OPINION: Give students a seat at the table
By energetically pursuing student engagement in the next steps toward the future of public education, lawmakers can pave the way for a more inclusive and informed Vermont.
COMMENTARY: Where’s Phil Scott?
I was at the Hands-Off rally in Montpelier on Saturday. It was an amazing display of solidarity and showed the determination we need to oppose what's going on in our nation's capital.
Rep. Stevens: Another veto of ‘the very least we can do’
Unfortunately, I have to update the status of the Budget Adjustment Act, which the governor imperiously vetoed again last Friday.
LETTER: Notes on radio in the 2000s
Many of you know that Jack Donovan recently hung up his WDEV earphones. He and I had a conversation recently about changes in radio since he and I began.
LETTER: Are crowded classrooms worth minimal savings?
For those of you who think that closing elementary schools (for barely any savings) might be a good idea, please read.
OPINION: America’s suicide attempt
While I’ve greatly enjoyed studying the Middle Ages, I sure as hell wouldn’t want to live through them. We’re about to do something unprecedented among developed countries, which is to reject the benefits of modern science and medicine.
Call to action: Veteran teacher says let’s be honest about ed spending
Vermont’s Education Fund is facing a major issue—but it’s not about spending on education itself. The fund has been used as a political dumping ground, with continuous unfunded mandates piling up.
Op-Ed: ‘It could happen here’
My father told me about what he saw because he knew he was getting old, that his generation would soon pass from the world, and there were people who were saying that what he witnessed that day was a lie.
Letter: Support your local agency on aging
As we face the possibility of unprecedented changes to the way that federal funding supports aging services in Vermont, it’s important for us to take this opportunity to provide some clarity.
Rep. Stevens: ‘Money bills’ at the session’s halfway mark
This last week saw the House of Representatives considering the bills passed through policy committees prior to crossover, with a focus on “money bills.”
Op-Ed: Public safety and substance use needs a comprehensive approach
Vermont has long been a leader in treatment for addiction and substance use, particularly through its Hub and Spoke model which was launched nearly a decade ago to address the opioid epidemic.
State Treasurer: Hang up & report phone ‘spoofing’ calls
The Vermont Treasurer’s Office is aware that several Vermonters have received unsolicited calls from individuals claiming to be U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers.
OPINION: Continued public investment in child care is key to small business success
In order to grow our small businesses and better support working families in Vermont, we need to keep making progress on child care.
OP-ED: Youth Lobby urges lawmakers, governor to stick with climate promises
As a part of the Vermont Youth Lobby, I was one of several Vermont youth who spoke at our Rally Day of Action at the State House on March 13, and at a press conference afterward. Below is a condensed transcript of our remarks from the press conference.
LETTER: Usurpation of parents' rights continued on March 13 at the State House
Stop for one moment and imagine a role reversal of the two groups occupying Room 11 at the Vermont State House on March 13: A trans rights group reserved Room 11 and a parent’s rights group attended to disrupt. No doubt, the parent’s group would have been immediately escorted out.
LETTER: Demonstration surpressed others’ First Amendment rights
I was tremendously disappointed when I read of the suppression of the First Amendment right of free speech in the State House recently.
LETTER: Climate initiatives are investments in Vt. farmers, future
When extreme weather wipes away farmers’ harvests, when climate change fuels extreme storms, small-scale farmers—especially small growers working in harmony with the land—face devastating losses.
DPS Commissioner: Public safety requires rebalancing priorities
Last fall, Vermonters delivered a clear message: They want meaningful change on the issues impacting their daily lives: property taxes, education, housing, and affordability. One common concern unites all these challenges: the need to ensure the safety of our communities, downtowns, neighborhoods, and personal property.
Secretary of State responds to executive order on ‘Integrity of American Elections’
On March 25, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order on “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections.” The order proposes significant changes to elections across the country that Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas has called “an unprecedented overreach of federal authority.” Here is the secretary of state’s statement in full regarding this executive order.
Doug Racine: ‘It’s the education fund that’s broken, not the K-12 education system’
Voter anger over property taxes has led to angst this winter in the Statehouse. A legislative leader recently urged fellow legislators and all Vermonters to discard “preconceived notions” about the issue. There seems to be a public consensus that our current education finance system is fundamentally flawed. Irretrievably broken. That something brand new is needed.