The Montpelier Happy Hour

May 1, 2026: The Commons News Editor, Randy Holhut, joins this week's conversation. He updates listeners on local issues and examines potential education changes that could affect Windham County schools. He also shares memories of reporting on outgoing Representatives Mollie Burke and Leslie Goldman. Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://www.rhtt.net

April 24, 2026: John Watlers from The Vermont Political Observer is back! In this episode, we discuss the ongoing Legislative Session, Act 181, and Primary Candidates.Read John Walters' work at The VPO: https://thevpo.org/Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://www.rhtt.net

April 17, 2026: With Act 181 in the news, here is a rebroadcast of the first conversation with then Rep. Bongartz about the revisions to Act 250 that eventually became Act 181. From the January 26, 2026, broadcast: Rep. Seth Bongartz joins this week's show to continue the housing conversation. Bongartz has worked on a number of housing-related bills and will share his insight on what's working (or not).Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://www.rhtt.net

April 10, 2026: "Act 181 was the straw that broke the camel's back," explains Loralee Tester in this week's episode. Tester, the executive director of the Northeast Kingdom Chamber of Commerce, shares her concerns about how revisions to land-use laws might hurt small communities. Her worries don't stop with Act 181. For Tester, the policy's potential impacts on small towns are broad and likely to do more harm than good.Tester's op-ed in Vermont Digger: https://vtdigger.org/2026/03/10/loralee-tester-when-protection-becomes-exclusion/Tester references the April 8, 2026, Vermont House Committee on the Environment, taking testimony related to Act 181 (specifically S.325, an act relating to planning and Act 250 Tier jurisdiction). The committee had several rounds of testimony. Here are the links:9:00 AM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mrd1m7pmbIk&t=2909s10:00 AM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo25sEqpLa011:15 AM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-JKFPrbrgc2:10 PM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJjJ8OpqQbU&t=49sTheme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://www.rhtt.net

April 3, 2026: John Walters from The Vermont Political Observer is back and filling us in on what he's seeing on Vermont's political landscape. In today's conversation: Democrat candidates' frustrations with the VDP, campaign finance filings, ICE in South Burlington, the role of agitators, and why we're still optimistic. Read John's work here: https://thevpo.orgTheme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

March 27, 2026 (originally aired 12-27-2019): This week, we continue our conversation about infrastructure with a twist. Instead of built infrastructure like roads and bridges, we're discussing regulations. Rep. Emilie Kornheiser and the Commissioner of the Department of Financial Regulation share their thoughts on positive regulation and how it can support businesses.Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net/

February 20, 2026: Annual Town Meeting is around the corner. It's a day wrapped in traditions, stories, civic engagement, potluck lunches, and discussions about dollars and cents. But it is also an annual gathering that raises questions about how we ensure access, practice self-governance, build community, and the health of our local democracy.Writer and educator, Susan Clark, has studied town-meeting styles of government across New England and in Europe. She returns to the show to discuss why Annual Town Meeting still matters, brain research, and Brattleboro's Representative Town Meeting. Clark is co-author of "Slow Democracy" with Woden Teachout, and "All Those In Favor," with University of Vermont Professor Frank Bryan. Both books are available for free download.Slow Democracy: http://slowdemocracy.org/All Those In Favor: https://vtinstituteforgovt.weebly.com/Annual Town Meeting from the Vermont Secretary of State: https://sos.vermont.gov/elections/election-info-resources/town-meeting-local-elections/Voice LIVE: Who Governs Brattleboro and How panel on Brattleboro's Representative Town Meeting (voters will consider doing away with the meeting structure): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ct8p0xb2YkTheme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net/

January 29, 2026: In today's conversation, John Walters of the Vermont Political Observer updates listeners on Nick Deml's new job, shares his thoughts on Governor Scott's budget address, and questions the need for county sheriffs. As mentioned:PAI's 2019 State of Working Vermont Report, looking at underinvestment in public needs: https://publicassets.org/research-publications/state-of-working-vermont-2019And, in comparison, PAI's 2022 State of Working Vermont Report, looking at how more money is better for households and the economy: https://publicassets.org/research-publications/state-of-working-vermont-2022Read John's work: https://thevpo.org/View Artist Kent Monkman's work: https://www.kentmonkman.com/Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://www.rhtt.net/

