By James Kent Human rights, supporting veterans, free speech, democratic normalcy, defending the U.S. Constitution, rebuking the dismantling of essential federal services and programs, and sounding the alarm of a tariff policy that over two days destroyed many Americans’ retirement and college savings programs. On Saturday, April 5, an estimated 5 million Americans joined in…

By Ethan Weinstein/VTDigger Following a federal order that schools ban diversity, equity, and inclusion-related programs, the Vermont Agency of Education (AOE) is asking school districts to submit compliance certifications. Education Secretary Zoie Saunders told school district leaders in a letter on Friday, April 4, that they had 10 days to submit their certification but also…

During the Town Meeting recess, we took the opportunity to visit our Maryland grandsons, Theo and Spencer. Six-year-old Theo challenged me to play a game of chess. I haven’t played chess in many years and even needed a refresher on which pieces could make which moves. And while I started strong, there was that gleam…

By Sam Hartnett, Community News Service Editor’s note: This story is via Community News Service in partnership with Vermont State University Castleton. Should landowners who allow public trail networks on their property be compensated? That’s the question a study group would be tasked with answering under a bill in the Senate. It’s too late to…

By Carly Berlin Editor’s note: This story, by Report for America corps member Carly Berlin, was produced through a partnership between VTDigger and Vermont Public. On Friday, Gov. Phil Scott took executive action to extend motel voucher stays for unhoused families with children and certain people with acute medical needs through June 30. Without the…

Attorney General Charity Clark issued a consumer alert to help Vermonters protect their personal data in the wake of 23andMe’s bankruptcy recent filing on March 26. On Monday, March 24, 23andMe announced that they had filed for bankruptcy. 23andMe is a direct-to-consumer genetic testing company that collects and analyzes genetic information and health data for consumers.  The…

Not sure they still sell those “EASY” buttons, but we sure could have used one in the House Appropriations Committee last Friday. In an extraordinary long day, the committee finished a draft on its version of the state budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The $9 billion spending plan of state and federal…

Both chambers in the Vermont Legislature are working their way through the large number of bills that made the cross-over deadline. Cross-over is a deadline we set each year, roughly marking the halfway point of our legislative session. It forces us to finish our work on the bills in our House and Senate committees, which…

By Sarah Lyons, Public Assets More than 3,000 Vermonters are caught in the on-again, off-again firings and layoffs of federal employees by the Trump administration and the Dept. of Government Efficiency (DOGE). It is challenging to keep track of who has a job and who doesn’t, or even of which departments still exist.  During the…

As Vermonters patiently wait for spring temperatures, the Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) invites the public to report when Vermont’s lakes and ponds lose their ice cover. Also known as the “ice-out date,” this date marks when lakes or ponds become ice-free from shore to shore. Tracking ice-out dates helps DEC scientists decide when to begin…

Key changes may bring steep financial losses and reduced flexibility for state health services Staff report Vermont’s Medicaid program could face significant restructuring and funding challenges under a series of federal policy proposals currently under discussion. Testifying before the House Health Care Committee on March 21, Ashley Berliner, director of Medicaid policy for the Agency…

By Maggie Lenz and Nick Charyk on behalf of Atlas Government Affairs consultants Education reform in Montpelier is finally starting to take shape. After months of plans, counterplans, and more questions than answers, lawmakers have their hands in the clay. Governor Scott’s sweeping January proposal set the wheel in motion, calling for major district consolidation,…

By Ethan Weinstein/VTDigger President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday, March 20, calling for dismantling the U.S. Dept. of Education. What that means for the country — and Vermont — is an open question. The U.S. Congress created the Dept. of Education, and its dissolution requires the body’s approval. The courts have blocked or…

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Dept .(VTF&W) has begun to receive reports of bears coming out of their dens and is urging Vermonters to remove their birdfeeders and take additional steps now to prevent conflicts with bears over the spring and summer. “Do not wait to take down your birdfeeders and bearproof your yard until…

Depending on one’s perspective we might look at various issues as making progress or going in the wrong direction, just like the proverbial glass  half full or half empty. For example, Governor Scott issued his first veto of the 2025 session on the annual mid-year Budget Adjustment Act over concerns about increased spending and extending…