By Aidan Quigley BURLINGTON — Three survivors of the Parkland, Florida, high school shooting brought their message of activism and optimism to Vermont Friday, Oct. 19. David Hogg, Emma Gonzalez and Alex Wind, the co-founders of the March for Our Lives movement calling for an end to gun violence in the United States, appeared at…

By Xander Landen/VTDigger A new report by the Vermont State Auditor found the tax department did a poor job of documenting the reasons behind some tax abatements, and suggested that lawmakers should have more oversight of the process. The investigation was prompted in 2016, after current and former employees raised concerns about certain business tax…

By Xander Landen/VTDIgger Gov. Phil Scott on Friday hit back at the state Ethics Commission’s finding this week that he had a conflict of interest, calling it an “October surprise in an election year.” Scott suggested the complaint filed against him regarding his ongoing financial relationship in his old company, DuBois Construction, was politically motivated.…

By Rep. Jim Harrison With the Nov. 6. Election Day coming fast, it may be time to take a look at potential issues that may be before the Legislature next January.  No doubt, the ones listed are just a sampling of topics. There are also inevitably “sleeper” issues that seem to pop up each session…

By Elizabeth Gribkoff/VTDIgger A legislative committee decided Thursday to postpone a vote on amending farm water quality rules following objections from environmental advocates. In a Sep. 18 letter to the Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules, the Conservation Law Foundation, the Vermont Natural Resources Council and the Lake Champlain Committee said that proposed amendments do not…

By Mike Faher/VTDigger Vermont earned high marks on a new federal study of hospitalizations and deaths due to cardiovascular events like heart attack and stroke. The state had the nation’s lowest death rate in 2016 for cardiovascular events deemed “preventable” in the study, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vermont also fared well in hospitalization…

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced Thursday, Sept. 13, that Vermont will receive $3 million from the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) to build, preserve and rehabilitate affordable rental housing for extremely low-income families. This is the third year in a row that Vermont will receive a $3 million allocation from the Trust Fund, which…

The deadline to apply for an antlerless deer permit to be used during Vermont’s December 1-9 muzzleloader deer season is Thursday, Aug. 29. Antlerless deer hunting permit applications are on Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s website (vtfishandwildlife.com), and printed applications are available from license agents statewide. Hunters applying online for an antlerless permit will do so…

By Mark Johnson/VTDigger Cornelius “Con” Hogan, a veteran public policy maker who led the Vermont Agency of Human Services, Corrections Department and most recently served on the Green Mountain Care Board, died Sunday at his home in Plainfield of cardiac arrest. He was 77. Hogan was an internationally recognized expert on social issues, particularly problems…

By Jim Therrien/VTDigger BENNINGTON — Rep. Kiah Morris, D-Bennington, who has been the target of online racial comments and threats to her safety, has withdrawn her candidacy for re-election just 10 days after winning the Democratic nomination for a third term. During her four years in the Legislature, Morris has become one of the strongest…

Governor Phil Scott recently announced 239 Vermont schools have been awarded school safety grants totaling $4 million, which will fund infrastructure upgrades designed to improve school safety. This funding is possible through a $5 million funding package proposed by Scott and passed by the Legislature this spring. An initial $4 million in grants will fund…

Green Mountain Power is offering Tesla Powerwall 2.0 batteries to 100 eligible customers, free of charge. A $150,000 grant from the Vermont Low Income Trust for Electricity (VLITE)  will pay for the cutting-edge technology and installation in the homes of low-income customers with significant need for backup power reliability due to health and mobility issues.…

Allstate agency owners are coming together to support the Vermont Foodbank by holding a donation drive in their agencies until Sept. 15. Agency owners are calling on residents to support local families and youth as they begin the new school year by donating items for the Foodbank’s BackPack Program, an initiative that distributes kid-friendly, nonperishable,…

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Election Data & Science Lab ranked Vermont first overall in elections administration for the 2016 election. The EPI is widely considered by state election administrators as the most reputable elections management index, and provides a non-partisan, data-driven measure of how well each state is performing in managing its national elections…

By Stephen Seitz WOODSTOCK—Democrat Alison Clarkson, who is on her first term in the state Senate, is eager for more. “I love the Senate,” she said. “I love this job, and I’d love to be returned to the Statehouse.” Clarkson added working together is how things get done. ”Legislation is a team effort,” she said.…