MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Which terms best represent 2025? Every year, editors for publications ranging from the Oxford English Dictionary to the Macquarie Dictionary of Australian English select a “word of the year.” Sometimes these terms are thematically related, particularly in the wake of world-altering events. “Pandemic,” “lockdown” and “coronavirus,” for[Read More…]
Another Opinion
Senate, House Republicans respond to tax letter
MONTPELIER – Today, December 1, the Vermont Tax Department released its annual forecast on the 2026 property tax implications of Vermont’s PreK–12 education system, projecting a sharp rise in Education Property Taxes. According to the report, the statewide average property tax increase is projected to be 11.9%. School districts are expected[Read More…]
Beyond headlines: How recovery is getting done
HARDWICK – Flood recovery in Hardwick isn’t one project or one timeline. Clearing debris, reopening roads and stabilizing buildings was only the opening phase. The work now looks different, less visible, more procedural and essential to getting projects funded and built correctly. Most of the current progress is happening through[Read More…]
When letting go Is an act of strength
HARDWICK – Last year, I stood in the backyard of a young woman who had bought her family home believing she was building her future in the place where she was raised. She experienced six floods in two years; she moved her car to higher ground six times; she watched[Read More…]
Seize the opportunity for second chance on school reform
MONTPELIER – The Act 73 Redistricting Task Force wrapped up their work, and they’ve given the state a chance to rethink the course of education reform it has been pursuing for the last decade. Vermont communities, as well as elected leaders, should seize this opportunity to get us out of[Read More…]
Vermonters deserve notice, fair voice in land-use decisions
MONTPELIER – Vermont is undergoing the most significant land-use regulation update in over 50 years. As Tier 2 and Tier 3 mapping and rulemaking under Act 181 of 2024 move forward, decisions are being made right now that will affect how Vermonters access their homes, and live on, build on[Read More…]
Federal efforts to undermine medical debt relief condemned
MONTPELIER – The Trump administration recently issued a new interpretive rule advising that the Federal Credit Reporting Act preempts state measures to remove medical debt from credit reports. This guidance, issued by Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Acting Director Russell Vought, directly challenges laws passed in several states, including Vermont,[Read More…]
Shutdown poses risks to Vermont families
MONTPELIER – As the federal government remains shut down, many of the supports that Vermont families and children rely on are under threat, creating ripple effects for child abuse prevention programs and the safety net services that help keep homes healthy and safe. At Prevent Child Abuse Vermont (PCAVT), we[Read More…]
Rebuilding Brush Street stability
HARDWICK – If you walk down Brush Street and look toward the river, it is still easy to picture the home that once stood at 41 Brush Street. In early 2023, a fire destroyed the house and the owner lost their life in that fire. Six months later, the July[Read More…]
Federal websites and the Hatch Act
Americans visiting the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service website to learn what might be happening with their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which have been threatened to end on November 1, during the Federal Government shutdown, have seen some version of yesterday’s message copied below,[Read More…]
Vermont’s housing needs require decisive action
Vermont faces a housing crisis that threatens our economic future and the ability of working families to remain in our state. The cost of housing has skyrocketed with median home prices in Vermont more than doubling in the last 10 years, putting both homeownership and rentals out of reach for many.[Read More…]
Health insurance changes explained
WASHINGTON, D.C. – I want to keep you up to date on major changes that will impact you if you get your health insurance through a Medicare Advantage plan. As you may have already heard, there will be a dramatic reduction in Medicare Advantage plans available to Vermonters starting in[Read More…]
