Current News

by Anika Heilweil, Public Assets Institute We can build a Vermont that works for everyone who lives here. We can have thriving downtowns, safe roads and bridges, and housing that people can afford. Our children can learn in vibrant and supportive schools. We can protect our environment. We can care for Vermont families at every stage of life. But first, we need to look at our tax code. That’s right—our tax code. In recent decades, wages for many Vermont residents have not kept up with the costs of living. Meanwhile, elected officials tell us that Vermont doesn’t have the money to make crucial public investments to take care of families, infrastructure, and the environment. Yet the data show that this scarcity narrative is rhetoric, not reality. 

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), and representatives from Congresswoman Becca Balint’s (D-Vermont) office met yesterday with JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes to call for the reinstatement of flight service between Burlington International Airport (BTV) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). JetBlue announced in October they would pull out of several airports in early 2024, including BTV on January 4. JetBlue told the delegation that, “When the slot waiver expires, JetBlue expects to restore service from Burlington to New York.” The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced a voluntary slot waiver system through October 2024. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Criminal Justice Council voted 15-1 on Wednesday to strip Franklin County Sheriff John Grismore of his law enforcement certification. While this means he can no longer serve as a police officer, he will continue to be the Franklin County sheriff. The Legislature would need to impeach him in order for him to be removed from office. The council found that he violated the use of force policy and charged with simple assault in a case against a prisoner in August 2022. Despite those charges, Grismore was elected sheriff in November 2022.

by Representative Erin Brady, et al Governor Scott recently described an average projected increase in education property taxes of almost 18% as “unacceptable” and asked school boards to control costs. We agree that people across the state are worried about affordability, from higher tax rates to out of control housing costs. School boards cannot control state level drivers of higher cost any more than they can solve the evils of poverty on their own. The projected education property tax increases are driven by a projected 12% increase in school budgets statewide. We hope to work with the Governor to tackle state level drivers of that education spending. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Fresh Network (VFN) is excited to invite food and agriculture enthusiasts to tune into the DigInVT Podcast, a new podcast series that shares the experiences of Vermont farmers, chefs, and others who are committed to their local food partnerships in support of Vermont agriculture. Listeners are invited to pull up a chair, and listen in as each guest shares a behind the scenes look at how they got started in local food and agriculture, and how they currently participate in Vermont’s vibrant local food system.

Vermont Business Magazine Compliance with workplace safety requirements for farmworkers who are exposed to dangerous pesticides is lacking, according to a new report from the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems at Vermont Law and Graduate School in partnership with Farmworker Justice and the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic. Improving pesticide safety compliance requires stronger enforcement and monitoring, training, shifts in workplace norms and policy change. The degree of compliance with existing regulations varies from farm to farm, and enforcement can be inconsistent. The health consequences of these failings can be severe, long-term and even fatal for the people who plant, tend, harvest and pack our nation’s food. 

Vermont Business Magazine According to GasBuddy, average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.42/g, down 1 cent per gallon from last week. They're down 14 cents/g from last month and down 26 cents/g from a year ago. The lowest price in the state is $2.99/g in Brattleboro, while the highest is $3.89/g in Island Pond. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 7 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.17/g today. International prices have stabilized, and demand has fallen, which could further lower prices.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) voted Wednesday to advance debate on President Biden’s national security supplemental package and released the following statement: “Tonight, I voted to advance debate on a national security supplemental funding package. If the United States Senate is indeed the ‘world’s greatest deliberative body,’ we owe it to the people to have constructive debate around how their dollars are spent. This supplemental package contains many important funding priorities for the U.S. and our allies: Humanitarian assistance for the more than 1.5 million civilians who are trapped and suffering in Gaza; funding to fight back against Putin’s aggression in Ukraine; resources for our Southern border and money to interdict dangerous drugs. But, we still have work to do..."

Vermont Business Magazine The Sunshine-makers at Lawson’s Finest Liquids have been recognized as Brewbound’s 2023 Craft Brewery of the Year. The award was announced today during the craft beer industry trade publication’s annual business conference in Santa Monica, Calif.  Lawson’s Finest’s award win comes during an impactful and innovative year. In 2023, the brewery earned B Corp certification, reached over $2 million donated to nonprofit organizations since 2018 through its multi-pronged Social Impact Program, celebrated the addition of Adeline Druart as CEO, and solidified its commitment to earth-friendly brewing with the completion of its rooftop solar array. 

Vermont Business Magazine On December 6, Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) and Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) unveiled the Inclusive Democracy Act, brand new, first-of-its-kind legislation that would end felony disenfranchisement in Federal elections, including for the nearly 2 million individuals currently incarcerated in the United States. An estimated 4.6 million citizens are denied voting rights because of a criminal conviction, with Black Americans disproportionately affected, accounting for one-third of total disenfranchised citizens.

Vermont Business Magazine As Vermonters prepare for the approaching cold weather, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is urging drivers to switch off their ignition to limit unnecessary idling of their vehicle engines. Motor vehicles are the largest source of air pollutants and greenhouse gases in Vermont. The exhaust from vehicle idling degrades air quality for all Vermonters and is most detrimental to children, older adults, and people with heart or lung disease.

Vermont Business Magazine Beginning in late December, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will spend several months gathering information about farm economics from farmers and ranchers across the Northeastern United States, as the agency conducts the third and final phase of the 2023 Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS).  To obtain the most accurate data, NASS will reach out to more than 40,000 producers nationwide, between January and April in 2024. The survey asks producers to provide in-depth information about their operating revenues, production costs, and household characteristics.