#vt

Citizen Portal News Vermont

@citizenptnewsvt.bsky.social

43 minutes ago

Lawmakers consider using late-year VHCB funds to jump-start supportive housing for people with developmental disabilities Witnesses told the House Committee on General Housing that modest, repurposed VHCB shelter funds could advance one or two permanent supportive housing projects for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and proposed adding advisory-council language to guide expenditure decisions.

Lawmakers in Vermont are exploring how to repurpose late-year funds to create permanent supportive housing for individuals with developmental disabilities—could this be the solution we've been waiting for?

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#VT #SupportiveHousing #CitizenPortal #AffordableHousing

Citizen Portal News Vermont

@citizenptnewsvt.bsky.social

6 hours ago

Bill would move hemp oversight to Cannabis Control Board, align state definition with new federal THC limits A committee reviewed a bill that transfers hemp regulation to the Cannabis Control Board, adopts new federal measurement rules (including a 0.4 mg per‑container cap), expands enforcement and testing powers, and establishes new fees — producers $50, processors $500, and a $75 product registration fee.

Vermont is set to revolutionize hemp regulation by shifting oversight to the Cannabis Control Board, aligning with new federal THC limits and introducing stricter enforcement measures.

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#VT #FoodResiliency #CitizenPortal #VermontAgriculture #HempRegulation #CannabisControl

Citizen Portal News Vermont

@citizenptnewsvt.bsky.social

11 hours ago

Act 46 review: witnesses say merger incentives were confusing; Slate Valley leaders urge sustained transition support Committee heard detailed testimony on Act 46 merger tax incentives: counsel explained statutory discounts, the 'phantom pupils' problem and subsequent fixes; Slate Valley leaders said incentives helped but were not the primary impetus for merger, stressed implementation costs and recommended longer transition support and clearer financial information for voters.

Act 46's tax incentives may sound appealing, but Vermont's school leaders reveal the real impact lies in the complexities of merger decisions that shape community futures.

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#VT #CitizenPortal #EducationReform #VermontSchools #TaxIncentives #CommunitySupport

Citizen Portal News Vermont

@citizenptnewsvt.bsky.social

11 hours ago

Committee finds H.952 favorable; capital bill advances with loan, park‑lease and reporting provisions The Ways & Means committee voted to find H.952 favorable, advancing a two‑year capital construction bill that mixes general‑obligation bonding with cash‑fund authorizations and adds policy provisions (expanded clean‑water loan terms, historic preservation gift solicitation, park lease authority and reporting requirements for Green Mountain Youth campus).

The Ways & Means Committee has given a green light to H.952, a pivotal capital construction bill that introduces new loan provisions and enhances funding for vital state projects!

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#VT #CitizenPortal #EconomicDevelopment #HistoricPreservation #VermontCapitalBill #PublicFunding

Citizen Portal News Vermont

@citizenptnewsvt.bsky.social

11 hours ago

Formerly incarcerated Kalani Gagne tells Senate committee of abuse, urges stricter vetting under H.550 At an April 7 Senate Committee on Institutions hearing on H.550, witness Kalani Gagne recounted transfers to out-of-state prisons, alleged staff harassment and uninvestigated PREA complaints, and urged clearer clinical vetting and mandated reporting to protect transgender and cisgender people in custody.

Kalani Gagne's harrowing testimony reveals the shocking abuse and neglect faced by incarcerated individuals in Vermont, urging lawmakers to take a stand for justice and accountability.

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#VT #CivicAccountability #PrisonReform #CitizenPortal #GenderEquity #VermontCorrections

Citizen Portal News Vermont

@citizenptnewsvt.bsky.social

11 hours ago

House panel debates how S.227 defines 'nonpublic' school areas, warrants and student‑records protections Committee members pressed the attorney general’s office on how S.227 would treat nonpublic areas of schools, who decides that designation, how warrants should authorize entry, and whether the bill’s student-records language should prohibit practices with the purpose or effect of excluding students.

The debate over S.227 is heating up as Vermont committee members demand clear rules on nonpublic school areas, student records, and law enforcement access—are our children's privacy rights at stake?

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#VT #CitizenPortal #EducationPolicy #VermontSchools #LawEnforcementAccess

Citizen Portal News Vermont

@citizenptnewsvt.bsky.social

11 hours ago

Assistant Attorney General urges broad student-privacy protections in House Education hearing on S.227 Assistant Attorney General Julio Thompson told the House Education Committee on April 7 that S.227’s privacy provisions largely fit within Second Circuit precedent and recommended drafting changes to avoid conflicts with federal statutes cited in the bill (referred to in the transcript as 13 73 and 16 44). He urged broad third‑party nondisclosure protections and clearer coverage of school districts and the Agency of Education.

