By Rep. Jim Harrison In the not-too-distant past, Vermonters would call the State House and leave a message for their legislator, which would then be hand-delivered by a page. Additionally, the State House had advocates for most sides of any initiative that could share information or answer legislators’ questions. Of course, there were emails, but…

By Governor Phil Scott Editor’s note: Governor Phil Scott announced April 17  that he will allow H. 315 to become law without his signature and issued the following letter to the General Assembly. Pursuant to Chapter II, Section 11 of the Vermont Constitution, H.315, An Act Relating to Covid-19 Relief, will become law without my signature for…

By Madeleine May Kunin Editors note: Madeleine May Kunin was the 77th governor of Vermont, serving from 1985 until 1991. She is the author of “Coming of Age, My Journey to the Eighties.” In the old days, back in the 1970s, issues like child care, equal pay and paid family and medical leave, were labeled “Women’s…

A new grant program, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, or RRF, is launching soon for restaurants, brew pubs, food trucks, coffee shops, bars and many more. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) site sba.gov/restaurants shares information on how the program will roll out, the application requirements and the documents to prepare. The SBA is strongly encouraging all potential applicants…

The VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region, (VNAHSR), one of the state’s largest providers of skilled home health and hospice services, announced March 29 that its board of directors has appointed Sara C. King as chief executive officer. She will replace Ron Cioffi, RN, CEO who is retiring in June. King assumed the leadership…

The Vermont state police is investigating the deaths of two people whose bodies were found inside a vehicle this weekend in the driveway of a private residence in Vershire. Based on preliminary information received Monday, April 5, from the Vermont Chief Medical Examiner’s Office, the deaths do not appear suspicious. Police received an emergency call…

By Xander Landen and Kit Norton/VTDigger When Congress established the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) last year, the aim was to provide tax-free, forgivable loans to businesses to help them make payroll and stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic. But now, the Vermont Legislature is looking to tax some of those emergency payouts. The state House and Senate came…

A new federally funded Vermont Emergency Rental Assistance Program (VERAP) will provide aid to eligible residents of Vermont who cannot pay their rent due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  VERAP will be administered by the  state-authorized  Vermont State Housing Authority (VSHA) with an online application provided by ReFrame Solutions, call center, and case management services from BPO…

On March 29, the Public Utility Commission issued an order extending the temporary moratorium for natural gas, electric, and traditional landline telephone service through May 31, 2021. (Water service is presently covered by an involuntary disconnection moratorium that was enacted last year.) “We recognize that many Vermonters are still suffering from the public health and…

By Sen. Alison Clarkson The Vermont Constitution is a living document and, as such, is allowed to be amended. However, the authors of our Constitution in 1777 did not make it an easy document to amend. It is a multi-year process, requiring review and approval in two consecutive legislative biennia (in this case 2019-20 and…

By Rep. Jim Harrison Last week there were unmistakable signs of spring around us. Warmer temperatures, area golf courses reopening, crocuses and daffodils blossoming and more. Another sign of spring happens in the Legislature this time of year as well. It is evidenced by the beginning of passage of bills in either the House or…

The U.S. Small Business Administration officially open the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) application portal on April 8 for operators of live venues, live performing arts organizations, museums and movie theaters, as well as live venue promoters, theatrical producers and talent representatives to apply for critical economic relief, as those eligible entities are some of the first that had…

By Lola Duffort/VTDigger The public costs of domestic and sexual violence total an estimated $111 million a year in Vermont, with more than half that money spent not on direct services to survivors, but on incarceration and law enforcement. That’s according to a new report released Monday, April 5, by the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence,…

Funding from the American Rescue Plan is in addition to the state’s annual award of $3.4 million  Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt.) announced Monday, April 12, that Vermont has received more than $11 million in additional funding for affordable housing construction under the American Rescue Plan Act, through…

By Lola Duffort/VTDigger At the start of the pandemic, state and education officials worried that Covid-19 would be a financial catastrophe for the pre-K-12 system. Instead, the opposite happened. With three major federal relief packages approved by Congress since the start of the pandemic, schools in Vermont and the Agency of Education have been allocated a combined $566…