Current News

by Representative Pattie McCoy, House Minority Leader How much will the Clean Heat Standard cost?  That is the question that those of us who are concerned about this legislation’s unknown impact on Vermonters’ pocketbooks have been asking for over a year. But in many ways, it is the wrong question. The right question is: how many Vermonters’ financial livelihoods are we willing to sacrifice to implement the Clean Heat Standard? This is the correct question for one key reason: the more we learn about the effects of this legislation, the harder it is to deny that it is much worse than proponents said it would be—especially for the most vulnerable Vermonters. Put simply, the Clean Heat Standard was a bill that requires fossil-fuel importing businesses to pay a penalty to offset the carbon emissions of home heating fuel. The law was allegedly designed to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. Money collected from these penalties would, in theory, be used to help Vermonters transition to “clean” heat methods. 

Vermont Business Magazine University of Vermont environmental scholar Walter Poleman will attend the 16th United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity, which starts today in Cali, Colombia. Poleman, a senior lecturer in UVM’s Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, will attend as a member of the Vermont Biodiversity Alliance (VBA), one of a few U.S. groups granted observer status at COP16. Poleman will attend with colleagues John Kress, Scientist and Curator Emeritus with the Smithsonian Institution; Curt Lindberg, Chair of the Waitsfield Conservation Commission; and Mandy Van Dellen, VBA Program Manager. COP16, which runs October 21 to November 1, 2024, will convene over 15,000 people from national delegations, public institutions, and private organizations to address the global biodiversity crisis and review progress toward targets set in COP 15’s Global Biodiversity Framework in Montreal, Canada in 2022.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s regulated land and water trapping seasons open on October 26, 2024, according to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. Traps can be set on land for species such as fisher, coyote and raccoon through December 2024, and in the water or under ice for species such as beaver, muskrat and otter through March 2025.  These species have healthy populations in Vermont that can sustain regulated trapping for fur and food each year. In December 2023, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board adopted amended regulations that require trappers to use traps that reduce harm to captured animals and to follow safety measures to minimize conflicts with pets and other outdoors users.

Public Assets Institute Education spending saw its biggest jump in years in fiscal 2025, and school taxpayers are noticing the change in their bills. The increase this year was due to a lot of factors outside both schools’ and taxpayers’ control—inflation, healthcare costs, and the loss of pandemic-era federal support chief among them. All of that led to an increase in total homestead taxes of 12.9 percent, although the rate varied from town to town. But taxpayers can see their tax bills suddenly balloon even when spending increases are modest. The reason: thresholds built into the system. A majority of Vermont resident homeowners pay all or some of their school taxes based on their household income, which better reflects their ability to pay. But the Legislature has imposed limits on these income-based taxes, which means some homeowners—and the number has been increasing—pay a combination of the income-based and property-based school taxes. 

Vermont Business Magazine As part of the ongoing work to manage crucial supplies of IV fluid during a national shortage, UVM Health Network has determined the need to reschedule certain elective procedures that use large amounts of IV and sterile irrigation fluid beginning this Friday. Patient safety will come first in the assessment of each case, and patients will be contacted if their procedure is impacted.

Vermont Business Magazine On Saturday, October 19th, locals shopped till they dropped and raised more than $26,000 to fight hunger in our area. During the 14th annual Charity Sale, Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel and customers collectively raised $26,705 for the Vermont Foodbank and JCEO Plattsburgh Foodshelf. For the month of October, Lenny’s customers were encouraged to make a $10 donation to the Vermont Foodbank or JCEO Plattsburgh Foodshelf in exchange for a custom canvas tote bag and exclusive access to the storewide sale. 100% of the donations collected went directly to the non-profit organizations.

Vermont Business Magazine Dedalus, the Vermont-based bottle shop and wine bar with locations in Burlington’s South End and Stowe, has announced its closure today due to ongoing workforce and business growth challenges. After years of serving the community with carefully curated wines and memorable experiences, this decision comes with a heavy heart. Staff were informed today and offered severance to ease the transition back into the job market.  

Vermont Business Magazine National Life Group is proud to announce its inclusion in Forbes’ prestigious list of America’s Best Insurance Companies for 2025. This recognition, awarded in partnership with Statista Inc.—a leading provider of statistics and industry rankings—highlights the company’s commitment to excellence in the insurance sector. The America’s Best Insurance Companies 2025 ranking is based on an independent survey of over 18,000 U.S. consumers. Participants evaluated their insurance providers over the past three years across six key dimensions: Advice, Customer Service, Price/Performance, Transparency, Digital Services, and Claims/Benefit Service. Additionally, respondents rated their overall satisfaction, loyalty, and likelihood to recommend their insurance providers. These insights were transformed into score values and aggregated to generate final scores across five insurance categories: Auto, Homeowners, Renters, Permanent Life, and Term Life.

Vermont Business Magazine Saint Michael’s College will hold an Inauguration ceremony for its 18th President Richard Plumb, Ph.D., on Oct. 26, 2024. Plumb, who has served as the College’s president since January, plans to outline his plans to lead Saint Michael’s College into the future during his Inauguration address. The ceremony will take place in the McCarthy Arts Center Recital Hall beginning at 3 p.m. Delegates from across the College and the state of Vermont will be in attendance and will offer remarks during the ceremony. During his address, Plumb plans to outline what drew him to the College and how he hopes to build on the solid foundation he has found at Saint Michael's. 

Vermont Business Magazine Clinical visits are set to change as AI quietly transforms health care. Ambient recording technology, which captures the details of patient-clinician conversations, has the potential to streamline care, reduce clinician workloads, and improve patient outcomes—particularly in rural areas. However, this shift also presents several challenges. A recent paper co-authored by Robert Gramling, M.D., D.Sc., professor and inaugural vice chair for research in the Department of Family Medicine and head of the Vermont Conversation Lab at the Larner College of Medicine, examines the potential benefits and risks of using AI for clinical recordings. The research provides insights into how this technology could reshape health care when applied thoughtfully and equitably.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Equality Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vermont) and Equality Caucus Chair Mark Pocan (WI-02) introduced the Intersex Awareness Day Resolution. The resolution recognizes October 26 as Intersex Awareness Day and affirms the dignity, and the universal human right to bodily autonomy of intersex people. Intersex Awareness Day is recognized on October 26 and marks the first public demonstration by intersex people in the United States at the annual conference of the American Academy of Pediatrics in 1996. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas released the second October Vermont 2024 Candidates and Campaign Finance. This report continues the Secretary of State’s ongoing efforts to improve transparency for campaign finance reporting during the 2024 campaign season. This report reflects candidate filings as of the most recent filing deadline on October 15. The report consists of three lists: 2024 candidates who filed an October 15 period disclosure statement with funds raised and/or spent during the current period (since the October 1 deadline), Candidates who filed an October 15 “No Activity Report,” Candidates who did not file an October 15 period report.