Assistant Attorney General Julio Thompson advocates for stronger student privacy protections in Vermont, emphasizing that limiting law enforcement access in schools aligns with established legal precedents.

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#VT #CitizenPortal #EducationPolicy #PrivacyProtection #VermontSchools

Citizen Portal News Vermont

@citizenptnewsvt.bsky.social

12 hours ago

Committee reviews draft 7.2 for prekindergarten funding, asks for drafting and cost clarifications House Human Services reviewed draft 7.2 of prekindergarten funding language and signaled informal support in a straw poll; staff outlined a JFO contractor study to integrate pre‑K into Vermont’s finance system, reporting dates, and collaborative regional planning with AOE, AHS and Building Bright Futures.

Vermont's House Human Services committee is paving the way for groundbreaking changes in prekindergarten funding that could reshape educational access across state lines!

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#VT #CivicAccountability #CitizenPortal #VermontPreK #CommunityCollaboration #EducationFunding

Citizen Portal News Vermont

@citizenptnewsvt.bsky.social

12 hours ago

Joint House committees review bill to let DOC operate locked forensic facility for certain defendants Legislative counsel walked joint House Corrections & Institutions and House Judiciary members through S.193, which would let the Department of Corrections run a locked forensic facility for a narrow set of defendants (those tied to life-penalty offenses who are incompetent to stand trial or found not guilty by reason of insanity); the bill sets admission criteria, clinical safeguards, monitoring, involuntary-medication rules tied to Sell v. United States, and an October interim report and rulemaking schedule.

A new bill could revolutionize how Vermont handles defendants deemed incompetent to stand trial or found not guilty by reason of insanity, creating a specialized locked facility for their treatment and evaluation.

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#VT #CitizenPortal #PublicSafety #MentalHealthSafeguards

Citizen Portal News Vermont

@citizenptnewsvt.bsky.social

14 hours ago

Senate Education briefing examines proposal to inflate Act 73 base; JFO says first‑two‑year change would raise the permanent trajectory Lawmakers reviewed Joint Fiscal Office modeling showing Senate Education language that inflates the Act 73 base for the first two years would raise the permanent foundation formula base (example: ~ $16,575 vs $15,936 if NIPA were used), which — all else equal — would increase education funding obligations and likely require higher property tax revenue.

The Senate's proposal to inflate the Act 73 funding base could permanently boost education funding by nearly $700 per student, altering Vermont's fiscal landscape for years to come.

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#VT #PolicyReform #CitizenPortal #FiscalAccountability #VermontEducation #EducationFunding

Citizen Portal News Vermont

@citizenptnewsvt.bsky.social

14 hours ago

Joint Fiscal Office: education fund uses rising while pupil counts fall, increasing pressure on property taxes At an April 7 Senate Education Committee briefing, Joint Fiscal Office analyst Julia Richter told lawmakers statewide education fund uses rose from under $1.5 billion in 2009 to about $2.5 billion projected for FY27 while pupil counts declined, a combination that drives up per‑pupil costs and places more pressure on property tax revenue.

Vermont's education fund is skyrocketing while student enrollment drops, putting unprecedented pressure on property taxpayers—what does this mean for the future of education funding?

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#VT #CitizenPortal #PropertyTaxPressure #VermontEducation #EducationFunding

Citizen Portal News Vermont

@citizenptnewsvt.bsky.social

16 hours ago

McClure Foundation urges modest update to Higher Education Trust Fund to benefit colleges serving low‑income students Rebecca Copan of the McClure Foundation told the House Education Committee that modest statutory modernization of the Higher Education Trust Fund could better direct aid to institutions serving large numbers of low‑income students and described the foundation’s 'free degree promise' pilot.

Rebecca Copan of the McClure Foundation is advocating for a crucial update to the Higher Education Trust Fund that could transform opportunities for low-income students in Vermont.

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#VT #WorkforceInitiatives #CitizenPortal #EquityInEducation #CareerPathways #VermontColleges

Citizen Portal News Vermont

@citizenptnewsvt.bsky.social

16 hours ago

House Education Committee advances bill to standardize response to chronic absenteeism The House Education Committee on April 7 advanced an Agency of Education bill (reported out of committee 11–0) that would add statutory definitions for chronic absenteeism, require a state model policy and encourage nonpunitive, intervention‑focused approaches while preserving local control.

Vermont's House Education Committee just took a bold step to tackle the rising crisis of chronic absenteeism with a revolutionary bill focused on support over punishment!

