Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the House preliminarily approved H.691, the Highway Safety Bill. Among other provisions, this bill authorizes primary enforcement of existing seat belt laws. The bill passed out of the Transportation Committee on a 10-0-1 vote.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Health Network’s bond ratings have been upgraded by two of the nation’s leading bond agencies, an affirmation of the health network’s financial stability. S&P Global Ratings again upgraded the network’s bond rating, this time to ‘A’ status. Moody’s Investor’s Service also boosted the network’s rating to ‘A2,’ which is the equivalent of the S&P high mark. This will result in the UVM Medical Center's interest rate dropping about .5% and Network affiliates dropping about 1%.

In announcing the upgrades, both firms pointed to the health network’s steady fiscal management as key to their decisions. The UVM Health Network, comprising six hospitals and one home health care affiliate in Vermont and Northern New York, also holds an ‘A-’ rating from a third major agency, Fitch Ratings.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont House and Senate Committees on Appropriations are seeking public input on the Governor’s Recommended FY2019 State Budget and will hold community-based public hearings on Monday, February 12, 2018, 6-7 pm at the following 5 locations.

Rights & Democracy Vermonters from throughout the state will converge on Montpelier tonight to talk about why raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour will improve their lives, and the lives of their neighbors, families, and communities. The Senate Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs Committee will host a public hearing on legislation that would boost the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour over several years.

Rights & Democracy believes it is long overdue that we do something direct and meaningful to improve the lives of more than 80,000 Vermonters who have seen basic wages and their buying power decline over the past decades, while those at the top saw real gains in wage growth and buying power.

Vermont Business Magazine Alexander Nemerov, chair of the Art and Art History Department at Stanford University, who writes frequently on the importance of the humanities in contemporary life, will give the commencement address at the University of Vermont on May 20. Nemerov is a UVM alumnus who graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1985 with degrees in Art History and English. He received an honorary doctorate degree from the university at UVM's May 2017 commencement.

Vermont Business Magazine The Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals (SORP) will present the 2018 National Outdoor Recreation Conference on April 23-26, 2018, in Burlington, Vermont. The National Outdoor Recreation Conference showcases innovative approaches to outdoor recreation research, planning, and management, and organizers believe that Vermont provides an ideal location to see how investments in local conservation and outdoor recreation have contributed to a thriving economy and vibrant community. The theme of this year’s conference is “Building Resilient Communities, Environments and Economies.”

by Rick Davis Policymakers and Vermonters of all political persuasions are worried about the economic impacts of Vermont’s aging population and shrinking workforce. Our working-age population—the vital group that acts as our economic engine—keeps declining. Meanwhile, baby boomers will soon be aging out of the workforce. In order for Vermont to attract and retain the skilled workforce our economy needs to thrive, we need to make sure all Vermonters have an equal opportunity to contribute to our economy. Yet, Vermont women are continually forced to leave careers and drop out of the workforce because they cannot afford or find high-quality child care.

Vermont Business Magazine In 2018, Vermont Electric Co-op (VEC) is offering an expanded menu of financial incentives to VEC members for energy transformation technologies that help members move away from fossil fuels to electricity and advanced wood heating. This program includes bill credits for electric and plug-in hybrid cars as well as lower-carbon heating and cooling systems.

Vermont Business Magazine On January 1, 2018, Open Approach, a Burlington-based full-service IT company, acquired Rail City Information Systems (RCIS), an IT company based in St Albans, Vermont. RCIS founder and president Scott Burleson, vice president Dale Burleson, and the current RCIS technology team has transferred all existing accounts and services to Open Approach’s offices at 1 Mill Street, Burlington.

“We are beyond pleased to join forces with RCIS in 2018. We welcome Scott, Dale, and Joe to the Open Approach team, and look forward to having the ability to offer an even more comprehensive set of IT services to RCIS’s former clients and our own,” says Scott Bernoudy, CEO and principle engineer at Open Approach. “Together, we can leverage the skills and experience gained from a collective 34 years in the IT-management field to offer an even more robust set of services to businesses in Vermont and beyond.”

by Christine McGowan, Forest Products Program Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Vermont prides itself as the Green Mountain State, with nearly 80-percent of its land mass covered in forest. Healthy and productive forests are inherent to Vermont’s culture and heritage. Yet, the industry responsible for bringing us countless valuable forest products: high quality furniture, specialty wood crafts, lumber and firewood, as well as services such as clean water, fresh air and a home for wildlife—is in decline due to a myriad of challenges. Rapidly changing commodity markets, overseas competition and an aging workforce all are contributing to an industry in transition. And yet, both the environmental and economic viability of Vermont’s forested landscape depends on a healthy forest products industry to responsibly manage, harvest, and utilize Vermont’s forests.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Conservation Voters and partners have released the 2018 Vermont Environmental Common Agenda of legislative priorities at a reception in the Cedar Creek room of the Vermont State House. The Common Agenda is collectively shaped by a range of environmental organizations across Vermont working on initiatives affecting our shared natural resources, the integrity of our communities, and the health of all Vermonters.

Vermont Business Magazine A national town hall on Medicare for all hosted by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and digital media outlets The Young Turks, NowThis and ATTN: drew nearly 1.1 million live viewers Tuesday night, rivaling the viewership of cable news in primetime. By midday Wednesday, more than 1.6 million views had accumulated on the town hall video across platforms.