Current News

Vermont Business Magazine While the angst over a budget veto and hard-fought compromise over local teacher health plans might result in only a $25 savings for the average property tax payer, Governor Phil Scott does have a point on Vermont's level of property taxes. While statewide property taxes have fallen out of favor nationally, Vermont's has grown to the highest statewide property tax rate in the nation. This is somewhat offset by relatively low local property taxes. The result is that Vermont is above average in total property taxes collected (34.7 percent to 31.3 percent). This is typical of New England.

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims rose slightly again last week but remain at their typically low summer-time level. There still could be some volatility coming as school jobs end and claims are made. Claims spiked to over 1,100 eight weeks ago and then again three weeks ago before falling steeply. Claims are lower than they were the same time last year, which has been the usual case for most weeks in 2017. For the week of June 17, 2017, there were 459 claims, up 90 from the previous week's total and 537 fewer than than they were a year ago.

Vermont Business Magazine Migrant Justice announced in a press release that it will hold a rally Friday evening to denouncethe Border Patrol arrest of farmworker couple Yesenia Hernández and Esau Peche. Both are active members of Migrant Justice and participated in the June 17th 13-mile march to the Ben & Jerry’s factory, calling on the ice cream company to improve conditions for dairy workers.

When: Friday, June 23th, 6pm - 8pm

Where: Vermont State House, 115 State St., Montpelier, VT

Esau Peche (l) and Yesenia Hernández (r), leading 13 mile march for "Milk with Dignity," June 17th. Migrant Justice photo.

Vermont Business Magazine Beginning this year the Agency of Education will be partnering with the University of Vermont for the Vermont Teacher of the Year and National Teacher of the Year process. Educators recognized at the 2016 UVM Outstanding Teacher Day, have been invited to apply for the 2018 Vermont TOY. Interested candidates must submit an application for consideration to the Vermont Agency of Education by July 14, 2017. Beginning in late July, a volunteer committee comprised of previous Vermont Teachers of the Year, a Principal of the Year and a representative from the VT NEA will assess the applications, interview candidates and recommend the top three finalists to the Agency of Education.

Senator Patrick Leahy We’re finally seeing why Senate Republican leaders have been hiding their shameful Trumpcare bill for so long. With no hearings, no debate, no vetting process, and no score, this plan breaks every promise the President made about what he would do in repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act. Cobbled together behind closed doors, it is a cruel and cynical hoax, played on millions upon millions of Americans who would lose all or some of their health insurance protections under this plan. Millions of Americans would not be able to afford insurance.

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.