Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointment of Craig Bolio as the commissioner of the Department of Taxes. Bolio joined the Department in 2011 and has served as acting commissioner since June. Much of Bolio’s time with the Department has been dedicated to supporting and improving the operational side of the Department, both as deputy commissioner and in his prior work where he focused on ensuring successful implementation of the state’s new online filing site, myVTax.

Representative Peter Welch "We, the people, have a common tie that binds us together now as it has since the founding of this country -- our shared respect for the Constitution of the United States. Let us all step back from the maelstrom of the moment to recall that, at our country’s inception 243 years ago, the concept of democratic, self-governing rule was a breathtaking and idealistic aspiration..."

Vermont Business Magazine The Agency of Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today that Peter and Robin Klein of Rye Brook, NY, were fined $22,500 for releasing hazardous heating oil to the environment from a derelict underground storage tank on a property in Dover, Vermont, and for failing to take emergency clean-up action upon discovery of the release in 2016.

Many single and multi-family residences in Vermont use underground storage tanks (USTs) to store home heating fuel. Heating fuel is a hazardous material that, when released to the environment, can contaminate drinking water or surface water, release odors that affect residents, and impact home values. 

The Agency’s investigation into this matter revealed that before switching to propane in 1986, the Kleins used an underground storage tank to hold home heating oil to serve a condominium on their Dover property.

Vermont Business Magazine AARP Vermont State Director Greg Marchildon released the following statement on yesterday’s passage of FY 2020 appropriations bills HR 1158 and HR 1865: “AARP commends the bipartisan work that led to this agreement on federal spending for the 2020 fiscal year, and we are encouraged by the extra attention provided to health, housing and social services programs serving seniors. AARP is particularly pleased that roughly 4.4 million Americans with high health care costs can continue to deduct medical expenses on their taxes for another two years..."

Vermont Business Magazine Wednesday, Governor Phil Scott issued the following statement on the Trump Administration’s notice of public rulemaking on the safe importation of prescription drugs: “We’re encouraged by the continued progress the Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration make towards safe importation of prescription drugs..."

Vermont Business Magazine The ACLU has appealed to the Vermont Supreme Court on behalf of a Vermont couple who were prosecuted following an August 2018 “roving patrol” stop by a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Jay, Vermont. In State v. Lena-Butterfield & Walker-Brazie, the Court will be asked to determine whether a person can be convicted on state charges based on evidence federal agents obtained in a manner that violated the protections afforded by Article 11 of the Vermont Constitution.

Vermont Business Magazine The US economy may be expanding, but it’s taking the low road to growth that undermines wellbeing and may cause economic challenges in the future, according a new study published online in the Cambridge Journal of Economics that centers on the way different countries have responded to the growth of women in the labor force.

Vermont Business Magazine In summer 2020, New Breed will be moving to the new Hula lakeside campus in Burlington. New Breed's new 11,175-square-foot office space will include both indoor and outdoor workspaces and is only 125 steps from the shore of Lake Champlain. New Breed is currently located in the Champlain Mill in Winooski.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont) on Tuesday announced several key victories for Vermont in the fiscal year 2020 appropriations agreement reached late Monday. The $1.4 trillion bipartisan, bicameral agreement rejects the devastating and shortsighted cuts proposed by President Trump, and it makes historic investments in the American people and working families. The agreement took shape late last week when Chairman Shelby, Vice Chairman Leahy, House Chairwoman Lowey, and House Ranking Member Granger met in Leahy’s Capitol office, mirroring the same successful negotiation earlier this year between the four that ended the longest partial government shutdown in American history.

by Darren Springer & Rebecca Towne There is rightfully a groundswell of discussion about how Vermont can make meaningful progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the face of the climate emergency. Vermont’s Renewable Energy Standard (RES) provides an important framework for how to reduce emissions and fossil fuel consumption. RES is not limited to the electric utility space, but is also beginning to make meaningful changes in the challenging areas of heating and transportation which are the source of more Vermont carbon emissions and need our focused effort.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s electric utilities are letting customers across Vermont know they can now save up to $15,000 when they buy or lease new all electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) thanks to new Vermont state rebates that can be combined with utility rebates and federal tax credits. One of the biggest barriers to making the switch to cleaner driving is the upfront cost of a new vehicle, and new state rebates of up to $5,000 aim to help middle- and low-income Vermonters switch to cleaner driving with electric vehicles.