Current News

by Vermont Commissioner of Health Mark Levine, MD It is with profound sadness that we acknowledge the pain suffered by the individuals, families and communities in Parkland, Newtown and here in Vermont, following news of recent suicides and attempts. We are reminded of the long-lasting impact that trauma and violence, as well as current stressors can have, especially on young people.

Vermont Business Magazine Equal Pay Day is Tuesday, April 2nd. The gender pay gap in Vermont is the lowest gender pay gap in the nation. PayScale, a compensation data and software provider, just released new research into the gender pay issue called The 2019 State of the Gender Pay Gap Report. Overall, women in the US earn 79 cents for every dollar earned by men; when comparing compensation for all women versus all men (what PayScale calls the uncontrolled pay gap). However, in Vermont, women earn more - 87 cents for every dollar earned by men. Additionally in Vermont, the uncontrolled pay gap essentially disappeared and women and men in the same roles were paid the same amount. 

Vermont Business Magazine After a one-week increase weekly unemployment claims fell last week, but edged higher than they were at this time last year. For the week of March 23, 2019, there were 499 claims, 142 fewer than they were the previous week, but 49 more than they were a year ago.

Vermont Business Magazine America’s leading companies and law firms are meeting strengthened criteria to meet the evolving needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community around the world, according to the 2018 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) released by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization.  

Vermont Business Magazine In collaboration with the Vermont Community Foundation, the High Meadows Fund is putting $218,000 into action over the next two years to launch a new initiative supporting statewide and local efforts to improve forest health and integrity in Vermont. In this first year, High Meadows is awarding grants to nine projects around the state that foster collaborative approaches to creating resilient, adaptable forests. Healthy forests protect wildlife and contribute to the quality of life of all Vermonters, including those who depend on the forests for their livelihoods.

Some projects are grounded in specific regions of Vermont and seek to strengthen the connectivity between forest parcels, landowners, and other community stakeholders tied to a region’s forested landscape. Others take a statewide approach, focusing on specific opportunities, like bird-friendly maple production, or targeted audiences, like women landowners.

by Michael Pieciak, Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation There is growing consensus that paid family and medical leave (FML) is a valuable program that benefits individuals, families, and businesses alike. Generally, paid FML provides an individual with income replacement while away from work to bond with a new child, recover from a serious medical condition, or care for a sick relative.

Research suggests children and parents experience better health outcomes if they have access to paid FML. Businesses can experience a more productive workforce with higher morale and measurable improvements in retaining employees and recruiting new talent. This last point is particularly relevant when considering Vermont’s pressing need to grow the workforce.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlngton-based CashorTrade, a social network where fans buy, sell and trade tickets at face value, announced a partnership with Osiris, a network of music and culture podcasts. Born from the same love and passion for music, the ticketing site and media company both dedicate themselves to enriching the live music experience for their fans.  “Osiris provides a new level of depth for fans,” says Jonny Adler, Director of Business Development at CashorTrade. “The same fans who are committed to the face value movement— the ones who want to share experiences, not make profit on tickets -- are the same fans interested in diving deep into Osiris podcasts.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont House gave preliminary approval to the $6.1 billion Fiscal Year 2020 Budget, H.542, today on a vote of 139-1. The House also gave preliminary approval to the Revenue Bill, H.541, today on a voice vote. 

by C.B. Hall, Vermont Business Magazine Montpelier gave the possibility of more passenger rail service in Vermont a small boost on March 26, when House legislators voted to instruct the Agency of Transportation (VTrans) to conduct a technical analysis of a commuter rail system that would serve the Burlington-St Albans and Burlington-Montpelier corridors. The action came during consideration of the pending transportation bill, which would mandate the analysis as well as authorizing VTrans appropriations and providing other guidance to the agency. In a voice vote, the chamber rejected an amendment advanced by Representative Pat Brennan (R-Colchester) that would have deleted the technical analysis provision from the measure.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agricultural Hall of Fame is now accepting nominations for the 2019 inductees. All nominations must be submitted by May 15^th.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced that the Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) has released 443,070 pages of records related to the EB-5 and Jay Peak fraud, which occurred between 2008-2016. These newly-released documents are available for download at eb5.vermont.gov/public-records. Additionally, approximately 250,000 more pages of DFR records will be released and made available on the EB-5 website in the coming weeks.

Vermont Business Magazine The leaders of the Distributed Ledger Governance Association (DLGA), have announced the founding members and partners of the DLGA to help drive commercialization of blockchain applications and work with the various State of Vermont agencies to explore the productive uses of distributed ledgers in Vermont business and government.