Current News

by Maggie Lenz and Gwynn Zakov Two weeks ago, we wrote about how grassroots pressure had moved Act 181 from a deadline-extension conversation into a repeal conversation. Last week, we wrote about how quickly leadership aligned behind that repeal, and what previous testimony revealed about the trust costs of regulating ahead of landowners. This week, the committee began the harder work of writing what comes next. By Friday, the House Committee on Environment was already on its second draft amendment to S.325. The committee made good on the promise from Chair Sheldon and Speaker Krowinski. Sections 19 and 21 of Act 181, the Road Rule and Tier 3, are deleted outright. The Tier 3 rulemaking is repealed. So is the Tier 2 Area report.

Vermont Business Magazine As 98.9 WOKO and Golisano Children’s Hospital at UVM Health prepare to celebrate more than two decades of impact through Big Change Roundup for Kids (BCRU), donors who rally around the annual campaign and programs supported by funding through community donations are in the spotlight. Each year, thousands of donors, volunteers, local businesses and community groups contribute and help ensure children and families across Vermont and northern New York have access to high quality, child-friendly and family-centered care.

Vermont Business Magazine The Arbors at Shelburne, a Benchmark Mind & Memory Care and residential care community, has been recognized as one of the best senior living communities in both Vermont and the nation, earning top honors in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Senior Living ratings. The Arbors at Shelburne achieved "Best" status by earning the highest possible rating in Memory Care. Survey responses highlighted outstanding performance in key areas including safety, quality of care, community leadership, staff, value and overall resident experience. Selected from more than 100 communities statewide, The Arbors distinguished itself through exceptional feedback from residents and their families.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health has reported have COVID-19 hospitalizations remain at a very low level amd fell slightly last week. They are at a similar level to the negligible level seen last summer. There were no measles cases after one reported in Vermont in February in Washington County and the rate nationally is low. While there was no measles virus detected recently, RSV, Influenza B and Norovirus remained elevated at all the Vermont wastewater testing sites, as they are across the US.

Vermont Business Magazine H.849, the Constitutional Accountability Act, passed into law yesterday. It is one of the first bills to clear the governor’s desk this year. The law allows individuals to sue government officials for monetary damages and other forms of relief if they violate a person’s federal constitutional rights. It represents one of the most powerful tools available for states to protect against unconstitutional actions by federal agents and was a top legislative priority for the ACLU of Vermont this year. 

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont has announced the speakers for its 225th Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 16. UVM President Dr. Marlene Tromp will deliver the traditional address to the graduates as she presides over her first commencement since taking leadership of the university last summer.  Two-time Olympic medalist cross-country skier Ben Ogden will deliver a special guest address at the ceremony. A fourth-generation Vermonter, Ogden grew up in Landgrove, Vt. He graduated from UVM in 2022 with a degree in mechanical engineering. Ogden will be introduced by Interim Provost Linda Schadler, who was his academic advisor and dean of the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences during his time as a student at UVM.

Vermont Business Magazine Ballou Family Apothecary, a Vermont-crafted wellness brand dedicated to sustainable beauty, persistent wellness, and community investment, has announced a new partnership with Vermont Green Football Club for the 2026 season. The collaboration links Ballou’s commitment to direct childcare funding with Vermont Green FC’s mission-driven approach to sport, turning matchday support into a model where every purchase helps working Vermont families. Ballou Family Apothecary commits 10% of every purchase to affordable childcare initiatives for working Vermont parents. Vermont Green FC, the reigning USL League Two national champion, contributes 1% of its annual revenue to environmental causes.

Vermont Business Magazine Jan K. Carney, M.D., M.P.H., associate dean for public health and health policy, professor of medicine, and chief of the Division of Public Health in the Department of Medicine at the Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine, has been named president of the American College of Physicians (ACP). Dr. Carney’s term began at the conclusion of ACP’s annual Internal Medicine Meeting on April 18, 2026. The ACP is a national organization of internal medicine physicians who specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of adults. With more than 163,000 internal medicine physicians, subspecialists, and medical students in more than 172 countries, ACP is the largest medical-specialty organization and the second-largest physician group in the United States.

Vermont Business Magazine University of Vermont Health – Central Vermont Medical Center and is hosting free community heart health events in early May and offering walk-in blood pressure screenings, heart health education and connections to local health and wellness resources. The events are open to the public, do not require an appointment and are designed to improve access to preventative heart care and education across central Vermont. The first event will be held from 11am to 1pm Friday, May 1, in Café Conference Rooms 4 and 5 at UVM Health – Central Vermont Medical Center, 130 Fisher Road, Berlin. Attendees should enter through the hospital’s main entrance. The second event will be held from 11am to 1pm Saturday, May 2, at Aldrich Public Library, 6 Washington Street, Barre.

by Devon Green, Sr. Vice President of Policy & Strategy, VAHHS We’re bumping up against May of an election year, which usually means legislators want to high tail it out of town to hit the campaign trail. The work going on in education this year, however, likely puts us in session a bit longer, providing more time for committees to look at new proposals as they pass out all the other bills. Data Privacy: The House Commerce Committee unveiled a new 54-page data privacy bill on Friday. The bill is a patchwork of the Senate-passed version, S.71, Connecticut law, S.69, and other language. It does not contain a private right of action, but it includes HIPAA-covered entities such as hospitals, entangling them into two different privacy frameworks. VAHHS supports S.71 as passed by the Senate. Elimination or Reduction of Hospital Services: VAHHS supported a public process and asked for greater clarity in S.189 around the elimination or reduction of hospital services in House Health Care.

Vermont Business Magazine In response to a significant increase in rabies cases among wild animals in Vermont, state and federal officials are planning a rabies vaccine bait drop beginning May 2. Rabies activity has risen sharply in recent years, with 66 rabid animals reported in both 2024 and 2025 – more than double the previous annual average number of cases. So far this year, 16 rabies cases have been reported. Most recent cases have been concentrated in Orleans County, though several other northern counties have been affected.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott announced action on the following bills, passed by the General Assembly. He signed five bills into law and let a sixth become law without his signature. That bill is H.849, An act relating to a civil action for damages for deprivation of federal constitutional rights by any government official. While he said he agrees with the sentiment, he is concerned that it will give Vermonters who agree with it "false hope," as it could be unconstitutional at the federal level.