Education

Under the Dome: Legislative Updates 05/05/2025

Host Meghan O'Rourke, CCTV, speaks with Representative Troy Headrick (CHI-15, Burlington), Representative Karen Dolan (CHI-22, Essex Junction), and Representative Barbara Rachelson (CHI-14, Burlington) about the 2025 legislative session.

To contact your local representative, you can find their contact information on the State's website.

CCS Bridging Program: The Music Men 05/05/2025

Liz Underwood, Bridging Coordinator, Champlain Community Services (CCS), introduces students from the CCS Bridging Program. In this episode, The Music Men ask each other about Bridging and Pop-Culture!

Community Media Public Benefit Bill: H.575 and S.181: Vermont House Government Operations and Military Affairs - Testimony of S.59 Open Meeting Law 05/02/2025

Testimony of S.59 Open Meeting Law at the Vermont House Government Operations and Military Affairs.

On Friday, the House Government Operations Committee took testimony from representatives of the Vermont Press Association and the Vermont Bankers' Association. The Vermont Bankers’ Association testimony has not yet been submitted to the committee.

Vermont Press Association’s written testimony: https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Workgroups/House%20Government%20Operations/Bills/S.59/Witness%20Documents/S.59~Lisa%20Loomis~Written%20Testimony~5-2-2025.pdf

Community Media Public Benefit Bill: H.575 and S.181: Vermont House Government Operations and Military Affairs - Discussion of S.59 Open Meeting Law 05/01/2025

Discussion of S.59 Open Meeting Law at the Vermont House Government Operations and Military Affairs.

On Thursday, the House Government Operations Committee continued their discussion and took testimony from representatives of Vermont Housing Finance Agency, Vermont Communications Union District Association, NEK Broadband, and the Land Use Review Board. Below are links to the beginning of the testimony and materials presented. Meghan O'Rourke was in the room on Thursday.

S.59: VCUDA Testimony: https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Workgroups/House%20Government%20Operations/Bills/S.59/Witness%20Documents/S.59~Christa%20Shute~VCUDA%20Testimony~5-1-2025.pdf

S.59: Land Use Review Board Overview: https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Workgroups/House%20Government%20Operations/Bills/S.59/Witness%20Documents/S.59~Peter%20Gill~Land%20Use%20Review%20Board%20Overview~5-1-2025.pdf

Community Media Public Benefit Bill: H.575 and S.181: Vermont House Appropriations Committee - Discussion of VAN’s FY26 Budget Request 05/01/2025

Discussion of VAN’s FY26 Budget Request at the Vermont House Appropriations Committee.

On Thursday, the committee had an overview of the Senate’s changes to the budget. During discussion, Rep. Steven asked about VAN’s funding and the line for the Secretary of State's office that is for the same amount. Emily Byrne, JFO, said there was language for that one-time language - Rep. Scheu clarified that one time appropriation was not connected to VAN and the Senate concurred with the House’s version of the budget for VAN.

Moments with Melinda: Interview with Peter Edelmann 05/01/2025

From Melinda Moulton:

Peter Edelmann is visionary, serial entrepreneur, redeveloper, and transformational wizard of the Essex Experience.

For more information visit: www.essexresort.com/essex-experience-vermont

May Day: Rally Against Amazon in Vermont 05/01/2025

From the organizers:

Come tell the Essex Development Review Board and Amazon Representatives Amazon is not right for Vermont! Join us at the MAY 1 PUBLIC COMMENT at Essex High School to speak out against Amazon in our community! 6:00 rally and 6:30 public comment!

Hosted by Vermont Against Amazon.

May Day: Stand Up for Worker and Immigrant Rights 05/01/2025

From the organizers:

The Trump administration has launched a war on working people. Trump, Musk, and their fellow oligarchs are ripping up union contracts, denying workers rights to collective bargaining, laying off thousands, and slashing social programs. To get away with this all-out assault, they are trying to divide and conquer us, scapegoating migrants, people of color, trans people, and Palestine solidarity activists. But the labor movement will unite, resist the Trump administration, defend everyone under attack. We know that an injury to one is an injury to all!

This May Day we will rally and march in Williston, Vermont in solidarity with Migrant Justice’s day-long picket at Hannaford Supermarkets. They are demanding that Hannaford join Milk with Dignity and pay farm workers fair wages and benefits. We will assemble, march past the ICE Data facility, which centralizes and distributes information to immigration authorities and law enforcement throughout the country to arrest and deport migrants, and end with a rally at Hannaford with Migrant Justice.

We call on all unions, faith groups, and organizations to endorse and mobilize for May Day in Williston. We do so in solidarity with all other May Day actions throughout the state from Montpelier to every other town and city. Now more than ever we must revive the tradition of solidarity forged on the first May Day in 1886 that united all workers–migrants and citizens–in a strike for an 8-hour workday. Today, as the rights and living standards of all workers and oppressed groups hang in the balance, we must unite and fight for our collective liberation. Join us!

Endorsers: AFSCME Local 1674, Cooperation Vermont, Free Her, Green Mountain Democratic Socialists of America, Green Mountain Labor Council, Migrant Justice, PPNEUnited, Party for Socialism and LIberation, Tempest Collective, Vermont Coalition for Palestinian Liberation

For more information visit: https://actionnetwork.org/events/may-day-2025-2/

Community Media Public Benefit Bill: H.575 and S.181: Vermont House Government Operations and Military Affairs - Discussion of S.59 Open Meeting Law 04/29/2025

Discussion of S.59 Open Meeting Law at the Vermont House Government Operations and Military Affairs.

On Tuesday, the House Government Operations Committee continued their discussion and mark-up with legislative counsel on S.59, a bill which makes technical corrections to Vermont’s open meeting law. On pg. 3 of the side by side document, included below, VAN’s language suggestion is mentioned - the document says the committee is still considering the change and notes the language is not needed (this tracks with what we heard in committee last week).

S.59: As Passed by Senate: https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Workgroups/House%20Government%20Operations/Bills/S.59/Drafts,%20Amendments,%20and%20Other%20Legal%20Documents/S.59~Tucker%20Anderson~As%20Passed%20by%20Senate~4-29-2025.pdf

S.59: Side by Side: https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Workgroups/House%20Government%20Operations/Bills/S.59/Drafts,%20Amendments,%20and%20Other%20Legal%20Documents/S.59~Tucker%20Anderson~Side%20by%20Side~4-29-2025.pdf

See pg. 3
- 3. VAN Proposal for (a)(6)(A): (A) A public body of a municipality or political subdivision, except advisory bodies, shall record or cause to record, in audio or video form, any meeting of the public body and post a copy of the recording in a designated electronic location for a minimum of 30 days following the approval and posting of the official minutes for a meeting.
- TA (Tucker Anderson, Legislative Counsel) Comment: 3. This language is not necessary. However, the committee may choose to add it in an effort to provide clarity for municipalities and others.

Visit to the Landry Park Greenhouse 04/29/2025

Town Meeting TV meets with Carolina Lukac, teacher of the Early Bird Gardening class, to take a tour of the new Greenhouse.

This project materializes a new partnership between Vermont Garden Network and City of Winooski. We extend much gratitude to the grant support from Vermont Foodbank and to the contractors at Vine Ripe for making this dream a reality.

For more information visit: https://vtgardens.org/greenhouse/

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