By Rep. Jim Harrison Let’s face it, we all live by deadlines. It might be April 15 for tax filing or cramming the night before an exam. They cause us to change our priorities when a deadline is approaching. The Vermont Legislature also has deadlines, however self-imposed. In a normal year, the General Assembly meets…

Governor Phil Scott announced Feb. 22 that 11 new plug-in electric vehicle (EV) fast-charge stations are scheduled to be installed across Vermont over the next two years. The charge stations will be located in Newport, Enosburgh, St. Johnsbury, Johnson, South Hero, Springfield, Fair Haven, Wilmington, Ludlow, Randolph and Rutland. The chargers will be a part of the…

Absent a predictable forecast, events begin to cancel By Anne Wallace Allen/VTDigger and Polly Mikula Wedding planner Jaclyn Watson has 15 weddings booked this summer in Vermont, three of them expected to cost more than half a million dollars. Two are planned in Stowe, one in Burke, and one in the Manchester area in July,…

Vermonters filed 5,021 scam reports with the Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) in 2020. The Social Security number phishing scam, which typically involves calls claiming that your Social Security number has been compromised, suspended, or linked to criminal activity, remained the most commonly reported scam for the second year in a row with 1,160…

By Sen. Alison Clarkson Our Town Meetings will be unusual this year. Yet another example of Vermont’s ability to respond flexibly to the continuing challenges the Covid-19 pandemic presents. Some towns are holding Informational Meetings in advance of the vote by Australian ballot on Tuesday, March 2. Some are holding off until May in hopes…

BY Rep. Jim Harrison The House Appropriations Committee was ground zero for what has been dubbed, a “mini Covid relief bill.” Utilizing some unspent federal coronavirus relief funds from last year along with one-time money from the current better than expected revenue forecasts, the committee assembled a bill appropriating more than $55 million in very…

Feb. 17, the Coalition for Tobacco Free Vermont, along with health experts, members of the House and Senate Social Equity Caucuses, the Center for Black Health and Equity, and Vermont youth urged the Vermont Legislature to pass S.24, legislation to eliminate the sale of all flavored tobacco products. “It’s vital that Vermont lawmakers stand up to…

Vermont Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray launched Lt. Governor for a Day— a virtual series to engage Vermont students and classrooms in state government. The bi-weekly series, hosted every other Wednesday starting, 12-2 p.m. on Feb. 24, will allow students to engage directly with the lieutenant governor. Each Lt. Governor for a Day will begin with…

Governor Phil Scott has issued an executive order creating the Governor’s Commission on the Future of Vermont Agriculture to study and strategize how best to grow agriculture in the Green Mountain State. The commission’s charge will focus on ensuring the viability and adaptability of this sector, including recommendations for more cross-sector collaboration, increasing production and promotion, reducing…

  Vermont Green Building Network’s (VGBN) ninth annual Vermont’s Greenest Building Awards Competition is now open for submissions. This statewide competition recognizes exemplary residential and commercial buildings that excel in green building strategies – including water, health, transportation, and affordability – and meet the highest standard of demonstrated energy performance. Submissions are due on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 at…

Up to $1,000 in rebates help customers reduce carbon with efficient, clean heating Green Mountain Power (GMP) launched extra rebates on heat pumps for low- and moderate-income customers today to make it easier for more Vermonters to cut carbon and increase comfort. GMP is adding to the success of its $400 rebate for each heat pump condenser…

By Rep. Jim Harrison Legislating via Zoom has pluses and minuses. It has enabled the Legislature to meet virtually in a safe manner and get necessary work done. Of course, what is necessary is in the eyes of the beholder. On the other hand, it has definite limitations on developing dialogs and understandings between individual…

The Small Business Administration (SBA) began rolling out the Targeted Economic Injury Disaster Loan Advance (EIDL) Feb. 1, which provides businesses located in low-income communities with additional funding. Applicants located in low-income communities who previously received an EIDL Advance for less than $10,000 will have first priority to apply and will be the first group…

Governor Phil Scott announced Feb. 10 that the state will provide a suite of identity protection services to all unemployment insurance claimants who will receive a 2020 1099-G from the Vermont Department of Labor (VDOL). This service is being provided in response to the inadvertent disclosure that occurred on Jan. 29 when VDOL mailed incorrect…

The Vermont State Police is hiring a new victim services specialist to work with people who have experienced the trauma of a crime, helping victims and witnesses navigate challenging circumstances and access needed resources while cases are under investigation. The new position, housed in the Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI), is the result of the…