Current News

Vermont Business Magaziine US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) issued the following statement and video Thursday after Senate Republicans released a draft of their health care bill: “For weeks, Republicans have been drafting their ‘health care’ bill in secret, refusing to hold hearings or public debate. Now we know why. The bill Republicans announced today is even worse than expected and by far the most harmful piece of legislation I have seen in my lifetime. This bill has nothing to do with health care. It has everything to do with an enormous transfer of wealth from working people to the richest Americans.

Vermont Business Magazine This week the Vermont State Colleges System Board of Trustees unanimously approved a balanced fiscal year 2018 budget after several years of shortfalls. The five-college system enrolls over 12,000 students, including over 10,000 Vermonters, and is comprised of Castleton University, Johnson State College, Lyndon State College, Vermont Technical College and the Community College of Vermont.

“This balanced budget reflects the results of proactive leadership and critical new support from the State. It sets us up for success in providing access to quality higher education in all regions of Vermont,” said Board Finance and Facilities Committee Chairman Churchill Hindes.

Vermont Business Magazine Rock Art Brewery unveils Vermont’s first solar-powered beer, Sun Rocked IPA, as a toast to the 20-year-old brewery reaching a new milestone: going solar. SunCommon of Waterbury helped Rock Art Brewery of Morrisville become the first Vermont brewery to fully offset its power needs with a 200-panel rooftop solar array.

Vermont Business Magazine The Burlington Electric Department today launched its new Defeat the Peak program, encouraging members of the Burlington community to reduce their energy usage on the hottest – or peak – days of summer 2017. Defeat the Peak is a unique approach to demand reduction that uses the following “triple bottom line” strategy to get customers engaged in the effort:

Leonine Public Affairs The Vermont General Assembly gaveled to a close at 7:48 pm on Wednesday, June 21, following a day-long veto override session. Lawmakers gathered to respond to the governor’s veto of two bills, H509, an education finance bill, and H518, the FY18 budget bill. Lawmakers also considered H511, a bill to legalize the use of recreational marijuana. H.511 was originally a highway safety bill that was amended to include the compromise language on marijuana legalization.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and Speaker of the House Mitzi Johnson issued statements after the Legislature passed a revised budget Wednesday night. Scott, Johnson and Senate President Pro Tem Tim Ashe had carved out the compromise over the last couple of weeks and announced it Wednesday morning. The governor had vetoed the budget and property tax bills in early June. The deal does not achieve the governor's goal of instituting a statewide teacher health insurance contract, but it would lower the residential property tax bill and keeps the non-residential rate at current levels. The Legislature will study the feasibility of a statewide teacher contract.

Vermont Business Magazine The Upper Valley Aquatic Center (UVAC) and Norwich Solar Technologies (NST) have completed the commissioning of a 500-kilowatt solar project just down the road in Hartford, for the benefit of UVAC and its members and guests. The system was turned on May 23rd and is now producing power. So far it has produced 33,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity. Feeding into Green Mountain Power’s electricity network, this build is projected to save UVAC a substantial amount on electricity annually.

Vermont Business Magazine To demonstrate appreciation of clean water, healthy communities, and Vermont, the NA Manosh Corporation of Morrisville is donating 1% of water well drilling revenue to Lake Champlain International, supporting efforts to make Lake Champlain drinkable, swimmable and fishable for future generations. “We tend to take having access to clean, fresh water resources for granted, Lake Champlain included,” says Manosh Corporation’s owner and president, Nick Manosh. “To help ensure the future of our great lake as a premier fishery, economic engine, and recreational resource, Manosh is proud to support Lake Champlain International,” adds Manosh.

by Eileen Whalen, President and COO of University of Vermont Medical Center;Jill Berry Bowen, CEO of Northwestern Medical Center;Don George, CEO of Blue Cross / Blue Shield of Vermont;Todd Moore, CEO of OneCare Vermont.As leaders of large Vermont health care organizations we are tasked with the need to treat the sick and the infirm, to do so efficiently, and to provide high quality care. We accept that. But we need partners, and with those partners, we need to change the perception of public health being about sickness, to public health being about wellness.

Vermont Business Magazine US Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and Vermont Governor Phil Scott (R) have recommended Burlington attorney Christina Nolan to President Trump to be Vermont’s next US Attorney. Nolan would be the 38th US Attorney in Vermont’s history and the first woman nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate for the position. She would lead an office of 45 employees, including 20 attorneys who represent the United States in criminal and civil litigation in Vermont.

US attorney is a political appointment typically of the same party as the president. Historically, a senior senator of the same party as the president would have his recommendation for the position put forward by the president to the US Senate for confirmation. However, Leahy is a Democrat and a harsh critic of Republican President Trump and of his Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan joined a coalition of 14 attorneys general and the City of Chicago to intervene in a lawsuit that supports regulations to prevent greenhouse gas emissions. The lawsuit, which is before the United States Court of Appeals for the DCCircuit, is against the USEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA is seeking to halt the implementation of regulations that stop leaks of greenhouse gas and other harmful air pollutants from new oil and gas sources.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and legislative leaders have reached a compromise over the budget. Scott had vetoes the budget and property tax bills earlier this month, setting up today's veto session. The focus had been Scott's desire to institute a statewide teacher health insurance plan that would save state property taxpayers $26 million a year. While he will not get a statewide teacher contract, legislative leaders will set up a study committee on the issue and compel local school boards and teachers to find that $26 million in their negotiations over the next two years.

Governor Scott, Senate Pro Tempore Tim Ashe and House Speaker Mitzi Johnsonissued the following statement last night in anticipation of today's veto session: