By Don Tinney Editor’s note: Don Tinney, an English teacher who lives in South Hero, is the elected president of Vermont-NEA, the state’s largest union. He has also served as chair of the Vermont Standards Board for Professional Educators. Recently, I came across an extraordinary video produced by Gov. Phil Scott’s Agency of Education. It…

By Jeffrey Reel Editor’s note: Jeffrey Reel is a writer from Hartland. He serves as the general manager of the Rutland Food Co-Op. The debate on how to lower healthcare costs in Vermont is of paramount importance. Of equal importance is balancing that debate with discussions on the quality of life we can achieve right…

By Peter Sterling Editor’s note: Peter Sterling is the executive director of Renewable Energy Vermont, the nonprofit trade association representing Vermont businesses working towards a 100% renewable energy future.  Though the tragic and costly impacts of changing weather extremes on Vermont continue to (justifiably) make headlines, they shouldn’t totally overshadow recent accomplishments in the fight…

By Ivy Enoch Editor’s note: Ivy Enoch is SNAP policy and training lead for Hunger Free Vermont. As we mark the 60th anniversary of the Food Stamps Act, now known as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) nationally and 3SquaresVT here in Vermont, it is crucial to recognize the profound impact this landmark legislation has had…

Editor’s note: This commentary was written collaboratively by Vermont Natural Resources Council, Conservation Law Foundation, Connecticut River Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy, and Lake Champlain Committee.  This commentary was written in response to concerns from Vermont community members, our own observations as landowners, and road crews cleaning up post-flooding damage. What we have heard and witnessed…

By Justin Marsh Editor’s note: Justin Marsh is the political director for Vermont Conservation Voters. Vermont’s primary election saw candidates running on strong climate action platforms overwhelmingly win their races across Vermont. Vermont Conservation Voters (VCV) endorsed candidates facing primary challenges in races in all corners of the state. Of those candidates VCV endorsed in contested…

By Katrina Menard Editor’s note: Katrina Menard is state policy fellow at Public Assets Institute, a non-partisan, non-profit, people-centered, data-first organization based in Montpelier. She lives in Strafford. As Vermont recovers from yet another round of flooding and braces for what’s left of Tropical Storm Debby, it may come as no surprise that Vermont is ranked…

By Allen Gilbert Editor’s note: Allen Gilbert of Worcester, a former journalist, teacher and ACLU-VT executive director. He chaired his school board in Worcester when it joined the education funding lawsuit that resulted in the Brigham v. State decision by the Vermont Supreme Court. Don Keelan’s commentary printed in this publication July 31 — “The ‘welcome to Vermont’…

By Melinda Moulton Editor’s note: Melinda Moulton, of Huntington, is a writer, filmmaker, social and climate activist and community leader. As the grandmother of three teenage girls, I have trepidation about their futures growing up in America. A hateful tenor toward women and anti-women rhetoric out in the open is now mainstreamed. Women’s rights are…

By Madeleine Kunin Editor’s note: Madeleine Kunin served as the 77th governor of Vermont from 1985-1991.  Just about every article about the Harris/Trump presidential campaign emphasizes how little time we have left until Election Day: fewer than 100 days. The authors of these stories see these few days as a crisis, a disadvantage or at…

By Don Keelan Editor’s note: Don Keelan of Arlington, a retired certified public accountant. Deep inside the 171-page tome of the recently adopted Act 181 (H.687) legislation was a section to extract more money from nonresidents who purchase Vermont homes after Aug. 1, 2024. Sections 73 and 74 detail the extraction of funds from those who conceivably…

By Zoie Saunders, interim secretary of education  When I arrived in Vermont, I shared my intent to spend my first 100 days learning as much as possible about the state, our schools, and Vermonters’ education priorities. What I have learned gives me great hope about the work underway in our state. There is a real…

By Frank Knaack and Falko Schilling Editor’s note: This commentary is by Frank Knaack, executive director of the Housing and Homelessness Alliance of Vermont, and Falko Schilling, advocacy director of the ACLU of Vermont. Homelessness in Vermont is at its highest level on record, as more people struggle to afford sky high-rents and housing costs. According…

By Representative Pattie McCoy Editor’s note: McCoy, from Poultney, is the House Minority Leader. She has been a Republican house rep since 2015 serving Rutland-1. What’s the worst thing to do when you are stuck in a hole? Continuing to dig. And what is the worst thing to do in an affordability crisis? Make things…

By Teddy Waszazak Editor’s note: Teddy Waszazak is a resident of Barre and the Legislative Policy Lead at Hunger Free Vermont, a statewide advocacy and education nonprofit working to end hunger in Vermont. As another school year comes to a close, all of us in Vermont have two exciting milestones to celebrate: the start of…