Peter Hirschfeld
ReporterHelp shape my reporting:
The Vermont Statehouse is often called the people’s house. I am your eyes and ears there. I keep a close eye on how legislation could affect your life; I also regularly speak to the people who write that legislation. The more I hear from you, the better I’ll be at my job. So, what issues do you want lawmakers to focus on? What info do you most urgently need?
I'm eager to hear from you. Get in touch here.
About Peter:
Peter Hirschfeld covers state government and the Vermont Legislature. He is based in Vermont Public’s Capital Bureau located across the street from Vermont’s Statehouse.
Hirschfeld is a Vermont journalist who has covered the Statehouse since 2009, most recently as bureau chief for the Rutland Herald and Times Argus. He began his career in 2003, working as a local sports reporter and copy editor at the Times Argus.
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Hank Poitras’ ascendancy in conservative politics is raising questions about who gains power in a Vermont Republican Party that says it is trying to distance itself from the extremists within its ranks. -
It is unusual for pro tems who aren’t seeking higher office to announce their retirement mid-session. Senate President Pro Tem Phil Baruth said he wanted to give his colleagues time to choose his replacement. -
U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Hank Harder inherits leadership of a 3,000-member Army National Guard and 1,000-member Air National Guard, the latter of which recently participated in a federal mission that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. -
Forced school district consolidation isn't the only obstacle to reform this year, because Vermont lawmakers will also have to poke the hornet’s nest that is school choice. -
Some lawmakers want to replace the commission, enacted into law last year, with a new model for international partnerships. But the commission's supporters say it's the most effective vehicle to improve ties with what they consider the gateway to the European Union. -
The federal immigration authorities that detained a Ugandan pastor outside his workplace Wednesday are now denying him the medication needed to treat his Type 2 diabetes, according to his lawyer. -
A judge released Hussien Noor Hussien, who came to the United States as a refugee from Somalia, on bail. On the same day, agents detained another well-known Vermonter, Steven Tendo, who has been seeking asylum after fleeing Uganda. -
As the acting U.S. attorney for Vermont, Michael Drescher led the Trump administration’s high-profile prosecutions of two students who were arrested and detained by federal immigration authorities last year for their outspoken criticism of the war in Gaza. -
The Senate Finance Committee will soon vote out a bill that attempts to curb growth in property taxes by taking the unusual step of telling school districts how much they can spend. -
Officials with the Vermont State Ethics Commission say staffing shortages have prevented the body from fulfilling its statutory mission.
