Staff report Sen. Becca White, D-Windsor, was joined by nine co-sponsors, including Sen. Alison Clarkson, D-Windsor, and 13 other representatives on March 14 to introduce S.125, to decriminalize prostitution.  Rep. Taylor Small, P/D-Winooski, is the lead sponsor of the similar House bill,  H.372.  Each bill has been referred to its chamber’s Judiciary Committee. “Regardless of…

For the eighth year in a row, the Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) offered free leak detection services to Vermont’s public water systems. Water systems serve homes, schools, and businesses and offer Vermonters clean, safe drinking water.  In 2022, DEC helped 17 systems find and fix 21 leaks which saved 30.4 million gallons of water…

By Alison Clarkson St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, marked the deadline for crossover in the Vermont Legislature. This is the date that all bills, which hope to be enacted this session, must have passed out of their committees of jurisdiction. Crossover signals the mid-way point in the Session – and, as all bills must be…

By Jim Harrison We think of March Madness as the college basketball NCAA tournament and the many friendly bracket competitions that take place among family and friends. The State House is no different with a record 99 participants playing this year in the men’s games and 17 in the women’s.  Well, there is also a…

Agency of Education Sec. Dan French is leaving his job leading the Vermont Agency of Education next month to take a senior leadership role at the Council of Chief State School Officers.  Gov. Phil Scott announced French’s department on March 17.    “Secretary French has been a critical member of my team for over four…

Gov. Phil Scott tapped a maple tree at the Connor Maple Farm in St. Albans March 3 to recognize the beginning of the new maple season.  The governor was joined by Mike and Joanne Connor and their family, Sen. Peter Welch, Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Anson Tebbetts and a large contingent of area children, all…

By John Flowers/Addison County Independent Editor’s note: Bill Heffernan is a brother-in-law to reporter John Flowers. Faced with widespread concerns about potential costs to fossil-fuel dealers and consumers, the authors of the proposed Affordable Heat Act have decided to pump the brakes on the design and approval timetable for the bill. But they still aim…

By Lola Duffort/VTDigger Vermont House and Senate budget writers have hammered out a deal to extend emergency housing in motels for people experiencing homelessness through June 30 — but not for all.  After May 31, only people fleeing domestic violence, families with children, those aged 60 and over, pregnant people, people with disabilities, and certain households that…

By Kate O’Farrell/VTDigger Vermont’s Covid-19 community levels remained “low” this past week, the state Dept. of Health reported Wednesday, March 1, rounding out the month of February with consistently low community levels.  The number of cases, hospital admissions and people in Vermont hospitals for Covid have remained relatively flat in recent weeks as XBB became the dominant strain…

By Sen. Alison Clarkson The Windsor County District now encompasses 25 towns, and the county is the largest in Vermont (977 square miles). As a result, one of the biggest challenges for a state senator is attending as many Town Meetings as possible. I treasure Vermont’s Town Meeting tradition and its form of direct democracy.…

By Rep. Jim Harrison Over the past two weeks, the House and Senate Appropriation Committees held public hearings on the FY24 budget, which begins on July 1, 2023. A quick tally on the various asks on Friday afternoon, March 3, came up with over $700 million in new spending, which is well beyond what might…

Over 100 Vermont businesses from diverse industries completed the 2023 annual economic survey in January regarding the outlook of Vermont’s small- to medium-sized businesses. Of the business owners who responded, 80% have fewer than 25 employees.  The survey, presented by Davis and Hodgdon CPAs and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, revealed that there is more…

By Aubrey Weaver Editor's note: Aubrey Weaver is a reporter with Community News Service, part of the University of Vermont’s Reporting & Documentary Storytelling program. The Senate Judiciary Committee heard from familiar faces on a familiar policy last week: THC potency limits for cannabis concentrates.  A bill in the committee, S.72, would remove the current…

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Dept. has proposed issuing 180 moose hunting permits in Vermont’s Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) E in the northeastern corner of the state in a continued effort to reduce the impact of winter ticks on moose in that area.   No permits are recommended for the rest of the state.  The…

Editor’s note: The following Real Estate Advice was provided by Amy Ryan of IPJ in Middlebury. The statistics are derived from data from New England Real Estate Network (NEREN), which is Vermont’s primary Multiple Listing Service. Is there a disconnect in today’s market? The answer lies somewhere between the seller’s motivation, the buyer’s desperation to…