Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on March 27, 2025, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Willard Perry, 66, of Milton, Vermont, with possession of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), also known as child pornography. Perry entered a plea of not guilty to the charge during an arraignment on March 28, 2025, before United States District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford. Judge Crawford ordered that Perry be released on conditions, including that Perry provide the probation officer with a complete and current inventory of the number of media storage devices and electronic devices capable of internet access that he uses or possesses, and that he not use an internet-capable device until an Internet Use Plan is developed and approved by the Probation Officer. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today signed into law H.2, An act relating to increasing the minimum age for delinquency proceedings. He said in a statement: While I continue to believe repealing “Raise the Age” for 19-year-old criminal offenders altogether is the best approach, I do appreciate the Legislature’s willingness to at least delay it for another two years. In the meantime, we will continue to make our case for a full repeal, so we don’t proceed down this path again in two years."

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced three leadership appointments: Kaj Samsom as commissioner of the Department of Financial Regulation (DFR), Jill Briggs-Campbell as deputy secretary of the Agency of Education (AOE) and Neil Kamann as deputy commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Samsom has over 14 years of experience in state government in a variety of positions at DFR and later serving as Tax commissioner in the Scott administration from 2017-2019. Briggs Campbell served as the director of operations at AOE and helped to lead the COVID-19 emergency response. Kamman has over 30 years of experience at DEC.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark, joined by a coalition of 18 attorneys general, today sent a letter to congressional leadership opposing H.R. 22, known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. The proposed legislation would create unnecessary and burdensome proof of citizenship requirements that would effectively disenfranchise millions of eligible voters across the country, argues the coalition. The SAVE Act would amend the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) to unnecessarily require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship before registering to vote. The coalition emphasizes that this requirement would reverse three decades of progress made under the NVRA, which was designed to remove barriers to voter registration and promote greater participation in the democratic process.

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University has announced Governor Phil Scott as the commencement speaker for the graduating Class of 2025. The annual spring commencement will once again be held in Shapiro Fieldhouse on May 3. “We are immensely honored to welcome Governor Phil Scott as the distinguished keynote speaker for our spring commencement,” stated LtGen John Broadmeadow ‘83, USMC (Ret), 25th President of Norwich University. “Governor Scott has demonstrated unwavering support for Norwich, continuously endorsing our long-standing mission. His career embodies the key principles enshrined in our Guiding Values: honor, integrity, leadership, and service to nation and others before self. The Norwich University mission statement closes by commanding us ‘to make moral, patriotic, efficient, and useful citizens, and to qualify them for all those high responsibilities resting upon a citizen of this free republic,’ a mission fulfilled by our graduating Class of 2025, our numerous alumni, and Governor Scott alike.” 

Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets This grant supports licensed dairy processors and brands aiming to start new co-packing ventures or expand existing ones by scaling production, diversifying product lines, or forming new partnerships. Dairy brands currently using or planning to use co-packing services can also apply, provided their projects focus on scaling or initiating production through co-packing. Grant funds may be used for purchasing specialized equipment, hiring marketing and branding services, enhancing food safety, and covering contract fees for new co-packing relationships. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Teacher of the Year Award recipients and students from Vermont public schools holding hand-made art work urged the Governor and Legislature to listen to students and teachers before pushing forward with plans to radically transform public education in Vermont. After sharing their concerns, students delivered “Lesson Plans for good Public Schools and Fair Taxes and a Say in Both,” signed by hundreds of Vermonters in every county in the state to the Governor and Legislative leadership.  

by Devon Green, VP of Government Relations, VAHHS Legislative committees started taking up bills from the other chamber last week while multiple budget bills are on the move: Last week, the House passed the FY 2026 budget, H.493, which included the following hospital-related proposals: $4.4 million, as proposed by the governor, to transition participating hospitals from fee-for-service to a global payment system in preparation for the AHEAD model; $300,000 for 3 new positions to the Green Mountain Care Board, as recommended in the governor’s proposal; $866,000 to expand alternatives to emergency departments for mental health services.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.07 per gallon, down 2.0 cents per gallon from last week's $3.09/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 2.7 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.11/g today. 

Vermont State Police received final autopsies for decedents Lynn Gilman and Burton Richardson. The Vermont Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington  determined their cause of death to be carbon monoxide poisoning. The manner of death was classified as accidental from the inhalation of automobile exhaust. The vehicle was located on the shoulder of VT Route 14, in the town of Brookfield, just north of the intersection of Brown Drive. Ms. Gilman was located in the driver’s seat and Mr. Richardson was located in the front passenger seat.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Secretary of Administration Sarah Clark today released Vermont’s revenue results for February 2025. The General Fund, Transportation Fund and Education Fund all exceeded their respective monthly consensus cash flow target by a combined $202.3 million, exceeding the $196.8 million monthly consensus target by $5.6 million, or 2.8%. This is based on the annual consensus forecasts as adopted by the Emergency Board at its July 2024 meeting. Total General Fund revenues for February were $119.8 million, $2.2 million, or 1.9%, greater than the $117.6 million monthly consensus cash flow target. A combined -$4.5 million underperformance in the Personal Income Tax, Corporate Income Tax, Estate Tax and Liquor Tax offset the $6.7 million cumulative gains above target by all other revenue sources. 

by Maggie Lenz and Nick Charyk On Friday, the House Education Committee voted 7–4 to advance H.454, the bill that has become the Legislature’s vehicle for a broad restructuring of Vermont’s education system. It lays out a multi-year consolidation of school districts, sets new minimum class sizes, and tightens the rules for which independent schools can receive public tuition. It also proposes changes to the State Board of Education, which approves independent schools and adopts many of the rules that give these reforms shape. One section of the bill suggested rebalancing who sits on that board. What followed on Thursday was not a typical markup, but a six-hour seminar in constitutional law. Legislators were immersed in foundational questions about how government is structured in Vermont, who holds appointment power, and what the Constitution allows. The stakes were high, and so was the level of discourse. But in the end, it was not constitutional theory that determined the outcome. It was political reality.