Burlington Vermont Links and Resources

In 1994, Gregory Fitzgerald was sentenced to life in prison without parole for strangling his wife. He received a reduced sentence this month following an appeal and is eligible for parole. Read the story on VTDigger here: Man sentenced to life […]

Legislative leaders and Gov. Phil Scott generally agree on a housing-first approach to the state’s housing crisis. Read the story on VTDigger here: State leaders are preparing to spend $200M on housing. Activists say they want more..

Legislators have tried for years to raise Vermont’s minimum wage to $15 an hour. We might see a sequel to that fight this year. Read the story on VTDigger here: Final Reading: Deja vu?.

With incumbent Democrat Lt. Gov. Molly Gray vacating her seat to run for Vermont’s lone seat in the U.S. House, the 2022 race for lieutenant governor is wide open. Republican state Sen. Joe Benning, R-Caledonia, is already in the race. Read the […]

Nursing homes and long-term care facilities struggled to keep enough staff, and resident quality of care has suffered, a recent report to state lawmakers shows. Read the story on VTDigger here: Vermont’s long-term care facilities face […]

The bill moved forward on a vote of 97-49. Gov. Phil Scott has not said whether he would sign or veto the legislation should it reach his desk. Read the story on VTDigger here: Vermont House advances hospital gun ban, strengthened background checks.

The study also found many of the prison’s staff and incarcerated population believe the facility lacks key services to promote prisoners’ rehabilitation and reentry into society, as well as the staffing levels necessary to create a safe and […]

A Brattleboro supporter of Black Lives Matter is challenging the constitutionality of a state law that prohibits disturbing the peace by “electronic communications.” Read the story on VTDigger here: Facebook user’s lawsuit claims Vermont […]

Jon Murad, who took over the department in 2020 on an interim basis, is expected to go before the City Council for a confirmation vote Monday. Read the story on VTDigger here: Burlington mayor nominates acting police chief to stay on the job.

Vermont Catholics should recognize what is at stake at the synod — nothing less than a profound change in how the church understands itself and faces the world. Read the story on VTDigger here: Dennis O’Brien: Revolution in the Catholic Church? […]

We have a Climate Action Plan that lays out key strategies for creating healthier, more equitable and more resilient communities. The solutions identified here will be essential to keep our state on track. Read the story on VTDigger here: Ben […]

Lately, the desire for a story to explain why things happen has increased while the religious explanations have become less popular and consequently all sorts of crazy stories are rising up to fill that need. Read the story on VTDigger here: Robby […]

If the proposed amendment places no restrictions on the practice of abortion, then it does indeed allow “abortion up until birth.” Read the story on VTDigger here: Eileen Haupt: Prop 5 would eliminate all state restrictions on abortion.

About 70 people spoke during Wednesday evening’s public hearing on the proposed Reproductive Liberty Amendment, which would enshrine abortion rights in Vermont’s constitution. Read the story on VTDigger here: Vermont House hears from the […]

Vermonter Anne Miller leads the “PPE clearinghouse” that connects people who need personal protective equipment to companies that make it. Read the story on VTDigger here: Vermont Conversation: Project N95 works to mask the masses.

Lawmakers created Vermont's first-ever state ethics commission in 2017 after the state was hammered by a well-known transparency group for being a national outlier. But the commission has no investigative or enforcement powers. Read the story on […]

Three candidates are vying for the city council seat in Burlington’s South End, which has been a locus of housing issues over the past few months. Read the story on VTDigger here: In Burlington Ward 5 race, housing issues — including Sears Lane […]

In Essex Junction, new hires for the village government could mean higher property taxes in the short term. But officials maintain taxes would decrease in the long term. Read the story on VTDigger here: Essex Junction and town officials plan staff […]

With U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer set to retire, Vermont politicians are calling on President Joe Biden to fulfill his campaign promise to nominate the first Black woman to the highest court. Read the story on VTDigger here: With […]

Senate Bill 113 gives people the explicit right to sue a company for medical monitoring costs if they’ve been exposed to the company’s toxic emissions and meet certain criteria. Read the story on VTDigger here: Lawmakers again take up medical […]

In SAU 70, a school district on the Vermont-New Hampshire border, transgender students can keep their gender identity confidential. Now, a group of anonymous parents is challenging that policy. Read the story on VTDigger here: In cross-border […]

That we are allowing people with no medical training/education to shape the trajectory of a public health response is abysmally unintelligent and a major institutional failure. Read the story on VTDigger here: Richard Balzano: Adopt a school […]

Is there anything more severe than a global pandemic that could wake us up to the necessity to invest directly in public health and housing for all? Read the story on VTDigger here: Karen Saunders: Move forward on human rights — not one step back.

No matter your age, gender, religion, race, sexuality, or how much money you have in your bank account, we all have the right to make important decisions about our lives, our futures, and our bodies. Read the story on VTDigger here: Rev. Joan […]

Now is the time to build on this promising foundation with legislation that directs resources and recalibrates government programs to meet the needs of underserved groups. Read the story on VTDigger here: Susan Aranoff: Thank you, legislative […]