January 23, 2026: Housing, raising more local revenues, lowering property taxes, and transportation funding are just a few of the issues facing municipalities this year. Josh Hanford, director of intergovernmental relations, updates listeners on VLCT's work on behalf of Vermont's towns.The Vermont League of Cities and Towns: https://www.vlct.org/VLCT's testimony on Housing, including Act 181: https://www.vlct.org/news/testimony-house-general-affairs-and-housing-committee-regarding-housing-1726S.255 - proposed legislation establishing a pilot Law Enforcement Governance Council in Windham County: https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/S.255Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://www.rhtt.net/

January 16, 2026 (recorded on 1/15): Every year, the Public Assets Institute releases its State of Working Vermont report. The document outlines the economic landscape for working Vermonters. Unfortunately, the ratio of costs to wages is out of whack for many households. Julie Lowell, PAI's Economic Security Policy and Outreach Director, breaks down the full report. Read the full SWVT report here: https://publicassets.org/research-publications/state-of-working-vermont-2025Check out the Joint Fiscal Office's Basic Needs Budget reports: https://ljfo.vermont.gov/publications/report/basic-needs-budget-reportsJulie mentioned Voices for Vermont's Children - here's their website: https://www.voicesforvtkids.org/Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://www.rhtt.net/

January 9, 2026: Welcome to a new year and the second half of the Legislature's biennium! This week, lawmakers returned to the State House. Gov. Phil Scott focused the majority of his State of the State Address on education reform and Act 73.Journalist John Walters joins the conversation this week to reflect on the opening of the session. He shares his thoughts on campaign announcements by Molly Gray for Lieutenant Governor and Tim Ashe for State Auditor. Read Gov. Scott's State of the State Address: https://governor.vermont.gov/press-release/governor-phil-scott-delivers-2026-state-state-addressCheck out the State Auditor's reports and audits in progress: https://auditor.vermont.gov/Read John's work at The Vermont Political Observer: https://thevpo.org/Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://www.rhtt.net/

December 19, 2025: As we finish up 2025, Rep. Emilie Kornheiser joins the show to break down the annual "December 1st letter." In this document, the VT Department of Taxes outlines the expected education tax yields for the upcoming fiscal year. This year, the department is forecasting an average increase of 11.9 percent. NOTE: The number, however, is not set in stone and may change by the end of the the Legislative session. Find the December 1st letter here: https://tax.vermont.gov/press-release/commissioner-taxes-releases-fy2027-education-tax-rate-letterTheme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

December 12, 2025: Overhauling Vermont's school districts and governmental structures are two options being floated to control education costs. Enter the School District Redistricting Task Force and its examination of the state's education system. Windham County State Senator Wendy Harrison served on the task force and today outlines its recommendations and report.Read the Task Force's report here: https://aoa.vermont.gov/school-district-redistricting-task-forceTheme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

December 5, 2025: John Walters of The Vermont Political Observer is on the show this week. We discuss education, housing, and tariffs. View the Agency of Commerce and Community Development's Canadian visitation data: https://accd.vermont.gov/canada-research Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

November 28, 2025: Randy Holhut, news editor for The Commons, joins this week's conversation with an update on local news. He shares his thoughts on high school sports, changes at Vermont Independent Media, and what the 2026 elections could mean for VGOP. The Commons: https://www.commonsnews.org/The Deerfield Valley News: https://www.deerfieldvalleynews.org/Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

September 12, 2025: Gov. Phil Scott surprised many when he vetoed H.91. Lawmakers designed the bill to address homelessness while phasing out what is commonly known as the emergency hotel/motel program. This week's episode features a reading of the bill as it passed the Vermont Legislature and is one piece of multiple conversations exploring the thoughts and decisions that go into developing legislation. Why a full read? While this bill was discussed in the press, not all its details were printed, and we wanted audience members to receive a fuller picture. Many thanks go to Journalist Leah McGrath Goodman for helping read through the bill. To view H.91: https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/H.91Gov. Scott's veto letter: https://governor.vermont.gov/document/h91-veto-letterTheme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

