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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The Trump administration gave Vermont the go ahead Thursday to transfer the entirety of November’s monthly SNAP benefits to roughly 63,000 low-income recipients. -
Food shelves across the state are seeing increased demand, and diminished supplies, as low-income Vermonters turn to charitable organizations for food aid. -
Two federal judges ordered the Trump administration to release federal food benefits. Vermont officials say they hope to learn more Monday about whether those federal dollars are on the way. -
The Vermont state senator who’s been under pressure to resign since revelations surfaced this week of his participation in a racist group chat announced Friday evening that he’s leaving public office. -
A ruling this week in a multistate lawsuit that Vermont declined to join is fueling renewed criticism of Republican Gov. Phil Scott’s decision to hand over the sensitive personal information of low-income Vermonters to the Trump administration. -
More than 63,000 low-income Vermonters could see their federal food benefits disappear next month if the government shutdown lasts through October, and administration officials say the state might not be able to bridge the gap. -
Sen. Samuel Douglass said he was unaware of the “disgusting comments” made by his colleagues in his first public comment since Politico published a leaked message thread with members of Young Republican chapters in four states.
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A first-term Republican state senator from Orleans County is facing pressure from members of his own party to resign after a story published by Politico Tuesday detailed his involvement in a racist text chat between members of Young Republican chapters in four states, including Vermont. -
Juan De La Cruz and his family feared the worst when he showed up for a check-in with immigration officials in St. Albans Tuesday. But the Panton resident will be allowed to stay in Vermont while his asylum case is pending. -
The group Migrant Justice said the enforcement action is unlike anything Vermont has seen since the Trump administration launched its mass deportation campaign in January.
