Current News

by Chris Graff Anyone searching for hopeless causes in the summer of 1972 need only look at Vermont’s Democratic race for governor. In July of that year it looked as if there would be no race at all. A state senator had announced his candidacy but then withdrew because of a lack of support. Finally, in August, Tom Salmon of Rockingham stepped forward. He was the definition of an underdog. It was too late to start a winning campaign; Salmon’s only previous statewide campaign, a 1970 race for attorney general, had been a disaster, and the Republicans had two strong candidates vying for the party nomination.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas announced a major upgrade to Vermont’s Online Campaign Finance System and Lobbying Information System today. The office’s Elections Division, staffed by a team of six, is tasked with protecting the integrity of campaigning and elections in Vermont. The division administers Vermont’s elections and oversees campaign finance reporting and lobbyist disclosure via online registration systems.

Vermont Business Magazine Financial imposter syndrome refers to the self-doubt many people feel when it comes to their financial skills and money moves versus the actual reality of their financial picture. While Americans report they currently feel financial stress, KeyBank’s annual Financial Mobility Survey, released today, found that Americans are closer to their personal financial comfort goals than they may realize. KeyBank has branches across Vermont. KeyBank found that, though many Americans are feeling anxious that they're falling financially behind, they do have solid plans for their finances and are making the right money moves. While half (50%) of Americans say they feel financial stress, 45% of respondents are certain they could come up with $2,000 if an unexpected need arose within the next month.

Vermont Business Magazine Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vermont) on Tuesday was elected Vice Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, the number two spot for Democrats on the committee. Rep. Balint will serve on the House Judiciary Committee under the leadership of Ranking Member Jamie Raskin. This will be Rep. Balint’s second term serving on the House Judiciary Committee. 

Vermont Business Magazine Citizens’ Small Business Community Champion Awards will open for submissions on Thursday, 1/16/25. By entering Citizens’ SBCCA contest, applicants can bring big ideas about growing their business and supporting their community to life. This year, 25 businesses will win $10,000 and one year of professional support and networking, through Luminary®, worth $2,500. Entering takes only a few minutes and is exclusively for Citizens Business Banking customers.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Professional and Continuing Education (UVM PACE) and the Vermont National Guard announced a strategic partnership today to enhance workforce development across Vermont. During a signing ceremony held at Vermont National Guard’s Aviation Flight Facility, leaders from both organizations celebrated this collaboration, which aims to strengthen workforce readiness statewide while supporting the Vermont National Guard’s mission and service capabilities. This first of its kind partnership between UVM PACE and Vermont National Guard Partnered Recruiting Initiative for Military and Employers (PRIME) program aims to help offset Vermont’s workforce labor shortage. The partnership includes goals to upskill current Vermont Guard members and family members through PACE professional development programs as they maintain their civilian career pathways, as well as provide connections to Vermont employers for prospective recruits just entering Guard service and pursuing full-time employment following graduation.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s housing crisis has reached a critical point, impacting families, businesses, and communities as well as the state’s sustainability. Today, a new coalition, Let’s Build Homes, officially launched with a bold vision to address this crisis head-on. This non-partisan, pro-housing alliance is uniting individuals, employers, and community leaders from every corner of the state to advocate for strong and strategic reforms to Vermont’s housing policies. The Steering Committee includes: Maura Collins, Neale Lunderville, Alex MacLean, Corey Parent, Jordan Redell, Jak Tiano and Miro Weinberger.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP) today released the following statement in response to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) new proposal to require a front-of-package nutrition label on most packaged food and beverages. "Today’s front-of-package food label proposal put forward by the FDA, after years of consideration, is pathetically weak and must be substantially improved. There is a growing body of evidence that ultra-processed foods are deliberately designed to be addictive – similar to cigarettes and alcohol – and are major contributors to the twin epidemics of obesity and diabetes in our country..."

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported last week that the number of COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations all rose to their highest level since early November. There were 6 fatalities since the previous week's report, which was the largest increase since October. Hospitalizations are also at their highest levels since October and outbreaks also spiked. Hospitalizations and general "syndromic" cases were at 20 statewide for the week after hovering around 5 for several weeks. The number of reported COVID cases rose to 192 from 138; they were at 67 in early December. Cases had fallen in April and May and were as low as 31 at the beginning of May 2024, before rising at the end of summer through the early part of the fall. 

Vermont Business Magazine Northeast Drinks Group announces, in conjunction with its wholly owned subsidiary, Vermont Hard Cider Company, LLC, a long-term partnership agreement with United States Beverage, LLC, of Stamford, CT, as exclusive sales and marketing partner for VCC cider brands. The agreement between VCC and USB will take effect as of January 27, 2025. Under the terms of the partnership, USB will have the exclusive right to represent VCC cider brands in the US market, including iconic cider brands Woodchuck Hard Cider and Wyder’s Cider. USB’s sales team will represent VCC brands in trade with wholesalers and retailers. With the same independent ownership still in place, VCC will continue to control production at the Middlebury, VT Cidery, direct brand strategy and execute logistics. In addition, both companies anticipate many of the VCC employees transitioning over to USB. 

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Vermont’s Child Care Campaign announced its policy priorities for 2025, focused on building on progress from Act 76, Vermont’s new child care law. As part of its 2025 Child Care Agenda, the campaign will work to increase child care affordability and access for families and strengthen the early childhood educator (ECE) workforce so programs are better able to hire staff and grow capacity. Results from the first year of Act 76 have been positive for both families and businesses across Vermont, bringing the state closer to fully solving the child care crisis. Today’s agenda makes clear, more work is needed to create a child care system that works for everyone. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Economic Development (DED) announced today that 2024 was a year of record growth, among Vermont’s top ten highest years of growth since captive enabling legislation in 1981. Vermont licensed a total of 41 new captive insurance companies in 2024, making it now home to 683 licensed captives, consisting of 654 active and 29 dormant captives. 2025 is already off to a great start, with eight new captives licensed in the first week of January. Vermont has licensed a total of 1,370 captive insurance companies to date. In 2024, Vermont won prestigious awards from captive insurance publications, including US Domicile of the Year by Captive International and US Domicile of the Year and International Domicile of the Year by Captive Review.