September 5, 2025: Rep. Leslie Goldman dives into systems and health care in this week's episode. Paraphrasing a former professor, Goldman said that systems get the results they were designed to achieve. If so, what does that say about health care in Vermont? Goldman represents Windham 3 and serves on the House Committee on Health Care.Read S.27 (Act 21): https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/S.27 Read H. 71: https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/H.71Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

August 29, 2025—Rep. Christopher Morrow weighs in on his first session as a new lawmaker. He's mulling over issues around leadership and investing in government oversight, education, and health care. Morrow represents the tri-county Windham-Windsor-Bennington district. Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

August 22, 2025 (prerecorded 8/21): John Walters is back and sharing his concerns about Vermont's news (small and getting smaller) news environment. He discusses campaign finance filings and preparing for the 2026 gubernatorial race. Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

August 15, 2025 (First released April 5, 2019): Public policy creates systems that serve the public. But, we the public are very unpredictable. So what does that mean for our policy? Rep. Tristan Toleno opens the door on a concept called systems thinking and how it can inform our policy.Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

August 8, 2025: Randy Holhut, news editor with Vermont Independent Media, and John Walters, the journalist behind The Vermont Political Observer, join today's discussion. They share thoughts on Gov. Phil Scott's approach to working with the Trump Administration and US Rep. Becca Balint's efforts to build alliances across the aisle. Being journalists, we must also discuss the state of Vermont's newsrooms. That there are positives and challenges will surprise no one. But what about the use of AI-generated articles? Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

August 1, 2025: State Sen. Nader Hashim discusses his work on the Senate Education and Judiciary Committees. He breaks down the details of new legislation for adoptions and standby guardianships (H.98), expanding the scope of hate-motivated crimes (H.118), and clarifying how state agencies work with the federal government for immigration enforcement (S.44). H.98: https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/H.98H.118: https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/H.118S.44: https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/S.44Find more information about filing paperwork with the Vermont Judiciary: https://www.vermontjudiciary.org/self-helpTheme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

July 25, 2025: Zon, Emily, and Ian return to the show to discuss their first session in the State House. Is serving in Vermont's Citizen Legislature all they imagined? Listen to Zon and Ian's Podcast THE ZIP: https://www.brattleborotv.org/the-zip/Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

July 18, 2025 (First recorded on December 20, 2024): Three of Windham County's newly elected representatives join today's show. Emily Carris-Duncan, Zon Eastes, and Ian Goodnow discuss their expectations for January. Veteran Rep. Emilie Kornheiser shares her experience and thoughts for the upcoming biennium. Follow the representatives' work at Vermont's legislative website: https://legislature.vermont.govThem music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

July 11, 2025: What's been happening in Vermont? Journalist John Walters and Olga discuss summer floods, mitigation plans, and election funding. Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

July 4, 2025: Rep. Michelle Bos-Lun shares her thoughts on the session's big education bill, collaborating across the aisle on the Ag Committee, and how 2025 compares to previous years. Read H.167: https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/H.167Read S.60: https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/S.60Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

July 27, 2025: Rep. Mollie Burke (Windham-8) looks back at the recent session and her 17 years on the House Committee on Transportation and Climate Caucus. This year was about "holding the line," said Burke, against several funding gaps and proposals designed to roll back climate policy. Burke also outlines her reasons for voting "no" on the education reform bill. Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

** Warning. This conversation includes: online violence and rape **June 20, 2025: Vermont State Senator Wendy Harrison shares her take on the Legislative Session. She updates listeners on bills that received less media attention, such as Act 63, or the "Kids Code," which aims to protect young people online. Read Act 63 "Kids Code: https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/S.69FBI warning parents about online violent groups targeting young people: https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2025/PSA250306RCMP warning parents about violent online groups targeting young people: https://rcmp.ca/en/news/2024/08/rcmp-reminds-canadians-about-violent-online-groups-targeting-youthTheme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

