By Elizabeth Hewitt, VTDigger Gov. Phil Scott signed into law a bill that expands Vermont’s medical marijuana system. The legislation, S.16, expands the list of conditions that qualify for the medical marijuana registry to include Parkinson’s disease, Crohn’s disease and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as of July 1. Under the new law, PTSD patients will…

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded more than $1.3 million in grants for Vermont universities, according to an announcement Thursday, June 1, made by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vt.). The grants, awarded through the Upward Bound program, will go to four institutions of higher education to…

In response to 47 separate price scanner violations, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets has issued more than $210,000 in penalties to Dollar General stores in the state since 2013, including $24,000 in penalties this year. Agency inspectors have observed repeated pricing inaccuracies, which could shortchange consumers, such as discrepancies between the posted…

Gov. Phil Scott recently signed into law legislation that provides greater First Amendment protections for student journalists and their teachers and advisers in Vermont. “The Vermont Press Association is pleased the state Legislature moved quickly this year to provide proper First Amendment safeguards for student-journalists and their advisers,” said VPA President Adam Silverman, an editor…

 By Erin Mansfield, VTDigger Five weeks after the deadline for filing tax returns, more than 26,000 people are still waiting for the Vermont Department of Taxes to issue refunds on their personal income taxes. Some of those people are very low-income and are planning to use the refunds to pay living expenses, according to Susan…

By Elizabeth Hewitt, VTDigger S.22—”An act relating to eliminating penalties for possession of limited amounts of marijuana by adults 21 years of age and older” The final proposal for marijuana legalization, S.22, would legalize adult possession of up to an ounce of marijuana and allow people to grow up to two mature and four immature…

By Karen D. Lorentz Powdr, Killington and Pico’s parent company since 2007, has restructured and is expanding — this time with its first foray outside the U.S. with the licensing of the Woodward Riviera Maya facility at the Hard Rock Hotel in Cancùn, Mexico. A Woodward in the Dominican Republic and one in Park City,…

By Evan Johnson As the state’s legislative session nears its conclusion, local elected reps gave updates at a legislative breakfast on some items that will have a lasting impact in Rutland County and the state. Growing Rutland’s economy  The Howe Center is going to be the site of a new cookie factory operated by Westminster…

By Michelle Monroe Speaking from Washington on Wednesday, Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., said the revelation that President Donald Trump may have asked former FBI Director James Comey to drop an investigation into a former member of his administration has “ratcheted up concern” in the House of Representatives. “The president is responsible for enforcing the law,…

By Erin Mansfield, VTDigger Gov. Phil Scott has signed into law a bill that gives pregnant women the same accommodations in the workplace as people with disabilities. Scott signed H.136 on May 4 with no fanfare. The law, now called Act 21 of 2017, gives pregnant women accommodation under disability laws. The Senate streamlined the…

By Elizabeth Hewitt, VTDigger The Legislature coughed, spit and sputtered its way into overtime Friday, May 12. Lawmakers were unable to reach a deal with Gov. Phil Scott and will return to Montpelier this week to try and complete their work for this year’s legislative session. When lawmakers arrived at the State House Friday morning,…

Lucky babies born May 29 in Vermont will receive a $100 deposit into a Vermont 529 college savings account opened in his or her name by the Vermont Student Assistance Corp (VSAC). The Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems is joining with VSAC, which administers Vermont’s 529 college savings plan, to help educate Vermont…

By Mark Johnson, VTDigger The family that founded WCAX-TV announced Thursday, May 4, they are selling the station to an out-of-state media conglomerate for $29 million. WCAX president Peter Martin said the industry is rapidly consolidating and that it was increasingly impracticable to operate as a single-station owner. The station, the first started in Vermont,…

A new report entitled “Clean Energy Momentum: Ranking State Progress” and published by the Union of Concerned Scientists highlighted Vermont for its success in developing a clean energy economy. Vermont ranked second nationally, bested onlyby California. The report scored states on 12 metrics in the three broader areas of technical progress, direct visible effects on…

The Vermont Press Association is praising the Vermont Legislature for approving a shield law designed to protect journalists from unwarranted subpoenas concerning their sources. The House of Representatives gave final approval to the legislation, 140-2, on Thursday afternoon, and Gov. Phil Scott signed it on Friday, April 21. “This is an important piece of legislation…