. The Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition program highlights medical practices that place patients at the forefront of care.

by John McClaughry Agriculture has long been the bedrock of Vermont, combining food production and employment with rural economies and preservation of the state’s ecosystems and landscapes. Over the years legislatures and governors have periodically commissioned reports to formulate plans to strengthen Vermont’s agriculture. The most recent of these appeared last month. It’s titled the “Vermont Agriculture and Food System Strategic Plan.”