Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vermont) is joined by Reps. Scanlon (PA-05) and Watson Coleman (NJ-12) to introduce the Stop Comstock Act in response to clear Republican intent to misuse the antiquated and unconstitutional statute, the Comstock Act, to prohibit the mailing of medication abortion and other materials used in abortion procedures. The bill would repeal the portions of the Comstock Act that anti-choice extremists intend to misuse to enact a nationwide abortion ban. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn) introduced the Senate companion bill. The House bill is cosponsored by 110 other House Democrats and 23 Senate Democrats.   

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott’s office today announced a range of appointments made in the last two quarters of 2024. Beginning April 1, appointments will be announced on a quarterly basis. Boards and commissions serve an important role in state government, giving Vermonters numerous opportunities to serve their state and communities. The Governor’s office is currently soliciting applications to fill vacancies and upcoming term expirations. 

Vermont Business Magazine Responding to the persistent and unprecedented housing shortage throughout New England, and recognizing the need for growth and diversity, the Brushwood Home Manufacturing Company recently launched a line of high-performance, panelized modular homes designed for rapid deployment. Born from Alger Brook Design Build’s reputation of custom home excellence in Vermont and New Hampshire, the Brushwood Home Manufacturing Company transforms high-performance homebuilding through innovative panel construction. Based in Thetford Center, Vermont, Brushwood Homes currently offers three pre-designed home models, each one featuring meticulously selected fixtures and finishes, superior insulation, and advanced mechanical systems. Every all-electric Brushwood Home is designed to maximize both comfort and energy efficiency, and eliminate the complexity of home construction and ownership. 

Vermont Business Magazine The final numbers have been tallied from Make-A-Wish Vermont & Northeast New York's inaugural Whiskey, Wine, & Wishes gala, revealing that the March 8th event raised nearly $300,000 to support wishes for children with critical illnesses. The prohibition-era themed celebration at Saratoga's historic Canfield Casino included $268,000 in monetary contributions and $40,000 in in-kind donations. The sold-out event came just days after the organization announced the completion of its merger, unifying Make-A-Wish Vermont and Make-A-Wish Northeast New York into a single regional chapter.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) Tuesday asked for unanimous consent on the Senate floor to pass his Medicare Dental, Hearing, and Vision Expansion Act. The bicameral legislation introduced earlier today would expand access to dental, hearing and vision care for the 68 million American seniors on Medicare. Sanders' remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below. Mr. President: My office, and I suspect all Senate offices are getting a whole lot of calls from senior citizens who are experiencing a great deal of fear and anxiety as to all the confusion and chaos that's going on in Washington. 

Vermont Business Magazine An early learning center providing high-quality childcare and play-based learning for infants, toddlers and preschoolers is slated to open its doors to new and existing employees of University of Vermont Health Network in June. The center’s opening is the latest in a years-long push by the health system, which is investing heavily in resources critical to the recruitment and retention of health care workers amid a highly competitive nationwide job market.

Vermont Business Magazine United for Medical Research (UMR) today released the 2025 update of its annual analysis of the economic impact of research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The analysis shows that the $36.94 billion awarded to researchers in the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia in FY2024 supported 407,782 jobs and $94.58 billion in new economic activity nationwide – or $2.56 for every $1 invested. Of interest, the $55 million in NIH funding awarded to researchers in Vermont in FY2024 supported 540 jobs and generated $125 million in new economic activity.

Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies Season 9 of the Female Founders Speaker Series continues on Monday, March 24th from 5:30-7pm at Hotel Vermont. This panel will feature three incredible Olympians! The theme of the night is the "Olympian mindset" and how these women applied this mindset to their entrepreneurial journey after the Games.

Vermont Business Magazine Healthy Living, Vermont and New York's trusted source for healthy food and community connection, has donated more than $13,000 to a local food bank. Through its Round Up for Food Insecurity program, Healthy Living provides the opportunity for shoppers to round up grocery tabs at the register to the next dollar amount. The most recent donation, collected throughout 2024, will serve the South Burlington Food Shelf, located just doors down from the flagship store on Dorset Street. The Food Shelf welcomes in city residents to choose food items up to twice monthly.  

Vermont Business Magazine Last Friday, Campaign for Vermont Prosperity (CFV) released a detailed policy proposal for addressing the state's education spending crisis. Interim CFV Executive Director, Ben Kinsley, noted that he had sent an email to legislators announcing the proposal and telling them that "in the current system there are roughly 2 districts for every SU - they are not being leveraged properly for their potential to achieve scale." CFV proposes to consolidate Vermont’s 52 Supervisory Unions (SUs) around the 17 Career and Technical Education Regions. Since many services are already provided by the SU, this should gain some efficiencies of scale while still retaining community control of schools.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) on Tuesday joined fired federal employees and allies on Capitol Hill to stand up against Elon Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) and demand that the Trump Administration immediately rehire federal workers illegally terminated from their jobs. Senator Welch spoke with federal employees who lost their jobs as a result of DOGE’s illegal mass-firing spree and vowed to fight back against President Trump’s lawless rampage. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health has confirmed a case of measles in a school-aged child in Lamoille County. The child became sick after returning with their family from traveling internationally in recent days. The risk to the public is believed to be low, as the child has been isolated from most community settings while they have been contagious. Investigation is ongoing. This is the first case of measles in Vermont in 2025, following two cases in 2024 and two cases in the decade prior, one in 2011 and one in 2018. This case is not related to the three ongoing domestic outbreaks of measles in the United States or to the current measles outbreak in Québec.