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#VT #ChronicAbsenteeism #CitizenPortal #EducationPolicy #VermontEducation #NonpunitiveApproaches

Citizen Portal News Vermont

@citizenptnewsvt.bsky.social

17 hours ago

House Healthcare Committee reviews bill to create pathway to licensure for internationally trained physicians The Vermont House Healthcare Committee heard S.142, which would create a pathway of provisional and limited licensure for internationally trained physicians who meet educational, examination and supervised-practice requirements; the bill delays full implementation to 07/01/2028 and requires an interim report by 01/15/2027.

Vermont is taking a bold step to address its physician shortage by paving a new pathway for internationally trained doctors to practice—could this be the solution we need?

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#VT #HealthcareAccess #CitizenPortal #InternationalMedicalGraduates #VermontHealthcare #PhysicianShortage

Citizen Portal News Vermont

@citizenptnewsvt.bsky.social

18 hours ago

Administration proposes one‑time transfer to AOT for road and bridge storm repairs, cites FEMA limits The chief recovery officer told the committee the House had parked storm‑damage repair funds in a mitigation fund but recommends one‑time general funds be routed directly to the Agency of Transportation because the mitigation fund is not intended for repair of storm damage; the request includes roughly $1,347,107 tied to reviewed AOT estimates.

Vermont's chief recovery officer is pushing for a $1.3 million fund transfer to fix storm-damaged roads and bridges, highlighting the urgent need for local infrastructure support after FEMA’s rejection.

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#VT #TransportationImprovements #CitizenPortal #DisasterRecovery

Citizen Portal News Vermont

@citizenptnewsvt.bsky.social

18 hours ago

Committee debates seasonal life‑jacket requirement for most small vessels A legislative committee discussed a proposed seasonal personal flotation device (PFD) requirement for most people on small vessels underway between Nov. 1 and May 1, citing cold-water shock risks. Members raised enforcement, date-range, and sports‑activity exemptions and asked for additional witnesses and outreach plans.

Vermont's legislative committee is weighing a life-saving proposal for mandatory life jackets on small vessels during colder months—could this change save lives?

Learn more here

#VT #RecreationRegulations #CitizenPortal #PublicSafety #VermontWaterSafety #ColdWaterSafety

Citizen Portal News Vermont

@citizenptnewsvt.bsky.social

18 hours ago

Officials outline prevention fund revenue and propose $5 million for regional prevention leads State health officials told the committee the substance‑misuse prevention special fund is fed by cannabis excise tax revenue ("30% or up to 10,000,000") and that the administration proposes $5,000,000 for regional prevention lead organizations, including $1.5 million for staffing and $3.0 million for school programming.

Vermont is set to allocate $5 million from cannabis tax revenue to bolster substance misuse prevention programs, focusing on schools and regional initiatives.

Learn more here

#VT #PublicHealth #CitizenPortal #SubstanceMisuse #VermontSubstanceUse #EducationPrevention

Citizen Portal News Vermont

@citizenptnewsvt.bsky.social

18 hours ago

Administration asks authority to reassign ERA cash balances and outlines ARPA reallocation options The chief recovery officer told the committee that some ERA2 funds ($152,000,000) were used to replace general funds in eligible places, leaving cash funds that cannot be moved without authority; as of Dec. 31, 2025 the administration reported about $74,000,000 in ARPA remaining and described reallocation strategies (broadband, payroll) subject to timing and committee approval.

The administration is seeking crucial authority to transfer unspent emergency rental assistance funds, while navigating a complex landscape of reallocation strategies for remaining ARPA dollars.

Learn more here!

#VT #CitizenPortal #AffordableHousingReform #FiscalTransparency #CommunityResources

Citizen Portal News Vermont

@citizenptnewsvt.bsky.social

20 hours ago

House General & Housing panel debates applying prevailing-wage rules to treasurer's housing loan program Witnesses and committee members debated whether Vermont's prevailing-wage requirements should apply to projects that use treasurer-backed financing (the transcript refers to a "10% for Vermont" loan program). Members asked for fiscal studies and treasurer input; no vote was taken.

Vermont lawmakers are grappling with whether to apply prevailing-wage laws to treasurer-backed housing projects, as debates unfold over labor costs and project feasibility.

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#VT #HousingFinance #CitizenPortal #VermontHousing #LaborStandards #WorkforceDevelopment

Citizen Portal News Vermont

@citizenptnewsvt.bsky.social

20 hours ago

Ways & Means reviews H.955 amendments on property-tax classifications and pre-K funding The Ways & Means panel examined technical and policy edits to H.955: renaming 'dwelling' to 'dwelling unit' for classification rules, shifting classification data away from the public grand list toward a Department of Taxes attestation, debated a hardship appeals path and default-classification options for nonfilers, and reviewed education-related appropriation and effective-date amendments including a proposed delay to the foundation formula.

