Current News

by Maggie Lenz and Gwynn Zakov The amendment to H.955, the education transformation bill, has now been published in the Senate Calendar and is ready for action on Tuesday. The sponsors are bipartisan, and the language appears to reflect long negotiations behind the scenes among the Senate, House, and Governor’s office. If it passes the Senate, it could move very quickly through the remaining steps, potentially through both chambers on Tuesday or Wednesday, although a committee of conference is still possible. That makes adjournment likely late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. The amendment makes several major changes to the bill. But most notably, it does not appear to impose the kind of forced consolidation the Governor has been calling for publicly. That is politically significant. If the Governor does in fact support this amendment, which seems likely given that the Senate Minority Leader is one of the sponsors, it would represent a major concession from his earlier position that the bill needed forced consolidation.

Vermont Business Magazine FEMA has approved more than $6 million in post-disaster funding for Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program projects in the six states of FEMA Region 1. This includes $182,000 to the Town of Chester for costs related to the July 2023 floods.These programs empower states, local communities, tribes and territories to recover to rebuild more resilient, safer communities and protect infrastructure from future events. The funding approved today includes nearly $3.4 million under FEMA’s Public Assistance program awarded across all six New England states.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Legislature's joint Committee of Conference on S.325 voted May 21 to recommend a final version of the land use bill designed to reform Act 181. Governor Scott vetoed Act 181 in 2024, largely due to the expanded Act 250 jurisdiction via Tier 3 and the ‘Road Rule.’ The Legislature overturned the veto, clearing the way for these new Act 250 triggers. Last Thursday the Conference Committee recommendation included repeal of Tier 3 and the Road Rule but does not include several provisions passed by the Senate, in particular those regarding wetlands rules.

Vermont Business Magazine Beginning July 1, 2026, Washington County residents will see a transition of their public transportation services from Green Mountain Transit (GMT) to Tri-Valley Transit (TVT). This transition is part of a larger effort by the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) to bring rural and small-town transit under the umbrellas of agencies with a long history of serving those areas of the state. TVT, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary of rural service, is well-positioned to become the transit operator for Washington County. TVT plans to maintain all current services without interruption and with no changes to routes or schedules. All rides will also remain fare-free. The Montpelier-Burlington LINK Express service, however, will continue to be operated by GMT out of Burlington.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement on Memorial Day: “Since our nation’s earliest days, Vermonters have fought and died to protect the freedoms we enjoy today. Time and time again, Vermonters have shouldered more than our share in the fight for freedom, and it is our duty to honor those who left and never came home."

Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets Most business owners know how to talk about what they do, but not why it truly matters. The Hidden Brand 10-week workshop is designed to change that. This immersive experience will help you uncover the deeper ideas behind your farm, food, or forest business—your purpose, your voice, and the belief that sets you apart—so you can build a brand that resonates far beyond products and services. The workshop is offered by Steve Redmond of Rival Brands, a Vermont-based brand strategy business that works with all kinds of Vermont food and beverage businesses. Across 10 weeks between August and October 2026, you’ll be guided through a powerful framework that brings clarity to your strategy and confidence to your leadership.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC) is pleased to announce that nominations are now open for two community leadership awards: the 2026 Arthur Gibb Award for Sustainable Community Leadership and the newly established Local Leadership Award. Both awards celebrate Vermonters whose vision, dedication, and courage are making a lasting difference for their neighbors and the places they call home. Nominations for both awards are due no later than Friday, July 3rd.

Vermont Business Magazine Middlebury College marked its 225th Commencement ceremony on May 24 as 558 graduates gathered with friends, family, faculty, and staff on the Voter Quad to celebrate the Class of 2026. Students from 45 states and U.S. territories and more than 20 countries were greeted on stage by President Ian Baucom in his first Commencement at Middlebury. They  received their diplomas and replicas of Gamaliel Painter’s cane, presented by Hannah Burnett ’10, president of the Middlebury Alumni Association. The class included Fulbright scholars, National Science Foundation grant recipients, a Yenching Scholar, Critical Language Scholarship recipients, and student-athletes who earned All-America honors and competed on national championship and NESCAC title-winning teams.

Vermont Business Magazine The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will celebrate the 2026 Vermont Small Business Persons of the Year June 11 in Burlington. Also to be honored at the event hosted by VermontBiz Magazine are the category winners. The SBA will recognize Diane Abruzzini and Colin Riggs of Rigorous Technology Inc for their impact and economic contributions in Vermont on June 11 at Hula in Burlington. Rigorous is an industrial robotics company based in Williston. Since founding Rigorous in 2020 as a homebased business, Diane and Colin have grown their operations to include a team of 12, currently occupying 10,000 square feet across multiple buildings. 

Vermont Business Magazine This weekly report is a list of planned construction activities that will affect traffic on state highways and interstates throughout Vermont for the week of May 25, 2026.  To learn more about the projects listed below or to sign up to receive weekly construction updates via email, visit the Construction Updates page. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.  

by Dan Smith, President & CEO, The Vermont Community Foundation In Vermont, we take pride in being resilient. We show up for one another in hard moments. We rebuild after floods. We check on neighbors during long winters. That neighborliness is one of the defining strengths of this place. But resilience is not enough. Declining discourse and the erosion of understanding for our neighbors threatens our sense of community. With it goes our ability to navigate disagreement and solve problems.

Vermont Business Magazine It was more than a typical meeting of the membership on May 14 when nearly 200 guests gathered at The Paramount Theatre in Rutland, VT for a festive evening filled with nostalgia, giveaways, and plenty of fanfare as Heritage Family Credit Union (HFCU) celebrated 70 years of serving its members. Heritage Family’s story began back in 1956 when 57 GE employees came together in Ludlow, VT to form the Ludlow-Rutland General Electric Employees’ Credit Union. What started with $800 in deposits in its first month has become an $800 million credit union with more than 50,000 members and 11 locations in three states. Although much has changed in the last seven decades including the Credit Union’s name and scope of service, Heritage Family’s focus remains the same – serving its members and answering the needs of local communities.