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 This issue is still in play, and what I write on April 18 may be outdated by press time.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…

By Anne Wallace Allen/VTDigger When it comes to liquor purchases made in the first weeks of quarantine, Vermonters went for quantity over quality, buying more 1.75-liter bottles of inexpensive brands, and less of the artisanal spirits that have defined their purchasing habits in the past. Liquor sales from state stores increased by 14% in March over…

With all the sacrifices Vermonters are making to keep themselves and others healthy during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is taking extra steps to ensure that no one has to wonder if their water is safe to drink, according to an April 10 news release. DEC is working with drinking water…

The Vermont Department of Labor has implemented an alphabetized structure for the intake of weekly claims and inquiries based on the first letter of their last name.  The structure took effect on Sunday, April 12. The structure is: Sunday (everyone), Monday (A-E), Tuesday (F-L), Wednesday (M-R), Thursday (S-Z), and Friday (Everyone) Those with questions about…

By Art Woolf The state processed a record 16,474 claims for unemployment insurance for the week ending April 4, according to the weekly report, Thursday, April 9. The previous record was set two weeks prior when the state processed 14,700 applications. In a normal week, about 500 people apply. Since the economic shutdown began in mid-March,…

Legislation leads to unintended consequences By Anne Wallace Allen/VTDigger As he ponders a future where online orders are dropping and the opening of a new store in Connecticut has been delayed, Danforth Pewter CEO Bram Kleppner is also wrestling with another unexpected problem: Workers who leave their posts are eligible for more than $1,100 a week—…

Action hopes to expand the pool of care providers available during COVID-19 emergency Health care professionals can now quickly become temporarily licensed to provide care during the COVID-19 public health emergency, according to a news release April 13. Gov. Phil Scott signed Act 91 on March 31, granting emergency authority to expedite temporary licensure for…

By Kit Norton/VTDigger Days after dropping out of the presidential race, Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden in a campaign livestream discussion between the two men, Monday, April 13. “I’m asking every Democrat, I’m asking every independent, I’m asking a lot of Republicans to come together in this campaign to support your candidacy,…