Current News

Public Assets Institute Washington State is better than Vermont. Well, on one measure anyway: paid family and medical leave. This month Washington became the fifth state to enact a paid family and medical leave program, offering up to 12 weeks of time off to care for a new child or a sick family member, or to take care of personal health issues. The program is paid for through an insurance program funded by both employees and employers.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) issued the following statement Tuesday after Senate Republicans voted to begin debate on a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act: "The vote today to proceed on the health care bill is a step toward passing the most dangerous and destructive piece of legislation in the modern history of our country. If this bill ends up resembling the House bill, 22 million people will lose health insurance, Medicaid will be cut by nearly $800 billion over the next decade, premiums for older Americans will increase and 2.5 million women will lose health care as a result of defunding Planned Parenthood. Make no mistake about it, thousands of Americans every year will die unnecessarily if this legislation is passed.

Vermont Business MagazineSouthern Vermont College (SVC) in Bennington has received a $1.35 million pledge from the James Hand Irene MHunter Charitable Trust as the lead gift to support the construction of a new Center for Student Success and Wellness. The pledge includes a gift of $1 million and a $350,000 challenge grant to match additional gifts of $.50 to the dollar up to $700,000. SVC has begun a fundraising campaign to fully fund the construction costs of the building and will announce a groundbreaking ceremony when targets have been met.

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business MagazineThe Canadian owner of one of Vermont’s most recognizable maple syrup bottlers has been sold to one of Canada’s leading food companies. Rogers Sugar Inc announced July 10 the acquisition of L.B. Maple Treat Corporation, the parent company of Highland Sugarworks in Websterville, for $126.35 million (CD $160.3).

by RobRoper Ethan Allen Institute We can all agree that baring someone who is eligible to vote from doing so is a grave injustice. It robs a citizen in our representative republic of their voice in the process of governance. This is unacceptable. However, allowing somebody to vote who is not a legally eligible voter has the exact same effect, and is equally unjust. Allowing an ineligible voter to cast a ballot cancels out the vote of a legal voter, effectually erasing that legal voter’s vote. The outcome is the same as if the legal voter had been physically blocked from entering the polling place. This is also unacceptable.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott issued the following statement today, recognizing Vail Resorts – operator of 11 mountain resorts and three ski areas, including Stowe in Vermont – for its comprehensive sustainability commitment, dubbed the "Epic Promise for a Zero Footprint."

by Governor Phil Scott On my first day in office, I issued anexecutive orderdefining the top goals of my Administration: Growing the economy, making Vermont more affordable, and protecting the most vulnerable. We are laser-focused on these priorities and they guide us in everything we do. That’s why we’ve concentrated on government modernization and efficiency, rethinking and revitalizing our approach to economic development, transitioning to a cradle-to-career education system that is the best in the nation, strengthening our response to the opioid epidemic, and making sure state spending isn’t growing faster than wages or the economy.

Senator Patrick Leahy This was a lockstep vote for Trumpcare, produced through a secretive and shoddy process. These decisions mean health or illness and life or death to countless Americans. And let’s be clear: Republican senators have no idea what they voted for with this motion to proceed. Millions upon millions of Americans’ health is at stake. This cynical vote is intended to lead to a final Trumpcare plan to kick millions of Americans off their insurance.

Vermont Business MagazineA charitable organization supporting Vermont firefighters will receive $20,000 through a settlement negotiated by Attorney General T.J. Donovan; the organization will be named by the Vermont Community Foundation. The settlement stems from alawsuit the State filed last yearagainst FireCo, a paid fundraiser based in Madison, Tennessee. The lawsuit alleged violations of Vermont’s charitable solicitations law, including FireCo’s failure to clearly and concisely disclose to potential donors where they can find information about the percentage of their donation that the paid fundraiser retains. The complaint also alleged misrepresentation and failure to file statements closing a fundraising campaign.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Governor Phil Scott, Attorney General TJ Donovan, and Bennington County legislative members announced a settlement with Saint-Gobain. As part of the settlement, Saint-Gobain will fund water line extension for approximately 200 homes in a portion of Bennington and North Bennington. Construction of municipal water line extensions in both communities will begin this fall, aiming to make significant progress before winter. The estimated costs of the water line project are approximately $20 million. In addition, Saint-Gobain has committed to completing an expedited investigation in the remainder of the impacted area, which will inform a resolution for that area.

Vermont Business Magazine Mosquitoes collected in Weathersfield, Brattleboro and Hardwick have tested positive for West Nile virus. These are the first detections of the mosquito-borne virus this year. There have been no positive test results for Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEE) this surveillance season.The infected mosquitoes were collected by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets as part of the State's arbovirus surveillance program. The testing is performed by the Department of Health Laboratory.

West Nile virus is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Over the years, the virus has been found in every county in the state. Eight cases of West Nile virus in Vermont residents have been reported since 2011, though no human case of illness from West Nile virus or EEE virus has been confirmed so far this year.

Vermont Business MagazineDeveloped in association with the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, UVM and Cabot Creamery have collaborated to launch a fully online, eight-week End of Life Doula Professional Certificate Program, starting September 2017. As Cabot Creamery Co-op approaches their 100^th anniversary, member farm families have recognized a gap in end of life care and support for the aging population, particularly for those in rural communities who wish to remain in their homes through the dying process. The UVM and Cabot partnership addresses this gap with the development of the online End of Life Doula Certificate Program.