Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children (VTAEYC) is proud to announce that Governor Phil Scott has officially declared April 5-11, 2025, as the Week of the Young Child (WOYC) in Vermont. This proclamation recognizes the importance of early childhood education in Vermont. In honor of WOYC, VTAEYC has awarded mini grants to five child care programs across the state to support their activities through the week. This year’s grant recipients are VTAEYC members Danielle Longtin (Sunrise Family Resource Center, Bennington), Samantha Fried (Sensations in Learning, Williston), Olivia Smith (Myers Prouty Children's Campuses Inc., Bennington), Emily Stewart (ONE Arts Community Schools, Burlington), and Katie Hopps (Early Care and Education Association, Hartford). 

Devon Green, VP of Government Relations, VAHHS Welcome to Mud Season! This time in the legislature can feel just like driving down a back road—some bills stay right in the tracks and some are veering every which way. The House Health Care Committee advanced S.18, the independent birth center licensure bill. In addition to provisions around licensure and exemption from the Certificate of Need process, the bill includes specifics around the transfer process for rule-making. The committee declined to consider increased Medicaid reimbursement rates to help make birthing services more sustainable for all providers.

Vermont Business Magazine Community Care Network (CCN) is pleased to announce that Jillian Earle, Direct Support Professional with CCN’s Project SEARCH program, has been named Vermont’s Direct Support Professional of the Year by ANCOR, the nation’s leading advocacy organization for community-based providers supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Earle, who has served Community Care Network, its clients and community partners in this role since 2021, was one of 54 individuals selected from across the United States for recognition from a record-breaking pool of 500 nominations received by ANCOR for its annual Direct Support Professionals awards.

Vermont Business Magazine Last Friday, April 4th, in response to a time-sensitive directive received from the U.S. Department of Education the Vermont Agency of Education issued a superintendents' update alerting the field to the directive and providing an initial legal review. The directive requires the State of Vermont and Vermont school districts to reaffirm their compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which is the existing law prohibiting race-based discrimination in schools that Vermont schools have followed for decades.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Congressional Delegation, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), and U.S. Representative Becca Balint (D-Vermont-At Large) called on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to immediately reinstate the staff of the Division of Energy Assistance and disburse funding to states for the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps more than 26,000 Vermonters and 6.2 million Americans afford heat and air conditioning.

Vermont Business Magazine Each year, the Department of Environmental Conservation asks groundwater users who withdraw more than 20,000 gallons per day to report annual usage to the Drinking Water and Groundwater Protection Division (DWGPD). Groundwater users who withdraw more than 57,600 gallons per day for commercial and industrial uses may require a permit. DWGPD uses the data collected through this program to analyze groundwater withdrawals to protect and manage this vital resource that is held in public trust for all Vermonters.

Vermont Business Magazine Let’s Build Homes, Vermont’s leading pro-housing coalition, has launched a television ad drawing attention to the state’s severe housing shortage and offering a vision for the future. The ad highlights a range of Vermonters, including a young family, a Northeast Kingdom teacher, an Upper Valley home builder and a health care leader and emphasizes the need to eliminate outdated regulations that prevent the development of homes for people of all income levels. Vermont is facing an unprecedented housing shortage, with high costs and limited availability driving families out of the state and making it difficult for employers to attract workers. Decades of restrictive land-use policies and permitting challenges have slowed home construction to a crawl, leaving many without viable housing options.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Late last week the US Department of Education sent a letter on Thursday April 3, 2025, to the states requiring the states to certify that their public schools are in compliance Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Vermont Education Secretary Zoie Saunders then sent a letter the next day to local schools saying: "The Agency of Education (AOE) will respond to the Department on or before April 14, 2025. Supervisory unions/districts (SU/SDs) must provide certifications to the AOE on or before April 10, 2025, to allow us to collect and review all certifications to comply with this deadline." The US DOE letter is being taken by the state's largest teachers' union as an attempt to control local school curriculum, particularly regarding an effort by the Trump Administration to end diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, under the threat of withholding federal school aid.

Vermont Business Magazine On Friday, April 4, 2025, at approximately 11:44 p.m., emergency responders were dispatched to Spare Time Bowling Alley, located at 215 Lower Mountain View Drive in Colchester, for a fire alarm activation. Occupants reported the smell of smoke and evacuated the building safely. Upon arrival, fire personnel discovered that a single-room fire had already been extinguished by the building’s fire suppression system. The quick activation and performance of the sprinkler system prevented the fire from spreading, effectively saving the multi-million-dollar facility from significant damage. The presence of the automatic fire sprinkler system prevented the spread of fire, prevented injuries and the business experienced only minimal disruption and was able to reopen for business the next day.

Vermont Business Magazine More than 25 current and former elected officials have today signed an open letter urging prospective candidates to reject the corporate two-party system and run with the Vermont Progressive Party in 2026. The letter, signed by local lawmakers and former officeholders from across the state, points to mounting frustration with Democratic inaction on core issues like healthcare, housing and climate. It urges bold, values-driven leaders to stop waiting and start building something better.

by Maggie Lenz and Nick Charyk on behalf of Atlas Government Affairs In March, Burlington voters again approved a charter change banning guns in bars, with 86.6% in favor. In 2014, Burlington voters had previously approved a similar measure. However, for a charter change to become law, it must be approved by the Legislature. Usually a routine bit of legislative sign-off, this change instead languished in committee and never made it to a full vote. On Thursday, a group of service industry professionals, lawmakers, and gun safety advocates gathered at the State House to call on the Legislature to approve Burlington’s charter change (S.131). The proposal is being championed by Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth, who stated, “Guns and alcohol don’t mix... let’s keep guns out of bars. It’s common sense.”

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.10 per gallon, up 2.4 cents per gallon from last week's $3.07/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.81/g while the highest was $3.27/g, a difference of 46.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has risen 10.6 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.21/g today. The national average is up 13.2 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 35.6 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.