Current News

by John McClaughry On July 7 Energy Independent Vermont, the coalition of enviro groups headed by the Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG), announced the findings of its statewide poll on its proposal for a Vermont carbon tax. The poll found that 63 percent of respondents supported the carbon tax, while 31 percent opposed it (six percent were undecided). But before we take that seriously, maybe we ought to inquire into exactly what question was asked by the EIV pollsters.

Vermont Businiess Magazine Johnson State College has been designated Vermont’s premier public liberal arts college – a recognition that establishes JSC as the public version of Vermont’s more selective and costly private liberal arts colleges, such as Middlebury and Bennington. The designation comes from the board of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC), which voted unanimously today at its annual meeting in Utah to approve JSC for membership in the organization. COPLAC recognizes institutions that “commit to providing superior liberal arts and sciences education to their students” and generally accepts only one college or university per state (or province, in Canada) for membership following an extensive application and review process.

Vermont Business Magazine Ward Group, an Aon Hewitt company, has once again recognized Vermont Mutual Insurance Group as one of the top 50 Property and Casualty insurers in the United States. This is the eighth consecutive year Ward Group has affirmed Vermont Mutual as a “Ward’s 50®” insurer. Every year, Ward Group identifies the industry’s top insurance companies through a comprehensive financial analysis of approximately 3,000 U.S. property and casualty insurers. The “Ward’s 50” recognizes insurers for their consistency, safety and superior financial performance. 

Vermont Business Magazine Matt Dunne was endorsed today by the Professional Firefighters of Vermont, a union representing firefighters, emergency medical technicians and paramedics working for twelve of the paid professional fire, EMS paramedic services in Vermont. This is the latest in series of labor unions endorsing Matt for Governor. The endorsement was announced at an event held at the Ethan Allen Engine Co. #4 in Burlington. Members of Teamsters Local 597, Vermont State Employees' Association (VSEA) and the Executive Board of the Vermont State Labor Council AFL-CIO, which have all endorsed Matt’s run for governor, were also in attendance.

Matt Dunne receives endorsement of the Professional Firefighters of Vermont

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Gas issued the following statement Friday reaffirming permit compliance for the Addison Natural Gas Project: “Vermont Gas is committed to bringing a clean, affordable and reliable energy option to thousands more Vermont businesses and families. Vermont Gas is constructing the Addison Natural Gas Project in full compliance with all of its permits. 

“The recent determination that a wetland in Geprags Park (Hinesburg) should be re-delineated since its first evaluation in 2012 is not uncommon. In fact, we have amended project permits in other instances without impact to construction. We are working closely with our environmental experts to amend our Vermont Wetlands Permit to reflect this new delineation. This work in no way voids or revokes our existing permits or our ability to construct the project outside Geprags Park while amendments are being filed.

Vermont Business Magazine By purchasing $125,000 in Vermont Housing Tax Credits last Friday, Union Bank supplied the equity needed to help approximately 125 households buy their first homes in Vermont this coming year. These households will receive up to $5,000 to help cover their down payment and closing costs through a statewide program when they qualify for a Vermont Housing Finance Agency mortgage. Since its enactment by the Vermont Legislature in 2015, the popular program has helped 108 Vermont households with incomes averaging $65,000 become home owners. Vermonters using the program tend to be young, with an average age of 29.

by Mike Smith It was 1963 in Dallas, Texas, when an assassin, positioned on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depositary, shot and killed President John F. Kennedy as his open-roofed limousine rolled by. It stunned a nation, but the violence didn’t end there. For the next decade, there were more assassinations. Martin Luther King Jr. in April 1968. Robert F Kennedy in June of the same year. Four college students were killed by Ohio National Guard troops on the campus of Kent State University for protesting the Vietnam War in 1970. And these were only the highest-profile killings.

In 1968 there were also race riots in our major cities. Curfews were imposed and the National Guard assisted police in keeping the peace. And there were massive protests at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where protestors were beaten and bloodied in battles with police. It appeared, and many believed, the country was tearing itself apart.

Vermont Business Magazine Matt Dunne, Democratic candidate for governor, has submitted his latest campaign finance report with the Secretary of State’s office. Dunne said he is the only candidate to voluntarily release a campaign finance disclosure on a monthly basis -- more frequently than is currently required by law -- because he believes that with early voting underway, the public should have information about how his campaign is funded.

“I am proud to be running an aggressively transparent campaign, and that’s also the kind of governor I will be,” said Matt Dunne, Democratic candidate for governor. “With voting already well underway, I’ve made a point to disclose information about how our campaign is funded, because Vermonters deserve to know whether a candidate is running a people-powered campaign, like I am, or whether they’re self-funding or accepting corporate money.”

Vermont Business Magazine Democratic Candidate Sue Minter, announced that her campaign raised $405,452 for the July filing period stretching from March 13^th through July 12^th. Minter entered the final four weeks of the campaign with $278,447 on hand. Entering the final few weeks of the campaign, Minter has 4,300 contributions, 64% of which are from Vermonters. In addition, Minter’s field operation has made over 40,000 calls to Vermont voters. 

By Tera Dacek The name “Lawson” may make you think of Lawson’s Finest Liquids, one of Vermont’s most sought-after breweries. But when owner Sean Lawson returned to Vermont after living out West, it was to work in environmental science and forestry, not open up a brewery. We talked to Lawson, a UVM alumnus, about changing his career path to start a successful craft brewery.

Vermont Business Magazine Before leaving for the summer recess, the US Senate Thursday night approved legislation championed by Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy (D) to make needed and long overdue reforms to several federal housing programs.  The Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

Vermont Business Magazine SouthFace Village at Okemo, an EB-5 project in Vermont, has been working closely with the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) to secure the agency’s re-approval of its EB-5 offering. After a rigorous review process, DFR approved the EB-5 project’s updated Private Placement Memo (PPM). The $200 million project is the first year-round development at Okemo Mountain in a decade.  DFR requested that the SouthFace project undergo a regulatory review of its EB-5 offering documentation in May.  Such a review is a routine event when a PPM and other documents are updated.

“DFR does not have concerns about the economics of the EB-5 arrangement,” said Ted Rossi, CEO of the Rossi Group and a partner in the SouthFace project.  “They told us that they did not have any issues on that front.”