Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark today joined a coalition of 20 other attorneys general in suing the Trump Administration to stop its unlawful attempt to restrict access to critical health, education, and social service programs. Earlier this month, in a chaotic reversal of agency policy, the Administration issued notices prohibiting state safety net programs from serving all residents, regardless of immigration status. The change threatens access to critical services like Head Start, Title X family planning, adult education, mental health care, and Community Health Centers. Attorney General Clark and the coalition are asking the court to halt the new federal rules and act quickly to ensure continued access to some of the nation’s most crucial social services programs. 

by Vermont Senator Anne Watson It has been heartbreaking to see flash flooding occur in Vermont for the past three summers, and increasingly around the country as well. I, for one, don't want to let this kind of news begin to feel normal. This is not the Vermont I grew up in. It is already hotter and wetter from climate change and there are a number of things we can do as individuals, homeowners, and renters to be prepared for the next natural disaster. What the last three years have taught me is that flooding and erosion can impact anyone anywhere in Vermont, depending on what areas receive intense rainfall. So it's important that we are all prepared for that possibility.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor (VDOL) has awarded a $75,000 grant to the Associated General Contractors of Vermont (AGC-VT) to support the Heavy Equipment Simulator Training Initiative, aimed at expanding workforce training opportunities and engaging students in career exploration across Vermont. The initiative, totaling $128,405.80, will fund the purchase and installation of two cutting-edge Heavy Equipment Simulators. AGC-VT will contribute more than $53,000 in additional funding and is committed to raising further public and private investment to sustain the project.

Vermont Business Magazine With the 2025 legislative session now behind us, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets is proud to announce the enactment of Act 61, a significant update to Vermont’s Right to Farm (RTF) law. While all 50 states have some form of RTF law, Vermont’s previous statute lacked clarity and strength. Act 61 changes that—providing clearer standards and stronger protections for responsible farming. Farmers across Vermont face the risk of nuisance claims, including that farm-related noise, odors, runoff, or dust interfere with a neighbor’s property use. These lawsuits can result in costly civil damages or even shut down farms.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.09 per gallon, up 0.6 cents per gallon from last week's $3.08/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.51/g while the highest was $3.25/g, a difference of 74.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 1.7 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.09/g today.

Vermont Business Magazine As a mile-wide wedge tornado spun across the plains near Lubbock, Texas, a group from Vermont State University (VTSU) Lyndon watched in awe—not just of nature’s power, but of the science they were helping to document—then snapped into action, launching weather balloons, collecting data, and documenting the storm’s development. The students, part of the prestigious Storm Forecasting and Observation Program hosted by SUNY Oswego, were charged with applying their atmospheric sciences education to real-time weather forecasting. From May 28 to June 8, twelve students from three universities tracked severe weather across Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. They observed five tornadoes, including the dramatic Lubbock event, along with wall clouds, dust devils, dust storms, golf ball-sized hail, mammatus clouds, and spectacular lightning displays.

Vermont Business Magazine The Agency of Natural Resources’ (ANR) Climate Action Office (CAO) has released the latest Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Forecast (GHG Inventory), the state’s official measure for evaluating progress towards the emissions reduction requirements of the Global Warming Solutions Act. The most recent data available shows 2022 emissions (most recent available) are at their lowest level on record, outside the COVID-19 pandemic drop in 2020. There would still need to be a steep drop in emissions by the next goal in 2024 emissions. 

Vermont Business Magazine This weekly report is a list of planned construction activities that will affect traffic on state highways and interstates throughout Vermont for the week of July 21, 2025. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.

Vermont Business Magazine Following the anniversaries of intense flooding to much of Vermont including Plainfield, another storm event in the NEK has caused significant damage. With this stark reminder of repeated flooding events as the backdrop, all Plainfield community members are invited to gather at the Haybarn Theater at The Creative Campus at Goddard on Monday July 28th, for a free community dinner and the opportunity to be an active participant in sharing and developing ideas for the future vitality, quality of life, and prosperity of Plainfield. 

by Art Woolf, Campaign for Vermont Prosperity The legislature passed its long-awaited bill to reform the way Vermont finances pre-K to 12 education. What it neglected to consider is what to do about the quality of the state’s education system. Ask any legislator, or your neighbor, or yourself, how good Vermont’s schools are, and you’ll find near unanimous agreement that our schools are at the least very good, and most likely excellent. Ask me, and I’ll say they are below average. Why? Because I go where the data take me.

Vermont Business Magazine Rep. Becca Balint's amendment to include a $10,000,000 Department of Defense contract with a Vermont small business, MVP Robotics, in the appropriations bill passed Friday. MVP Robotics is headquartered in Bradford and employs 23 people across Vermont and New Hampshire. The passage of Rep. Balint’s amendment will bring major growth to an emerging technology company. MVP Robotics dual use technology was developed for sports teams and military training. 

Vermont Business Magazine Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today welcomed the announcement that Vermont would receive $6.5 million in funding for afterschool programs through the 21st Century Learning Centers program, as a result of his demands that the Trump administration release illegally and unconstitutionally withheld federal funds for public education. Newly released funding supports nearly 100 afterschool and summer programs in Vermont that serve 11,000 students.