June 13, 2025: John Walters, the journalist behind The Vermont Political Observer, weighs in on Governor Phil Scott's veto of H.91. The bill was designed to replace the emergency hotel/motel program and strategically address homelessness. To date, Governor Scott has vetoed more than 50 pieces of legislation. John Walters also has thoughts on that. And, for all your journalism nerds out there, John shares his experience at the Institute for Nonprofit News Conference.Learn more about H.91: https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/H.91Read Governor Scott's H.91 Veto message: https://governor.vermont.gov/sites/scott/files/documents/H.91%20Veto%20Letter.pdfThe Institute for Nonprofit News: https://inn.org/The Vermont Political Observer: https://thevpo.org/Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net/

April 18, 2025: Vermont's education-related property taxes have jumped in recent years, increasing the sense of urgency to reduce costs. The Legislature is considering the education reform bill, H.454. The Scott Administration has its proposal to reform the state's public preK-12 system. Analysts at the Public Assets Institute say the proposals may have unintended consequences. Executive Director Steph Yu and Senior Policy Analyst Jack Hoffman join today's discussion. They say Vermont's education spending and staff ratios have remained relatively flat. The deeper issue is that low- and moderate-income households feel the squeeze. Follow H.454's path through the Legislature: https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/H.454Read Jack Hoffman's 4/15/25 blog post on the issue: https://publicassets.org/research-publications/education-reform-reduxPAI staff's 4/18/25 a FAQ-style blog on school tax fairness: https://publicassets.org/research-publications/how-to-make-school-taxes-fairer-this-year-and-beyondTheme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

January 10, 2025: Three journalists sit down for a podcast... No, this isn't the start of a joke. But this conversation on the 2025 Legislative session is a reminder that what happens in Montpelier is seriously fun. Investigative Journalist Leah McGrath Goodman and Political Journalist John Walters share their insights on the state of the State of Vermont. Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

January 3, 2025: In the new year's first episode, Olga and Emilie geek out on tax policy. Emilie shares her thoughts on how taxes can help Vermonters' household budgets and outlines tax policies likely to hit the wall for the new legislative session. We also share what we think will be the dirty words in the State House this year. Oh, and there's a bunny sighting. Learn more about Public Assets Institute's three-part plan for property tax relief: https://publicassets.org/research-publications/property-tax-relief-for-vermontersFollow the work of the Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont: https://education.vermont.gov/state-board-councils/commission-on-the-future-of-public-educationTheme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

December 27, 2024: In our final episode of 2024, Amanda Kay Gustin, Director of Collections & Access at the Vermont Historical Society, shares her thoughts on Vermont's 74th governor. Davis is known for enacting the state's sales tax and land use law, Act 250. In this conversation, we use Davis' farewell address as a touchstone.Read Davis' 1973 farewell address here: https://sos.vermont.gov/media/guclccwd/davis1973.pdfTheme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

December 20, 2024: Three of Windham County's newly elected representatives join today's show. Emily Carris-Duncan, Zon Eastes, and Ian Goodnow discuss their expectations for January. Veteran Rep. Emilie Kornheiser shares her experience and thoughts for the upcoming biennium. Follow the representatives' work at Vermont's legislative website: https://legislature.vermont.govThem music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

December 13, 2024: Representative Emilie Kornheiser and Host Olga Peters reflect on their end-of-the-year exhaustion and how to regain their curiosity. We also share our thoughts on the responsibilities of living in a democracy. Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

December 6, 2024: It's that time of year again! If you're a tax nerd, it's exciting. For taxpayers, maybe not so much. The state Department of Taxes has released its annual December 1 education tax rate letter. In this letter, the department forecasts expected education tax rates and any projected increases. For FY26, the department projects a 5.9% increase in the average property tax bill. The Montpelier Happy Hour's Regular Contributor and resident tax expert, Representative Emilie Kornheiser, explains what all this means.To read the letter in full: https://tax.vermont.gov/press-release/commissioner-taxes-releases-fy2026-education-tax-rate-letterTheme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

