VPR News

The second day of the new legislative session is traditionally the biggest ceremonial day in the Statehouse, a time when officials are sworn into office and a joint session of the legislature packs into the House chamber for the Governor’s inaugural address. But the pandemic means this new session is anything but traditional.

Today marks the first day of the new legislative session in Vermont, and outgoing Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman gaveled in the Senate for an in-person floor session this morning.

Updated 7:25 p.m. Vermont Rep. Peter Welch was among the lawmakers evacuated from the U.S. Congress' House Chamber Wednesday after pro-Trump extremists breached the Capitol building.

The Great Shoe Spill of 1990 was the result of a shipping container falling overboard while crossing the Pacific Ocean, spewing more than $7 million in Nike sneakers into the sea. That shoe spill is the inspiration behind Overboard , a new exhibit by sculptor Andy Yoder at the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center.

Wednesday is the first day of the 2021 legislative session, and the Statehouse is faced with quite an unusual openining day, followed by a remote start to the session. This hour, we talk with freshman lawmakers and Statehouse employees about their plans, hopes and worries for 2021.

Democratic Sen. Becca Balint of Brattleboro is poised to be the first woman and openly gay person in Vermont history to serve as the Senate president pro tempore. Balint joins a historic all-female leadership team in the Legislature, during a session that is sure to be dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on Vermonters.

By the end of January, Vermonters in group 1A should have gotten at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. But there have been problems with federal vaccine distribution and some are now calling for delaying the second shot or adjusting the amount in each dose. This hour, our weekly health update includes the latest on the vaccine here in Vermont, as well as your COVID-19 questions.

Republican Sen. Randy Brock of Franklin County is a familiar face in the halls of Montpelier. He's served multiple terms in the Senate and as state auditor, but he returns to the Capitol this month in a new leadership role as Senate Minority Leader.

The pandemic has upended our daily lives and pushed people into tenuous financial situations. Many are making enough for the essentials but extra expenses, reduced income and isolation from loved ones has created anxiety about the future.

The COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on Vermonters is likely to dominate this year's biennium, which is set to begin this week. The new legislative session will open with a new slate of lawmakers poised to take over in leadership positions. That includes Rep. Jill Krowinski, of Burlington, who is slated to become the new Speaker of the House.

There are some big changes in leadership at the Statehouse to mark the start of a new biennium in Montpelier. But one of the few familiar faces belongs to Rep. Pattie McCoy, who represents Poultney and Ira. She's been reappointed House Minority Leader, making her the only holdover from 2020 in a leadership role.

A committee devoted to cleaning up Lake Champlain is asking some tough questions about Vermont’s signature dairy industry.

One southern Vermont town has voted to sue the state over pandemic public health restrictions.

As 2020 comes to a close, VPR's Anna Van Dine checked back in with a Northfield barber she interviewed earlier in the year. They talked about the pandemic, family, and the new year about to arrive.

It’s been quite a year for the Vermont State Colleges System. Back in April, then-Chancellor Jeb Spaulding surprised many with a proposal to close three campuses in the system. That was met with intense backlash ; the proposal was eventually tabled and Spaulding resigned . He was replaced by Sophie Zdatny.