Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The state Senate has quickly overridden Governor Phil Scott’s veto of bill S103, which sought to give the Vermont Health Commissioner more flexibility in regulating consumer goods, with special concern regarding those for young children. The bill also follows along from the PFOA contamination in Bennington from the ChemFab plant, discovered in 2016. The bill would require testing of new groundwater sources and potable water supplies for specified chemical parameters. The governor vetoed S103 last Monday night. In doing so, he said the bill is duplicative to the state's already strong standards on hazardous materials and could increase costs of goods to consumers and businesses.

Vermont Business Magazine Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont) is calling for the immediate resignation of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt. Welch has co-sponsored a House ‘no confidence’ resolution (H.Res. 834) in response to Pruitt’s reported ethics violations, misuse of taxpayer funds, and policy actions that have undermined the agency’s core mission at expense of the environment, public health and science.

“Enough is enough,” Welch said. “In 14 short months, Administrator Pruitt has gutted the EPA’s core mission to safeguard the air we breathe and the water we drink. Throughout his tenure, he has defiantly thumbed his nose at the taxpayer with reckless spending on travel, security and office amenities. He will go down as the worst Administrator in EPA history. It’s time for him to go.”

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), joined by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont), announced a $792,000 grant to bring the medical records system at the Vermont Veterans’ Home in Bennington into the 21^st century. The grant meets a longstanding priority of the Bennington facility and was made possible by new funding for veterans in the bipartisan budget agreement reached by Congress in February. Leahy, Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, played a leading role in those negotiations.

Leahy said: “It was one of our highest priorities in the bipartisan budget agreement to improve the quality of care available to our nation’s veterans. This goal is now becoming a reality at the Vermont Veteran’s Home and for our Green Mountain veterans.”

Vermont Business Magazine On Monday, Governor Scott, along with representatives from the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD), participated in the Aerospace Innovation Forum 2018, hosted by Aero Montreal. Scott and ACCD were joined by seven Vermont businesses in the aerospace industry: MSI, Stephens Precision, Sathorn Corporation, Microwire Transmission, Liquid Measurement Systems, SemiProbe, and Vermont Aerospace.

Vermont Non-Profit Leaders The Vermont House has passed H.911, which we believe, if enacted, will fundamentally change the nature of charitable giving in Vermont. Its negative effects will hurt Vermont non-profits, and more importantly, diminish our ability to serve Vermonters in our communities.

Vermont Business Magazine After many months of planning, fund-raising and anticipation, a major renovation project was launched this week at Helen Porter Rehabilitation and Nursing in Middlebury. This $900,000 project will result in a state-of-the-art post-acute unit for residents recovering from surgery or other conditions requiring short-term rehabilitation, and a new end-of-life suite offering a comfortable and family-centered environment for residents and their loved ones which, for the ARCH organization, represents the realization of their founding mission.

Vermont Business Magazine The Burlington 2030 District, a private/public partnership that supports ongoing local efforts to mitigate climate change, looks forward to its official launch event on Tuesday, May 1 from 5:00 to 7:00pm at Union Station (1 Main Street) in Burlington. All are welcome to attend this celebration, where attendees will learn how voluntary participation in this initiative helps property owners to increase asset value, reduce operating costs, and create a healthier community.

Vermont Business Magazine This year at the annual sofi Awards, Vermont specialty food producers brought home three gold awards. The sofi Awards, which stands for “specialty outstanding food innovation,” are the most prestigious awards in the specialty food industry and honor excellence across a variety of food categories, from vinegars to vegan snacks. Vermont’s gold winners were Vermont Creamery, Mount Mansfield Maple Products, and Blake Hill Preserves.

Vermont Business Magazine The Institute for Energy and the Environment (IEE) at Vermont Law School today released “Low-Income Solar Ownership in Vermont: Overcoming Barriers to Equitable Access,” a report prepared for the Vermont Low Income Trust for Electricity (VLITE), Inc. The report examines how to give low-income customers equitable access to the benefits of distributed solar as the renewable energy resource becomes an increasingly cost-effective option to meet clean energy goals.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont agriculture, food, beverage, forest, and fiber product associations provide support to the development of Vermont’s economy and the viability of our working landscape businesses. The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) is committed to assist these organizations by providing funding for marketing projects that enhance the work they are doing.

Morse Farm cotton candy at the Made in Vermont Marketplace show in April. VBM photo.

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain College (GMC) has been recognized as the top Baccalaureate performer by the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). GMC’s 2018 STARS score of 81.82 is the highest score any baccalaureate institution has achieved. STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, measures and encourages sustainability in higher education.

Vermont Business Magazine Gardening, long the purview of the older and more wealthy - now has a younger face. A new, national survey shows more American households are gardening than ever before (77%), and increasingly the gardener is a young man. The annual National Gardening Survey finds the proportion of older gardeners is holding steady (35%) but younger households reached an all-time high in gardening participation. “From small beginnings with a succulent here and a houseplant there, the under 35s are now truly engaged in the full range of gardening activities.” says industry analyst Ian Baldwin, who participated in the survey.