MONTPELIER – Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark, joined a coalition of 12 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to stop the Trump Administration from unlawfully reallocating federal homeland security funding away from states based on their compliance with the Administration’s political agenda. In addition, the Administration reduced the period during[Read More…]
Vermont
Vermonters set to lose Medicare Advantage option
VERMONT – Nearly all Vermonters on Medicare Advantage (MA) individual plans are expected to lose their current health insurance for 2026. New data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reveal all but one provider in the state will discontinue coverage for 2026. Neither UnitedHealthcare nor Vermont Blue Advantage[Read More…]
Vermont’s drought is straining communities, leading residents to suffer
VERMONT – In Berlin, an elder care facility that serves about 150 people saw all of its wells go dry. Now the town, which is getting 50% less water from its own wells, has to jury-rig a system to make sure Berlin Health and Rehabilitation Center stays up and running. [Read More…]
Solar For All program paused
VERMONT – State Senator Andrew Perchlik, Energy Program Manager with the Vermont Public Service Department (PSD) shared news last month that all work and activities related to Vermont’s Solar For All (SFA) program were paused on August 7 and will remain paused until further notice.” The Vermont SFA program was[Read More…]
Under-funded ethics commission not taking new municipal cases
VERMONT – Last year, Christina Sivret was invited to speak at a national conference by the Campaign Legal Center in Washington, DC., a nonpartisan government watchdog. Director of the State Ethics Commission since 2021, Sivret said she was proud to represent Vermont as a beacon among states where ethics is[Read More…]
As drought persists, scientists expect a spectrum of foliage conditions
VERMONT – As days get shorter and nights get colder across Vermont, green valleys and hillsides will soon be flush with splotches of yellow, orange and red. Because of the state’s drought, scientists suspect that some trees may drop their leaves earlier, but not without providing humans a spectacle. “Every[Read More…]
Vermont lawmakers plan to consider balcony solar
VERMONT – While Vermonters look for ways to lower their energy costs, access to plug-in and portable solar panels could lower bills and carbon emissions, according to a new campaign launched in Montpelier on Wednesday. Balcony solar, or miniature panels that can be set up on a patio or lawn,[Read More…]
For open meeting laws to work, we need to show up
VERMONT – In a 2023 case involving a contested speech restriction during government meetings, the highest court in Massachusetts reminded us about our protected right to assemble in town halls throughout the region. Quoting John Adams, the court wrote in Barron v. Kolenda that the right to assembly is “a[Read More…]
Vermont officials ask residents to report drought impacts
VERMONT – As drought conditions worsen in Vermont, state officials are asking residents to report the impacts. On Thursday, the Agency of Natural Resources encouraged Vermonters to communicate information on dry wells and water supplies, farm losses, crop damage, low water levels in rivers, lakes and recreational areas, and other[Read More…]
Thousands convene for Labor Day solidarity events
VERMONT – This Labor Day, labor unions, activist organizations, workers and others across Vermont joined with over 1,000 other gatherings across the United States to build solidarity among workers and oppressed groups and advocate for workers’ rights. In Wolcott, organizers counted 95 people lining both sides of Vt. Rte. 15[Read More…]
Livestock farmers hurting as drought persists
VERMONT – George Foster, a third-generation farmer in Middlebury, cut corn on a neighbor’s farm on Tuesday to help feed his 950 cows after this summer’s drought shrunk his own crop. The 2,000 tons of additional feed cost roughly $100,000, Foster said, not including the labor of harvesting the corn[Read More…]
Vermont broadband board outlines major investment in NEK
VERMONT – Vermont is moving closer to universal broadband internet access, officials say, as the state’s Community Broadband Board released a proposal last week to allocate nearly $180 million in federal, state and private funds for broadband infrastructure projects. The bulk of the funds have been made available to Vermont through the[Read More…]