The Ways & Means committee is shaking up property-tax classifications and education funding in Vermont, sparking debates over how these changes could impact local communities and taxpayers.

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#VT #DataCollection #CitizenPortal #VermontPropertyTax #EducationFunding #TaxReform

Flyingcookiez

@flyingcookiez.bsky.social

21 hours ago

Boom Booom BOom! 🎵 #vtuber #vtuberclips #twitch #minecraft #twitchstreamer #vrc #gaming #scream🎵 YouTube video by Flying Cookiez Vods

BOOM BOOM BoOm

🔦A twitch clip of dbd posted to youtube!
youtube.com/shorts/Zqaz1...

🪝Twitch clip link:
www.twitch.tv/flyingcookie...

🪓Other Clips:
www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

🏷️Tags:
#2dvtuber #2dvt #2d #vt #vtube #vtuber #gaming #game #stream #youtube #Multiplayer #chatty #english #song #dbd

The Reverend Colonel

@aphilosophyof.bsky.social

21 hours ago

Sign the Petition - Free Ben & Jerry's Sign the petition to the CEO, Chairman and Board of Directors at Magnum.

Tell Magnum to #FreeBenandJerrys - sign the petition to the CEO, Chairman and Board of Directors at Magnum!

freebenandjerrys.com/sign-the-let...

#VT #Vermont

Suzanne

@suzannevtw.bsky.social

21 hours ago

Morning sunrise in a cloudy sky with layers of snow clouds above jet black trees.

A snowy forest scene with a branch of a pine tree (weighed down by the snow) blocking the path.

#Sunrise before the afternoon #snowstorm! #WalkToWork #LookUp #Forest #Nature #ECK #Photography #VT

Suzanne

@suzannevtw.bsky.social

22 hours ago

Colorful street art depicting a skull with a third eye surrounded by geometric shapes and lines on a concrete wall.

#TagTuesday #graffiti/streetart
#ColorADay #BlueTue #ECK #Photography #VT

Suzanne

@suzannevtw.bsky.social

22 hours ago

Bird tracks and big water drops in fresh white snow on a red step.

Come on, Mother Nature, seriously?!! #Birds #Spring #AlphabetChallenge #WeekNForNonsense
#Abstractia #splatter #VT

The Reverend Colonel

@aphilosophyof.bsky.social

22 hours ago

Every Dem politician posting today, including the #VT delegation, is saying “sOmE oNe MuSt StOp HiM!”

YOU, #DEMS. YOU HAVE THE POWER TO INTRODUCE ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AND INVOKE THE 25TH AMENDMENT.

When Mitch McConnell was minority leader he wielded IMMENSE power. What are you waiting for?!?

Citizen Portal News Vermont

@citizenptnewsvt.bsky.social

22 hours ago

Agriculture committee ranks FY2027 priorities, adds Salvation Farms funding and defends farm-to-school spending The committee moved Salvation Farms to its priority list and reaffirmed support for the governor's proposed farm-to-school ($500,000) and early-childhood ($500,000) grants while discussing working lands and conservation district funding during its April 7 meeting.

The Vermont Senate Committee on Agriculture is shaking up its FY2027 budget priorities, pushing for significant funding increases to support vital programs like Salvation Farms and farm-to-school initiatives!

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#VT #CitizenPortal #ConservationSupport #FoodSecurity

Citizen Portal News Vermont

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22 hours ago

Committee reviews House Bill H941 to limit municipal regulation of farms, debates carve-outs for small parcels The Senate Committee on Agriculture on April 7 reviewed House Bill H941, which largely preempts municipal bylaws for farming meeting the Required Agricultural Practices (RAPs) but allows towns narrow regulatory authority on parcels under 0.75 acres not operating before July 1, 2026, and creates a stakeholder study with a report due Jan. 30, 2027.

The Senate Committee on Agriculture is tackling House Bill H941, which could reshape local farming regulations—are municipalities ready for this change?

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#VT #CitizenPortal #LocalGovAI #VermontAgriculture #StakeholderEngagement #FoodSafety

The Reverend Colonel

@aphilosophyof.bsky.social

22 hours ago

@sanders.senate.gov are you in DC now? Have you invoked the #25thamendment? Have you helped @balint.house.gov file articles of impeachment?

As your constituent I demand to know what YOU are doing to remove this madman from power?

#vt #vermont #vtpoli

The Reverend Colonel

@aphilosophyof.bsky.social

22 hours ago

@welch.senate.gov are you in DC right now? Have you invoked the #25amendment? Have you assisted @balint.house.gov in filing articles of impeachment?

As your constituent I demand to know what YOU are doing to remove this madman from power.

#vt #vermont #vtpoli