Latest Vermont state government News

Abortion ruling prompts variety of reactions from states
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that had provided a constitutional right to abortion. The ruling is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states, although the timing of those laws taking effect varies. Some Republican-led...
Vermont Statehouse vandalized in apparent abortion reaction
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Police at the Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier say the building was vandalized early Saturday when seven windows were broken and a message painted outside the main door reacting to the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that overturned a constitutional right to abortion. ...

Republican governor urges US Senate to act on gun violence
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Vermont’s governor, who supported changes to the state's gun laws after what he felt was a narrowly averted school shooting, used his credentials as a moderate Republican to urge the nation’s senators to work together to address gun violence. In a letter...
Burlington to use ranked choice voting in council elections
BURLINGTON, Vt.. (AP) — Ranked choice voting will be used again in Vermont's largest city — but this time only for city council elections. The Burlington city council on Monday passed an ordinance that officially lays out the details of the “instant runoff...
Attorney general to resign, take job with gaming company
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Vermont Attorney General T.J. Donovan announced Friday that he is resigning this month to take a position with the online gaming company Roblox. Donovan, a Democrat, was first elected attorney general in 2016. He previously served as the state's attorney in...
Scott signs $8.1B budget with historic level of federal aid
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Vermont Gov. Phil Scott has signed an $8.1 billion state budget into law that will fund workforce development, housing, economic development, broadband and efforts to mitigate climate change. Scott said the historic levels of federal aid and state surpluses...
Vermont governor signs record transportation budget
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Vermont Gov. Phil Scott has signed a more than $868 million transportation bill into law that is the state's largest transportation budget ever and is supported by record federal funding, his office said. The five-year federal transportation funding is for...

Vermont says threatened orchid not seen since 1902 found
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — A federally threatened species of orchid that hasn’t been confirmed in Vermont since 1902 has been found, the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife said. Department botanists confirmed that a population of small whorled pogonia has been documented on...
Vermont governor vetoes safe injection sites for drug users
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Gov. Phil Scott has vetoed a bill aimed in part at creating one or more safe injection sites, also called overdose prevention sites, in Vermont where people could legally use drugs under supervision as a way to reduce overdoses. Scott, a Republican, wrote in...
Scott signs bills allocating millions to housing programs
RANDOLPH, Vt. (AP) — Gov. Phil Scott signed two bills into law Tuesday that invest tens of millions of dollars in housing programs using state and federal pandemic rescue funds. Together, the legislation will deliver more than $45 million to housing programs, Scott's office said...
