Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark today joined a coalition of 13 state attorneys general in releasing the following statement in response to a preliminary injunction being granted by a federal judge against President Trump’s unconstitutional executive order terminating birthright citizenship: "President Trump may believe that he is above the law, but today’s preliminary injunction sends a clear message: He is not a king, and he cannot rewrite the Constitution with the stroke of a pen. The President and his allies made clear long before he was sworn in that they would pursue this illegal action, and our coalition was prepared to challenge it as soon as President Trump fulfilled this unconstitutional campaign promise on Inauguration Day."

Vermont Business Magazine Over 100 non-profit trail stewards, outdoor business owners, ski area managers,  and municipal leaders traveled to the Statehouse in Montpelier on Wednesday for the second annual Vermont Outdoor Recreation Day to share the success of the sector and to urge strategic investment in our outdoor businesses that foster the healthy, resilient communities we want to live and play in. The Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation also announced the launch of Move Forward Together Vermont, a strategic vision for the State's outdoor recreation economy over the next five years. Vermont’s outdoor recreation economy continues to grow, bringing $2.1 billion annually, which amounts to 4.8% of State GDP, according to 2023 US Bureau of Economic Analysis. In 2023, Vermont also saw a record $4 billion in visitor spending, with outdoor recreation activities like skiing, snowboarding, hiking, mountain biking, and camping as key drivers for travel. 

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.14 per gallon, unchanged from last week, up 4 cents per gallon from last month and down 8 cents/g from last year, according to AAA. The lowest price in the state this week was $2.85/g while the highest was $3.29/g, a difference of 44.0 cents per gallon. The lowest prices in the state are in Rutland County ($3.03/g) and the highest are in Franklin and Lamoille counties ($3.22/g). The national average price of gasoline has risen 3 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.16/g today. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) today announced $4,764,010 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to benefit 15 projects in 14 communities. Projects include supporting the creation of the regional Orange County Parent Child Center in Randolph, renovating the Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi headquarters in Swanton which includes a food pantry that serves the entire region, and increasing home ownership services provided by the Windham and Windsor Housing Trust.

Vermont Business Magazine The 30th Annual Penguin Plunge presented by Community Bank, which took place on Saturday, February 8th at the Burlington Waterfront Boat Launch, was a resounding success, raising over $550,000 for Special Olympics Vermont. More than 1,000 brave participants took the icy plunge into the frigid waters of Lake Champlain, showing their unwavering support for over 2,900 athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) across the state of Vermont. The event marked a major milestone for the Penguin Plunge, as it celebrated three decades of plunging for a cause that has impacted thousands of lives across Vermont. The funds raised will go directly toward supporting Special Olympics Vermont’s year-round sports training and competition programs, providing athletes with the opportunity to develop physical fitness, experience joy, and participate in a global community of inclusion.

Let’s Grow Kids On January 28, Governor Scott unveiled his FY26 state budget and it included a troubling proposal that threatens to derail critical progress in addressing our state’s child care crisis. Despite lawmakers’ promise from Act 76 to use the new payroll tax funds (the Child Care Contribution) for their express purpose—addressing Vermont’s urgent child care crisis—the Governor has proposed to divert over $20 million in child care funds to be used for completely unrelated government expenses. If lawmakers go along with his proposal, it would go back on the commitment that was made to Vermonters and jeopardize the progress we’ve made to date on child care.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont (UVM) has joined the ranks of the nation’s top-tier research institutions by achieving an R1 Research Activity Designation, a recognition reserved for universities with the highest levels of research activity as designated by the prestigious Carnegie Classification, a program of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching administered by the American Council on Education (ACE). This accomplishment marks a transformative moment for the university and is a result of decades of investment in cutting-edge research and development, faculty excellence, and academic innovation. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Opportunity Fund for Southshire Youth at the Vermont Community Foundation (VCF) recently awarded $33,000 in grants to support nine dynamic and innovative youth programs serving Bennington, North Bennington, Pownal, Shaftsbury, and Woodford. The Foundation was pleased to engage community members who live and/or work with youth in these five Bennington-area towns to participate on the review committee. In 2024, the Opportunity Fund for Southshire Youth aimed to support spaces, activities, and opportunities for youth to gather, connect, and feel a sense of belonging. 

by Speaker Jill Krowinski Each legislative biennium begins with a range of issues that need to be addressed – some are straightforward, while others are extremely complex. Many are brand new, while others are perennial topics. This session is no different as we take on the work to address the pressing challenges in our state. One challenge has risen above all others: the state of our public education system. Right now, our students do not have equal access to educational opportunities. Rising property taxes are straining families. Schools are navigating the difficulties of declining enrollment. Teachers are balancing the complexities of educating in a post-COVID environment. I’ve been meeting with teachers, students, and administrators across the state listening to their stories of resiliency and creativity, but also of strain and uncertainty. Educators have shared their concerns of resources stretched far too thin, students have expressed their hopes for a more enriching learning experience, and administrators have spoken about the need for long-term solutions to ensure sustainability within their schools. 

By Sam Hartnett, Community News Service Salt can be found just about everywhere outside in the winter — cars, roads, sidewalks — but where does it all go come spring? The answer often is streams, rivers and lakes, something clean water advocates and scientists say is getting worse. Chloride, a chemical that leaches into waterways from road salt, compounds in the environment, particularly in smaller streams and brooks near multiple roadways. Too much chloride can be toxic to aquatic life and corrode pipes and plumbing, among other things. The citizen committee that advises the state on managing Lake Champlain recently told legislators that excess chloride in the watershed could soon require state or federal regulations.

Vermont Business Magazine The State of Vermont is proud to announce the launch of Move Forward Together Vermont, a strategic vision for the state's outdoor recreation economy over the next five years and beyond. This guide to the future of outdoor recreation in Vermont comes after extensive engagement with thousands of Vermont residents, business owners, outdoor recreation planners, funders, and users. Over an 18-month period, focus groups, surveys, and feedback sessions yielded an unprecedentedly robust set of data that shaped the vision and prioritized actions for strengthening Vermont’s outdoor recreation economy.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board is inviting public comment on several proposed changes to state fishing regulations. The proposed changes were introduced to the Fish and Wildlife Board at its January 15, 2025, meeting.  All proposed new language is available on the “active rulemaking” section of the board’s website. Notable proposed changes include: Add panfish bag limits to inland waters of 50 fish in total per day, and no more than 25 of a given species, for bluegill, bullhead, black and white crappie, pumpkinseed, rock bass, white perch and yellow perch (§ 122); Update the list of seasonally closed spawning waters and expand the spring closure window to protect spawning fish (§ 122 and § 124); Require a new Fish Seller’s Endorsement for anglers who want to sell panfish.  Endorsement holders will be required to report their fish sales so that biologists can better understand commercial sale of fish (§ 123); Add black and white crappie to the list of game fish species prohibited for sale and purchase (§ 123).