Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott, Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD, and Financial Regulation Commissioner Mike Pieciak have tested negative for COVID-19, 7 days after their last exposure, ending their quarantines. Since the potential exposure to a COVID-19 positive individual was learned, no one in attendance at the two impacted coronavirus briefings has tested positive, underscoring the importance and effectiveness of the safety protocols used.

Vermont Business Magazine The Health Department continues to work with the Agency of Digital Services to quickly address issues they’ve heard about from some of people who went online or called to make appointments. For example, the web portal now includes a field to confirm your email – which will help prevent errors when entering an email address to receive registration and appointment information – in addition to other adjustments. The VDH is also reporting 115 new cases of COVID-19 but no deaths.

Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Miro Weinberger and Burlington Electric Department (BED) today jointly announced that the Burlington Green Stimulus program is working and that program incentives have been extended into 2021 and will remain available through year’s end or until funding is exhausted. The Green Stimulus significantly increased incentives to help Burlingtonians heat their homes and power their vehicles with BED’s 100 percent renewably-sourced electricity.

Vermont Business Magazine Several community and business organizations have weighed in on Governor Scott's budget address, in which he outlined his plan for spending $6.8 billion. The governor has proposed using $210 million in one-time money on one-time initiatives. Much of that funding is going toward state technology upgrades, housing investments and economic opportunity.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont is one of 10 states and the District of Columbia to be awarded $90,900 each to strengthen state-level Farm to Early Childhood (FTEC) initiatives for a one-year project period. Similar to Farm to School, farm to early childhood programs enrich young children’s health and lives through greater access to nutritious foods and a hands-on approach to learning about food, health and agriculture. 73% of children under 5 in VT (that is 22,000 kids) receive care outside of their homes every day. FTEC is shown to improve nutrition with our youngest children at a time when their brains and tastes are developing.

Vermont Business Magazine Before getting to the substance of his budget, Governor Scott addressed the state of nation: "It is my hope that every American − those who voted for President Biden and those who didn’t − will come to the table; put the progress of our country ahead of partisanship; and not let this opportunity pass because the future of our nation truly depends upon our ability to come together."

Vermont Business Magazine In a press conference today, incoming Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) joined incoming Senate HELP Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), House Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA), Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), and Representative Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) to announce the introduction of legislation raising the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2025.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont jobless rate went up last month for the first time since the high point of the Great Recession in May 2009, when it went up one-tenth to 7.0 percent. It fell the next month to 6.9 percent.The Vermont Department of Labor announced today that the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for April was 3.1 percent, an increase of one-tenth of one percentage point from the revised March rate. All three major metrics were off slightly: the labor force and number of employed fell, while the number of unemployed rose. The national rate in April was 4.4 percent, down one-tenth from March.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermonters age 75 and older began booking appointments for their COVID-19 vaccine Monday. On just the first day, more than 21,100 appointments were scheduled for the coming weeks – a rate state health officials called greatly encouraging. The vaccinations will take place at Health Department clinics, Kinney Drugs and other locations around the state beginning January 27.

by Jeff Tieman, VAHHS President and CEO However long it may seem, it was only 10 months ago that our state went into a state of emergency to protect Vermonters from a new, scary and highly contagious virus. At the onset of COVID-19, it felt like we were driving through a furious snowstorm and our windshield wipers failed. Visibility was limited and the road was winding, unknown and potentially very dangerous.

by John McClaughry In the coming fiscal year the Vermont legislature will vote to spend over $1.7 billion to educate our preK-12 students. What are students, parents and taxpayers getting for this startling expenditure?

To answer that question, Katharine B. Stevens and Meredith Tracy of the American Enterprise Institute recently released a study for all 50 states entitled “Still Left Behind: How America’s Schools Keep Failing Our Children”. The authors used the most recent data (for the 2017-18 school year) for K-12 spending and results.

Their proxy for results was the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) average scores on 8^th grade reading and mathematics. The authors adjusted the per student spending (in 2019 dollars) to reflect differences in state income levels.

Vermont Business Magazine Jim Curran, Executive Director of Dismas of Vermont, Inc (DOV), has announced the planned March 2021 opening in Rutland of a fifth “Dismas House.” The facility, to be located on Royce Street, will be dedicated entirely to meeting the unique reintegration challenges facing formerly incarcerated women. Dismas of Vermont currently operates four residential homes in Vermont that assist individuals transitioning from incarceration back into the community.