Phil Baruth

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.

Senate President Pro Tem Phil Baruth will introduce legislation this week that he says will deliver property tax relief as soon as next year, but the proposal is already encountering skepticism within the Statehouse.

The critical first phase of Act 73 — mandatory school district mergers — has ignited fierce opposition in communities across Vermont. And lawmakers now have to confront the possibility that the reform law, enacted just six months ago, no longer has the political support needed to move forward as originally envisioned.

Streamlining governance in Vermont’s education system is the critical first step in a sweeping education reform law approved by Democratic lawmakers and Republican Gov. Phil Scott earlier this year. But a special commission created by the Legislature is urging lawmakers to rethink that plan.

Democratic lawmakers have spent the last five years laying the groundwork for the most aggressive emissions-reduction policies Vermont has ever seen, but a political sea change after the November election has brought that work to a “standstill,” according to legislators and climate advocates.

Economic officials in Vermont and Canada say President Donald Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric, and the uncertainty over his next move, could have the most lasting effects on the nearly $2 billion in foreign exports that Vermont businesses rely on annually.

Elected officials across the political spectrum have said they want to deliver major policy changes in education, housing and other areas, but six weeks into the 2025 legislative session, lawmakers haven’t made much progress toward those goals.

A forecast published this week by the Vermont Department of Taxes projects a 5.9% jump in property taxes next year, but Republican Gov. Phil Scott said he is seeking to put forward a proposal that would keep tax bills flat in 2025.

While next year’s forecast isn’t as dire as some elected officials had feared, Democrats and Republicans say the projected increase is more than many homeowners can bear.

A well-funded electioneering operation bankrolled by Gov. Phil Scott helped Republicans capitalize on voter disaffection over the rising cost of living in Vermont.