By Rep. Jim Harrison Confirmed new cases of Covid-19 in Vermont continued to decline last week, another sign that we are beyond the peak and doing better than many other areas. On Friday, May 1, Scott again turned the proverbial spigot another quarter turn as more businesses will be allowed to open, albeit with restrictions…

The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) has received a grant for more than $21 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The grant funds will be distributed among public transit providers statewide in rural and urban areas and aid…

By Kit Norton and Xander Landen/VTDigger Once the state cashes the checks it received from Washington, D.C., Vermont’s coffers will have $1.25 billion in funding that can be used to cover costs related to the Covid-19 crisis. Gov. Phil Scott and lawmakers have until the end of the year to decide how to spend the money granted to…

USDA is expanding access to innovative online food purchase program U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced, approval of a request from Vermont to provide online purchasing of food to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households April 24. This approval will allow the state to expedite the implementation of online purchasing with currently authorized SNAP…

By Sen. Allison Clarkson Thankfully as a result of Vermonters adopting “Stay Home, Stay Safe” and practicing public health safety measures — social distancing, wearing face masks and gloves — the spread of the novel coronavirus has slowed significantly in Vermont. The growth rate in new Covid-19 cases is lower and the number of people…

By Jim Harrison This past Friday, April 24, Governor Scott turned the spigot ever so slightly or as Stewart Ledbetter said on “Vermont This Week” (the Friday evening PBS program for political junkies), “He took baby steps.” Vermont continues to show a slowing of new cases. However, as Scott pointed out, neighboring states like Massachusetts…

  Staff report As the state begins taking measured steps toward re-opening, Governor Phil Scott and Health Commissioner Mark Levine say it is more important than ever to wear cloth face coverings whenever Vermonters leave home. Masks are important in order to keep our communities healthy when we have to be around each other for…

Governor Phil Scott and Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) Commissioner Michael Pieciak announced April 22 that more than 40 additional auto insurance companies have filed plans to return premiums or reduce their rates for Vermont policyholders. DFR has moved quickly to approve these plans, which amount to over $14.6 million in savings for Vermonters to…

$10,000 was recently granted to VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region The VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region (VNAHSR) has received a $10,000 grant from the VT Covid-19 Response Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation. The grant will be used to help the agency adapt to the changing realities of providing home health care and hospice during…

By Zachariah Ralph, Rep. WDR-1 Hartland, Windsor, and West Windsor This weekend truly felt like spring had arrived and that summer will come presently. I personally am looking forward to the arrival of morel mushrooms and planting my seedlings in my garden. A lot has been changing on the governance front, too. Remote voting The…

By Rep Jim Harrison Two weeks ago Governor Scott indicated that as circumstances allowed us to ease the “Stay Home Stay Safe” restrictions, that he would do so, but only a quarter turn of the spigot at a time. This past Friday, April 17, we saw the first of those turns. Beginning Monday, April 20,…

By Sen. Dick McCormack Closing state colleges? This issue is still in play, and what I write on April 18 may be outdated by press time. But the basic frame of the discussion is likely to persist. If we approach the question as pure book keeping, as supply and demand analysis, a case can be…

The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved more than $853 million in loans to 4,896 Vermont businesses, U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy announced on Wednesday, April 15. The assistance comes from the Paycheck Protection Program that was created as part of the CARES Act Congress passed in late March. Leahy, the Vice Chair of the Senate…

On April 17, Governor Phil Scott announced a flag lowering procedure to honor Vermonters who have died due to Covid-19, making the following statement: “This Sunday, April 19, marks one month since Vermont’s first two fatalities as a result of Covid-19. In honor of all the Vermonters we have lost to this terrible disease, I…

The possible closure of three VCS campuses sparked protests, debate on state’s funding priorities By Polly Mikula There was a a torrent of public backlash over the weekend after Chancellor Jeb Spaulding on Friday, April 17, proposed the closing of three Vermont State College campuses, cutting 500 employees under a radical restructuring proposal. The plan…