Universal mail-in voting OK’d in Vermont

MONTPELIER — Universal mail-in voting is now a permanent feature of Vermont’s general elections, under legislation that Gov. Phil Scott signed Monday. Now, local officials will be required to mail ballots to all registered voters in the weeks leading up to the November general elections, as they did in the fall of 2020. The state decided to automatically send ballots to voters before last year’s election to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at the polls. But after the change helped drive record voter turnout i … (read more)

MONTPELIER — For nearly 15 months, Gov. Phil Scott has led Vermont through the COVID-19 crisis, relying on immense executive powers granted through the declaration of a state of emergency.Since March 13, 2020, Vermont’s emergency status has served as a ve … (read more)

MONTPELIER — After sending a $7.35 billion state budget to Gov. Phil Scott’s desk, the Vermont Legislature adjourned this past Friday, ending a historic legislative session marked by remote lawmaking and the state’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandem … (read more)

MONTPELIER — A $100 million broadband expansion bill was approved unanimously Tuesday by the Vermont Senate. The plan would funnel federal dollars both to the state’s communications union districts and small internet service providers to bring fiber to ar … (read more)

VERMONT — Gov. Phil Scott on Tuesday unveiled a plan to spend $1 billion of federal COVID-19 aid on major investments in broadband expansion, affordable housing and initiatives to address climate change. If approved by the Legislature, Scott’s proposal wo … (read more)

VERMONT — As Vermont continues to grapple with an economic crisis brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, Gov. Phil Scott on Tuesday pitched a state budget that preserves state government programs and makes major investments in affordable housing, broadband, … (read more)

MONTPELIER — Gov. Phil Scott on Wednesday unveiled a $400 million economic relief package that aims to ease the strain of the COVID-19 crisis on Vermont businesses, agriculture, and housing. The Scott administration outlined the two-phase proposal, which … (read more)

VERMONT — Gov. Phil Scott declared a state of emergency in response to the coronavirus pandemic on Friday, taking action to limit the size of public gatherings and suspending some regulations to bolster the health care workforce.  The measure also restric … (read more)

MONTPELIER — The Vermont House on Tuesday voted to override Gov. Phil Scott’s veto of a bill that would raise the minimum wage from $10.96 to $12.55 by 2022. In a 100-49 vote, Democrats were able to just meet the two-thirds majority needed to counteract S … (read more)

MONTPELIER — The House Ways and Means Committee advanced legislation this past Wednesday that would legalize a marketplace for marijuana and set a 20% combined tax rate on sales of the substance. The action means the bill, S.54, will likely see a full vot … (read more)

Editor’s note: Addison Independent reporter John Flowers contributed to this report. MONTPELIER — After climate change protesters were cleared from the Vermont House chamber at the start of Gov. Phil Scott’s annual State of the State address this past Thu … (read more)

VERMONT — Paul Bruhn, who preserved hundreds of historic sites throughout Vermont and led a movement to fortify downtowns across the state, died Thursday, Sept. 19, at age 72. Bruhn, who co-founded the Preservation Trust of Vermont in 1980, was a modest b … (read more)

VERMONT — In 2013, Vermont became one of the few states in the nation to offer driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants. Six years later, it is one of two states to have allowed federal immigration authorities to search its photographic database of dr … (read more)

MONTPELIER — Gov. Phil Scott has appointed Xusana Davis, who currently serves as a top official in the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, to be Vermont’s first executive director of racial equity. Davis, 30, is the director of health a … (read more)