3 of the session’s largest climate bills face opposition from Phil Scott administration
The administration has expressed concerns with S.213, a bill that would establish a new state permitting system for building in river corridors, S.259, a bill that require big oil companies to pay for damages from climate change in Vermont and H.289, a bill that would update the state’s renewable energy standard.
Wild divide: A debate over wildlife management in Vermont runs deep
A yearslong debate about wildlife management in the state has started to mirror the divisiveness of national politics. Aiming to bring the two sides together, lawmakers wrote a bill that would change how wildlife is managed, but it has stalled in the House.
Final Reading: Lawmakers send safe injection site pilot legislation to Gov. Phil Scott
Advocates mount a last-minute push in support of the bill, which would allow the creation of an overdose prevention center in Burlington.
A coffee product’s ‘active ingredient’ leads to guilty plea in fraud case
According to charging documents, William Jack Powell worked to sell a product called “Hard Coffee” that claimed to be a “natural alternative to traditional” erectile medication, but lab tests showed it also contained tadalafil, the active ingredient in Cialis.
In compromise, budget panel agrees to new limits on motel housing program
A 1,100-room cap would kick in during the warmer months and be lifted during the winter. But eligibility during the colder months would be limited to households that meet certain vulnerability criteria.
Editors’ Picks
Our best stories, investigations, podcasts and more, as recommended to you by VTDigger editors.
Plan for home-based cannabis business in Rutland leads to fight among neighbors
City residents have appealed the zoning administrator’s decision to issue a business permit for the operation. Exacerbating tensions are the applicant’s ties to Mayor Mike Doenges, who has denied influencing the case.
Dispute over Abenaki identity in Vermont grows more entrenched
“We’re going to keep on pushing this,” said the chief of an Abenaki tribe in Canada that maintains many members of Vermont’s state-recognized tribes aren’t Indigenous.
Vermont Senate passes Act 250 reform bill after whirlwind debate
It’s not the end of the road for the bill, which seeks to make major changes to the state’s half-century-old land use review law.
Mulling a gubernatorial comeback, Howard Dean outlines a potential campaign message
The Democratic former governor confirmed last week that he was considering challenging Republican Gov. Phil Scott this fall. Now, Dean is testing out his talking points.
Art exhibit documents the Covid-19 vaccine experiences of Black Vermonters
The storytelling project, conducted by the Clemmons Family Farm at the height of the pandemic, is an effort to highlight and learn from Black Vermonters’ experiences.
Final Reading: Increased reporting on state contracts is back in play in the House
Last month, the Senate opted to funnel measures aimed at increasing contract transparency into a study.
As UVM starts disciplinary process for protesters, some lawmakers call for amnesty
Pro-Palestinian student protesters held a rally Monday afternoon demanding that the university grant them amnesty.
Lawmakers send new ‘Bitcoin ATMs’ regulation to Gov. Phil Scott’s desk
A bill that recently passed the state Legislature would impose sharp restrictions on cryptocurrency kiosks — including a yearlong moratorium on new machines — to fight back against scams.
Opinion
Columns, commentaries and letters to the editor written by community members and regular contributors.
Tom Dalton: Stripping standard protections from sober house tenants is unnecessary and dangerous
When a recovery residence violates the rights of a tenant by forcing them to leave the safety and sanctity of their home, the tenant often experiences a parade of horrors.
John Bossange: The eclipse traffic and crowds were a warning for Vermonters
The three minutes of darkness were a harbinger of an overcrowded and unsustainable future, unwanted by most Vermonters.
Mary Jo Kwiatek: Thank you for voting no on Zoie Saunders
It’s not a good look to blame your constituents if they disagree with you.
David Moats: Searching for solutions and avoiding demagogues
The trick for any generation is to sift through the competing claims and to focus on one’s true aims.
After reaching agreement with Middlebury College, student protesters take down encampment
“We’ve secured everything that we are going to get out of the negotiating,” said one of the students who participated in the pro-Palestinian encampment.
Phil Scott appoints Democrat to fill Emma Mulvaney-Stanak’s House seat
The decision prompted an immediate outcry from the Vermont Progressive Party, which argued the governor should have appointed a Progressive.
Obituaries
Death notices and celebrations of life.
At UVM, a fraught school year ends in protest over destruction in Gaza
An eruption of pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Vermont comes on the heels of simmering campus tension between students and administrators. Can UVM respond without making things worse?