Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) today announced nearly $1.5 million in awards for the 2026 Vermont Better Roads Program to support municipal road projects that improve water quality and result in maintenance cost savings. The grant funds totaling $1,457,700 are provided by AOT in partnership with the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources and are sourced from state transportation funds and the State’s Clean Water Fund. The Vermont Better Roads Program promotes the use of erosion control and maintenance techniques that save money while protecting and enhancing water quality around the State. 

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark today released guidance intended to help Vermont’s immigrant and noncitizen communities understand their rights during encounters with immigration enforcement officers. The guide was designed in response to the many Vermonters who have expressed great concern about recent changes in federal immigration enforcement. It seeks to answer questions about (1) the power of the federal government, (2) the role, or lack thereof, state or local law enforcement play in civil immigration enforcement, and (3) the rights Vermonters can exercise if they encounter immigration enforcement officers. 

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark today joined a coalition of 18 attorneys general in releasing the following statement condemning the Trump administration for unlawfully deploying the California National Guard against protestors in California, without coordination with state leadership: “The president’s decision to federalize and deploy California’s National Guard without the consent of California state leaders is unlawful, unconstitutional, and undemocratic. The federal administration should be working with local leaders to keep everyone safe, not mobilizing the military against the American people."

Vermont Business Magazine As President Trump and Senate Republicans rush forward with their budget reconciliation bill – which would throw 16 million people off of their health insurance – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), alongside every Democratic member of the HELP Committee, today sent a letter to committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) urging him to schedule hearings with patients and health care providers to hear about the legislation’s disastrous impact on the health and well-being of the American people and markup this bill before it reaches the Senate floor for consideration.

Vermont Business Magazine In just months, Vermonters participating in the Vermont Saves retirement program have collectively saved over $1 million toward their retirement, Treasurer Mike Pieciak announced today. The Vermont Saves program was brought forward by Treasurer Pieciak in 2023 and earned unanimous approval from the Legislature and Governor Scott. Treasurer Pieciak proposed Vermont Saves because many Vermonters have inadequate personal retirement savings, leading to a less secure and less dignified retirement. Studies show that workers are fifteen times more likely to save for retirement if offered a plan through their employer. Unfortunately, many small businesses in Vermont are unable to afford retirement plans for their employees. Under Vermont Saves, tens of thousands of working Vermonters now have access to a plan for the first time at little to no cost to employers. 

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont (UVM) Dining Services has received national recognition for its leadership in local food sourcing, earning the Gold Award for Sustainable Procurement from the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) as part of the 2025 Sustainability Awards. The award honors the impact of Vermont First, a Sodexo-led initiative developed at UVM that has reshaped how institutions approach food procurement. The first institutional program in the country to systematically prioritize and track local food purchasing across an entire state, Vermont First was launched in 2014 and has since helped establish a new standard in higher education dining.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, recently joined Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and 29 of his colleagues in filing an amicus brief in a key case, Oregon v. Department of Homeland Security, challenging the Trump Administration’s abuse of emergency powers to impose tariffs. The brief opposes the Administration’s request for a stay of a recent court decision that struck down these tariffs.  Vermont was a part of the twelve-state coalition that filed this legal challenge. In May, the U.S. Court of International Trade held that the Trump Administration lacked authority to issue the challenged tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)—a statute that no president prior to President Trump has ever tried to use to impose tariffs. The Senators’ amicus brief argues that a stay should be rejected.   

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor has announced the selection of pilot projects proposed by Northeast Kingdom Chamber of Commerce and the Addison County Economic Development Corporation for the state’s new Workforce Expansion Program. As a result of the bipartisan Act 183 of 2022, the Workforce Expansion Program is a two-year initiative aimed at strengthening regional workforce systems by enhancing collaboration among employers, educators, and community partners. The program will provide dedicated hands-on staff support and seek to help participating regions address workforce shortages, connect priority populations with in-demand jobs, and support the long-term economic vitality of their communities.  

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, today joined Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) in introducing the Higher Wages for American Workers Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour and allow the federal minimum wage to increase with inflation in subsequent years. When adjusted for inflation, the current federal minimum wage is lower than at any point since the 1940s. Meanwhile, the cost of housing, health care, and education has skyrocketed, leaving millions of full-time workers struggling to make ends meet.  

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark joined a bipartisan coalition of 28 states in filing a lawsuit yesterday on behalf of consumers, objecting to the proposed sale of personal genetic information collected by 23andMe. The complaint and a separate objection to the bankruptcy sale, each filed in federal bankruptcy court, aim to stop 23andMe from auctioning off the private genetic data of roughly 15 million customers – including thousands of Vermonters – to the highest bidder without customers’ knowledge or consent.  23andMe, a direct-to-consumer DNA testing company, filed for bankruptcy and is now seeking to sell off its assets—including sensitive genetic and health data—in a high-stakes auction.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported last week that the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations remain low and falling statewide, after a spike during the winter. Wastewater testing indicates that virus levels also fell after they had spiked in January, with the exception of the Montpelier site, which showed an increase last week and has now fallen back. There are also new charts on the full range of pathogens in three Vermont test sites. RSV is high at the Montpelier test site. The Vermont pandemic death total stands at 1,294 as of May 31, 2025, with 1 reported death from the previous week (the most recent data available from the CDC). WHO also reported that COVID-19 deaths keep declining. The VDH is no longer reporting COVID fatalities and cases in Vermont. 

Vermont Business Magazine Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (Blue Cross VT) and Terry Bicycles are welcoming the return of the Wellness Revolution Cycling Program in Rutland for the 2025 season. This free program serves those who identify as women to help them break through barriers that keep them from getting out on their bikes. This program builds community with other women in the pursuit of a healthy activity. We are proud to continue this partnership with Terry Bicycles and to work with an incredible local team who makes this program happen in the Rutland community year after year. The Wellness Revolution program starts on July 31st, 2025, in Rutland and will run through August 17th.  These programs often fill up fast and are completely free to participants. Once registered, Wellness Revolution Rutland 2025 Registration Survey participants will receive detailed information about the program schedule.