By Rep. Jim Harrison At the request of Governor Scott, the Legislature unanimously approved a contribution to Ukrainian humanitarian efforts equal to $1 for every Vermonter. I had the honor of reporting the legislation, H.717, on the House floor. In my remarks I said, “The plight of Ukrainians pulls at the heart of every one…

As the civilian toll in Ukraine grows, state lawmakers are fast-tracking legislation to send humanitarian aid to the besieged nation. Legislature suspended its rules last week to fast track the bill, H.717. The House passed it on Tuesday, March 8, the Senate on Thursday, March 10, and it was delivered to the governor’s desk, March…

Youth, advocates, legislators, and activists met March 10 to discuss their criminal justice legislative priorities during crossover week in Montpelier. Speakers included Addie Lentzner of the Vermont Student Anti-Racism Network, Rep. Tanya Vyhovsky, Sen. Dick Sears, Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale, DeRay McKesson and Cassie Ippaso of Campaign Zero, Mia Schultz of NAACP-Rutland, and Falko Schilling…

Vermont drops guidance for masking indoors, at school By Polly Mikula Starting Monday, March 14, it’s ok to for everyone to unmask in public, including indoors and in K-12 schools, the state announced Thursday, March 3. “As our statewide hospitalization rate is low, and hospitals are no longer facing the Covid-related strains of the recent…

Gov. Phil Scott kicked off the 2022 Vermont Maple Season by tapping the unofficial “first” maple tree at the University of Vermont Proctor Maple Research Center (PMRC) in Underhill March 7. While Vermont’s maple industry is celebrated for its world-renowned quality, taste and leading prodcution annually nationwide, the event also celebrated the important contributions of…

Covid-19 safety rules and equity initiatives remained broadly popular statewide By Peter D’Auria/VTDigger In the weeks before Town Meeting Day, a surge of anti-mask mandate, anti-“critical race theory” candidates from across Vermont made bids for seats on school boards. But according to results, many of those candidates failed to beat their opponents at the polls…

Vermont drops guidance for masking indoors, at school By Polly Mikula Starting Monday, March 14, it’s ok for everyone to unmask in public, including indoors and in K-12 schools, the state announced Thursday, March 3. “As our statewide hospitalization rate is low, and hospitals are no longer facing the Covid-related strains of the recent surge,…

By Emma Cotton/VTDigger Environmentalists and politicians in Vermont are urging New York officials to close a lock in the Champlain Canal to prevent the round goby, an aggressive invasive fish, from entering Lake Champlain. If the small green fish, which is native to the Caspian and Black Sea regions, makes its way into the lake,…

By Fred Thys/VTDigger In Town Meeting Day votes on Tuesday, March 1, Vermonters greatly expanded the number of towns where retail sales of cannabis will be permitted to anyone 21 and older. “It’s a very important moment for Vermont,” said James Pepper, chair of the Vermont Cannabis Control Board. “We want Vermonters to be able…

By Sen. Alison Clarkson Town Meeting 2022 reminded me how resourceful and nimble Vermonters are. This was our second Town Meeting season conducted during the Covid pandemic. Most of us are now comfortable operating in the virtual universe and have grown quite adept at managing meetings on Zoom or Microsoft Teams. So, this year, there…

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Dept. has proposed issuing 100 moose hunting permits in Vermont’s Wildlife Management Unit (WMU-E) in the northeastern corner of the state in order to reduce the impact of winter ticks on the moose population. The proposal was accepted by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife board at its Feb.16 meeting. “Department…

By Rep. Jim Harrison A few years ago, Pat and her sister Carol were helping my father-in-law clean out his house for a move. They came across a desk and file cabinet that were labeled MT. They wondered what that meant. Dad laughed and replied that it was cleaned out = empty = MT. Likewise,…

By Katy Savage As the threat of Covid-19 apparently dwindles, local towns and organizations are rescinding their face mask policies. The Woodstock Village Trustees and Select Board unanimously voted to no longer require a face mask in public buildings during a joint meeting on Feb. 28. “Individual businesses may still make their own requirements,” Woodstock…

By Erin Petenko/VTDigger Vermont has the seventh-highest rate of LGBTQ people in the nation, according to a survey analysis from the Williams Institute at the University of California-Los Angeles. It also has the highest rate of same-sex couples in the nation. The data comes amid a recent report that the number of LGBTQ-identifying adults is…

Five of Vermont’s 14 counties (including Rutland) are considered high risk, per CDC, and should not unmask By Polly Mikula The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxed its Covid-19 precautions Friday, Feb. 25, by allowing people in areas of low and moderate transmission to remove masks indoors. “This new framework moves beyond just…