Vermonters may claim a property tax credit or receive a renter rebate to help offset the cost of housing, but those claims must be filed by Oct. 15. The Vermont property tax credit and renter rebate programs help make housing more affordable for thousands of Vermonters, and the Department of Taxes has seen a marked…

Signs executive order to manage recreational trails Governor Phil Scott vetoed H.926, an act relating to changes to Act 250, and signed executive order to provide regulatory certainty for recreation trails on Monday, Oct. 5. In his veto letter to the Legislature, Governor Scott noted that at the start of the legislative session, there was broad support for…

The Vermont School Boards Association (VSBA) has arranged for delivery of nearly 40,000 face masks to Vermont schools during the first weeks of classes. “As a member of the National School Boards Association (NSBA), we were able to offer free face masks to our members through the Masks for Kids Program,” explained VSBA Executive Director…

By Julia Purdy As of Oct. 2, Census workers received a notification that the Census data collection will continue through October as originally planned. Numerous lawsuits had been filed against Steven Dillingham, the Trump-appointed director of the U.S. Census Bureau, and the Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, its parent agency, when the original Oct. 30…

Vermont’s early voting period is underway Secretary of State Jim Condos distilled his election guidance to three words Monday, Sept. 21. “Seal, sign, and send!” he said in a statement announcing the start of the early voting period for the Nov. 3 election. By Wednesday, Oct. 7, all Vermonters should have received a ballot. If…

 Lt. governor race is a toss-up, fewer than 50% of Vermonters eager to take a Covid-19 vaccine Republican Gov. Phil Scott is coasting to reelection and has become more popular than the three Democrats who serve in Vermont’s Congressional delegation, according to a new poll from VPR and Vermont PBS released today. Meanwhile, six weeks…

Governor Phil Scott announced that Vermont has received $3.8 million in federal funding for suicide prevention. The five-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will support the implementation and evaluation of the state’s comprehensive public health approach to suicide prevention in Vermont. The announcement coincided with the Sept. 10 observance of World Suicide…

Commission to maintain local renewable choices, net metering, but thousands of Vermont jobs threatened While Governor Phil Scott’s administration has been hesitant on renewable energy progress, 791 Vermonters filed comments with the Public Utility Commission (PUC) on net metering, according to a news release by Renewable Energy Vermont, Sept. 23. Net metering is the state’s…

By Rep. Jim Harrison The 2020 legislative session came to a close on Friday evening, Sept. 25. It was a session like no other, with issues like emergency Covid related measures and funding, online meetings via Zoom since March and a two month break in the summer thrown in to get a better handle on…

Vermont is currently experiencing abnormally dry and moderate drought conditions, and the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation is reminding the public to exercise caution and follow all state laws and local ordinances with open burning. Open burning currently requires a permit from your town forest fire warden, and Vermonters should always check with their town forest…

Vermont PBS and Vermont Public Radio have announced the 2020 VPR–Vermont PBS Debates, a series of pre-recorded debates among candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor and U.S. House of Representatives. The debates will be moderated by Bob Kinzel and Jane Lindholm during VPR’s program Vermont Edition and broadcast by Vermont PBS. The debates will take place…

By Kit Norton and Xander Landen/VTDigger The Vermont Senate voted Tuesday to override Gov. Phil Scott’s veto of the Global Warming Solutions Act — legislation that legally requires the state to meet targets for reducing carbon emissions in the coming years. Since the House had already voted to override the veto, the measure is now law. Without…

Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains have donated more than 81,000 packages of Girl Scout cookies to hometown heroes, those in the military, and to those simply in need this year. The donation was over four times the number donated last year, and a likely record for the council. The donations came about…

By Anne Galloway/VTDigger The Vermont congressional delegation and the governor issued statements Friday night, Sept. 18, mourning the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In the same breath, the two senators and congressional representative decried the news that the Senate majority leader will hold a vote for a Trump nominee to replace her before the end of…

By Rep. Jim Harrison Much like the runners entering the home stretch of a race, the sprint to the finish for the 2020 Legislature has begun. House or Senate rules that normally allow for the slow and deliberate process of bills are now routinely suspended to move things along. Legislative leaders have targeted Sept. 25…