Westgate Court on Marlboro Road in West Brattleboro. Photo by Randolph T. Holhut/The Commons This article by Joyce Marcel was first published in The Commons on Feb. 8, 2023. BRATTLEBORO—There is uncertainty brewing in the town’s complex landlord-tenant relationship as voters prepare to decide on an amendment to the town charter. As proposed, landlords — with some exceptions, including owners who live in their duplexes and triplexes and who rent accessory units on their property — would be prevented from evicting tenants without cause. Rent increases would be capped at 12%. The tightness of the ..read more

Rep. Peter Welch speaks at the Vermont Statehouse in September 2018. File photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDigger Statehouse rats were treated to a visit by a local celebrity today: U.S. Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., returned to his old stomping grounds under the golden dome, offering dispatches from Washington to the state Senate’s Appropriations and Transportation committees, as well as the House Agriculture Committee. “You know, I have such fond memories of starting here,” the former state Senate president pro tempore told reporters in the cafeteria, a glimmer of nostalgia in his eye. Or was that the ..read more

Hinesburg Town Hall seen on Tuesday, November 9, 2021. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger This story by Corey McDonald first appeared in The Citizen on Feb. 9. In 1988, when the Lyman Meadows condominium development was built, the population of Hinesburg’s village area almost doubled, by some estimates. That housing buildout, one of others to come, may have been the starting point for a plan of growth in the town village — 40 square miles of land off Route 116, wedged between the LaPlatte River and Patrick Brook that for decades has been targeted for economic growth in the town. Now, those plans ..read more

Judge Jennifer Barrett listens to testimony opposing her confirmation during a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting Feb. 3, 2023 in the Vermont Statehouse. File photo by Riley Robinson/VTDigger The state Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously Friday in favor of confirming a former Orleans County prosecutor who faced unusual opposition in her nomination to the Vermont Superior Court. The 5-0 vote came immediately after Judge Jennifer Barrett came before the panel to defend her record. Judicial nominations, which must receive the consent of the state Senate, are usually speedy, pro-forma aff ..read more

FaRied Munarsyah, a candidate seeking the nomination for the Burlington city council’s South District and a supporter of Proposition Zero, speaks during a Burlington Progressive Party caucus last month. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger FaRied Munarsyah compares the Burlington city charter to an operating system. He and other advocates for Proposition Zero, a proposed charter change, think they’ve found a bug that they hope to patch. The independent candidate for the South District city council seat has a background in information technology, which could explain why he is prone to using computer ..read more

House Commerce and Economic Development Committee members, from left, Rep. Logan Nicoll, D-Ludlow, Rep. Michael Marcotte, R-Coventry, and Rep. Stephanie Zak Jerome, D-Brandon, confer at the Statehouse in Montpelier last month. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger Legislators are working to strengthen Vermont’s consumer privacy law. A House bill would give Vermonters the option to request that their data not be tracked by data brokers, and would create a registry of Vermonters who do not allow their data to be tracked. It also would allow Vermonters to request deletion of any data that had already b ..read more

Rep. Peter Conlon, D-Cornwall, chair of the House Committee on Education, is seen at the Statehouse in Montpelier last month. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger On Thursday morning, lawmakers in the House Committee on Education were shown an image of a raw egg, caught between the jaws of a vise and just beginning to crack.  That egg, part of a PowerPoint presentation by Franklin Northeast Supervisory Union Superintendent Lynn Cota, was a metaphor for the state of mental health in Vermont schools. “There comes a point — a breaking point — where things start to break,” Cota told lawmakers. “A ..read more

Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth, D/P-Chittenden-Central, who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee and introduced the bill, said the measure is modeled after similar legislation in other states. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger A bill that would ban paramilitary training camps, such as Slate Ridge in West Pawlet, drew positive comments Thursday from members of the Senate panel reviewing it. However, some lawmakers expressed concern that proving someone violated the proposed legislation would be difficult. The bill, S.3, would make it a crime to operate a paramilitary training f ..read more

This commentary is by Ruth Hardy, a Democratic state senator from Addison County. Last week, senators introduced S.56, legislation that would transform access and affordability of child care and early childhood education in Vermont.  The bill draws on recent child care systems and financing studies and builds on the strengths of the current system to ensure that each partner — families, schools, child care providers, and state agencies — has the resources and support they need to best care for our youngest Vermonters.  The bill would:  1. Significantly increase financial assista ..read more

This commentary is by Nancy Gassett, a resident of Vernon. One can only guess what is going on in Montpelier to explain why the Vermont Legislature recently passed H.42, suspending the Vermont Open Meeting Law until July 1, 2024.  H.42 was passed and signed into Vermont law by Gov. Scott on Jan. 25. There is no explanation in the language of H.42 for the purpose or need for the sudden suspension of Vermont Open Meeting Law or the changes made to annual Vermont Town Meeting procedures.  This unexpected new law was passed just in time to greatly affect Vermont’s tradition and practice ..read more