Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington City Arts (BCA) announces the application period for the 2024 BCA Community Fund will open on April 10. The fund, which was expanded this year thanks to a $40,000 gift from Tito’s Handmade Vodka, along with other supporters, awards $5,000 grants to individual artists, artist groups, and arts organizations to support Burlington-based projects that promote a vibrant creative community and contribute to the greater public good. Applications will be accepted from April 10 through May 28. Thanks to a $40,000 gift from Tito’s Handmade Vodka and support from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), BCA will be able to double the granting ability of the Community Fund in 2024. The increased granting capacity will provide greater resources and opportunities for artists and organizations to realize their artistic visions and make a lasting impact.  

Vermont Business Magazine New products from a centuries-old industry are making their way to the marketplace. This is thanks to a five-year initiative designed to generate market demand for sustainably sourced wood from the Northern Forest of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York. Included in the initiative were two projects in Vermont: Steam-based heating project in Burlington and for the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund's "Wood-Based Textiles in the Northeast." The Future Forest Economy Initiative (FFEI) funded 13 projects that generated substantial economic development opportunities within the region's forest sector and in economically distressed rural communities across the area.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont House of Representatives passed H.289, to modernize Vermont’s Renewable Energy Standard. The bill would put Vermont on track to achieve 100% renewable electricity across all the state’s utilities by 2035, which would make Vermont only the second state to meet that critical benchmark, and would significantly increase the requirements for Vermont utilities to support the deployment of new renewable energy. The bill will now head to the Senate for consideration. If enacted, H.289 would be the first major update to the Renewable Energy Standard since its enactment in 2015. In terms of cutting carbon pollution, this bill will be the equivalent of taking approximately 160,000-250,000 cars off the road, for good. This bill represents the largest single move towards renewable electricity and away from fossil fueled power that Vermont has ever taken, by a wide margin, according to the Vermont Natural Resources Council. 

Vermont Business Magazine Today the Vermont Senate passed S.213, the Flood Safety Act, on a voice vote. The bill passed second reading yesterday on a tripartisan vote of 24-4-2. This bill will help reduce the risk of future flood damage by addressing dam safety, improving the state’s approach to development in river corridors and wetlands, and making watersheds more resilient in the face of the climate crisis. Without these important changes, the risks to Vermonters living in flood-prone areas remain unaddressed. Data released by Vermont Emergency Management indicate that 2023 flooding events caused damage to over 4,000 homes and 800 businesses and led to over $200 million in damage to public infrastructure. This bill will help mitigate future flood risks by improving dam safety, wetland mapping and reporting and improving the management of high-hazard river corridors. 

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) today reintroduced essential legislation that would take on the affordable housing crisis and the existential threat of climate change. The Green New Deal for Public Housing Act invests up to $234 billion over ten years to transition the entire public housing stock in the United States into zero-carbon, highly energy-efficient homes – dramatically improving living conditions for nearly 2 million people in public housing across the country. The legislation also creates up to 280,000 good-paying, union jobs per year, while reducing annual carbon emissions by roughly 5.7 million metric tons – the equivalent of taking over 1.26 million cars off the road. Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez are joined on the legislation by 55 members in the House of Representatives and 7 senators including Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).

Vermont Business Magazine On Wednesday, US Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) introduced the Abortion Care Capacity Enhancement and Support Services (ACCESS) Act, legislation cosponsored by US Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), which would establish a federal grant program for health care organizations to expand their capacity to provide abortion services and other reproductive care in states where it remains legal. Following the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, nearly half of all U.S. states have adopted or attempted to adopt severe restrictions or bans on abortion services. As a result, the number of patients traveling out of state to access reproductive health care has nearly doubled, overwhelming clinics in states where abortion services are legal and causing longer wait times and other barriers for patients.  

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark, along with the US Justice Department and 15 other state and district Attorneys General, filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Apple for monopolization or attempted monopolization of smartphone markets in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act. The complaint, filed today in the US District Court for the District of New Jersey, alleges that Apple illegally maintains a monopoly over smartphones by selectively imposing contractual restrictions on, and withholding critical access points from, developers. Apple undermines apps, products, and services that would otherwise make users less reliant on the iPhone, promote interoperability, and lower costs for consumers and developers. 

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.35 per gallon, up 10 cents per gallon from last week, up 12 cents from last month and down 4 cents from a year ago. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $3.09/g in Colchester, while the highest was $3.89/gin Island Pond. The national average price of gasoline has risen 9 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.53/g today. The national average is up 25 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 13 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) released the following statement ahead of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources’ hearing to consider the nominations of David Roser, Lindsay See, and Judy Chang to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for terms ending in 2027, 2028 and 2029, respectively: “Updating America’s aging transmission infrastructure is key to unlocking the climate benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act and, in-turn, reducing emissions and strengthening our energy grid. The current anemic state of the FERC Commission is holding back progress, and this hearing to consider new nominees has frankly taken too long – we’re dangerously close to losing quorum, and risk stalling progress or a total standstill of FERC business during this pivotal moment in our climate revolution."

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointment of Dr. Jill Bowen as commissioner of the Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living (DAIL) within the Agency of Human Services (AHS). Dr. Bowen comes to Vermont from Philadelphia where she has served as commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services (DBHIDS) for more than three years. During her tenure with DBHIDS, she led a multi-division department focused on health and wellness for those with intellectual disabilities, mental health, and substance use disorders. She also focused on supports for those impacted by healthcare disparities, trauma and those requiring integrated, cross-sector supports. 

Vermont State Police Daniel Banyai, 50, of Pawlet is scheduled to be arraigned at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, March 21, 2024, in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in Rutland on charges of aggravated assault on a protected person and resisting arrest. The criminal charges follow Banyai’s arrest Wednesday afternoon on a mittimus issued last year by the Environmental Division of Vermont Superior Court. Banyai was taken into custody after Pawlet Second Constable Tom Covino pulled over a vehicle for speeding in town and discovered Banyai in the passenger seat. An investigation by the Vermont State Police determined that Banyai engaged in a physical altercation with Constable Covino before the constable deployed OC spray on Banyai to gain his compliance.

Vermont Business Magazine Yesterday, Mayor Miro Weinberger and Aviation Director Nic Longo unveiled the City’s plans for a new terminal building “Project NexT” to replace the north concourse, the latest and largest sustainable infrastructure project at Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport. The new design will enhance operational efficiency while improving the traveler experience and will set the stage for future growth at the airport. Present at the announcement was Senator Patrick Leahy, who directed $34 million in FAA funds to execute the project. The terminal building will be transformed to become linear and interconnected to enhance operational efficiency and safety. For travelers, improved amenities will be offered, inclusive of new vendor space, gate areas, and jet bridges. For airport partners, airline storage and baggage claim space will be re-designed to meet current equipment needs.