(Rebroadcast 11/29/24)This episode is the first episode of Civic Yarn, a short-lived project by John Hagen and Olga Peters. The episode was filmed on July 28, 2021 at ORCA Media in Montpelier. Brattleboro's BCTV provided editing and music. Episode description: Senate Pro Tem Sen. Becca Balint and Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski share funny and poignant stories about serving in the state legislature. The leaders discuss how the January 6 riots in DC cast a long shadow over the 2021 session. Balint describes how a high school history class sparked her desire to run for office. Krowinski outlines the life experiences that prepared her for the role of Speaker.Watch the video at BCTV's website: https://www.brattleborotv.org/montpelier-happy-hour/civic-yarn-ep1-rep-jill-krowinski-and-sen-becca-balint/

November 22, 2024: A couple of weeks have passed since the November 5 elections, but our conversations aren't done. Journalist John Walters says he's old enough to be repeatedly disappointed by elections. Today, he joins the show to share his take on what the recent state-level elections mean for Vermont. Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

(Rebroadcast 11/15/24) October 30, 2020 - For many, the pandemic and next week's presidential election are only the tip of the emotional iceberg that is 2020. On today's show, Olga and Emilie speak with therapist, activist, dancer, and mom, Emily Megas-Russell.To learn more about EMR's work visit With Great Heart: http://www.wgreatheart.comTheme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

November 8, 2024: Olga and Emilie share their thoughts on the presidential and state elections and what they might mean for the 2025 Legislative Session. Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

November 1, 2024: As part of our ongoing conversation on health care, we discuss Reference Based Pricing. Today's guests, Marilyn Bartlett, CPA and senior fellow with the National Academy for State Health Policy, and Mark Hage from the VT-NEA share their insights on how RBP works and how the state can potentially use it to reduce costs.A 2023 presentation to the Green Mountain Care Board on RBP by Marilyn Bartlett: https://gmcboard.vermont.gov/sites/gmcb/files/documents/Referenced%20Based%20Pricing%20presentation%20-%2005.03.2023%20-%20Marilyn%20Bartlett%2C%20Chris%20Deacon%2C%20Mark%20Hage.pdfTheme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

October 25, 2024: Journalist John Walters weighs in on what seems new and different about the campaigns happening in Vermont this year. In a state that prides itself on make-nice politics, are we seeing more divisiveness in 2024? John Walters' blog The Vermont Political Observer: https://thevpo.orgTheme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

October 18, 2024: Lachlan Francis chairs the Windham County Democratic Committee. As the 2024 Presidential Election approaches, Lachlan shares his insights on some of the quirks in voting styles and party affiliation that Vermonters are known for. Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

October 11, 2024: Health Care Advocate Mike Fisher joins our ongoing conversations about health care in Vermont. He outlines the work of Vermont's Office of the Health Care Advocate, some of the issues facing people navigating the health care system, policy, and finding support. The Office of the Health Care Advocate is available to all Vermonters free of charge. To ask questions, get support, or learn more visit: https://vtlawhelp.org/healthTheme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

October 4, 2024: Rep. Lori Houghton, Chair of the House Health Care Committee, discussed health care in Vermont and the challenges associated with reforming the system. She provided an overview of the Act 167 Community Engagement report, which was prepared by the consulting firm Oliver Wyman. This report garnered attention for its recommendations to restructure hospitals and for identifying four " at risk" institutions, including Grace Cottage in Windham County.To follow the House Health Care committee's work: https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/detail/2024/15Read the full Act 167 Engagement report: https://gmcboard.vermont.gov/sites/gmcb/files/documents/20240911_Act%20167%20Community%20Engagement_OW%20Exec%20Summary%20Report_v01.pdfTheme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

September 27, 2024: As Emilie and Olga prepare to dive into the topic of health care, we wanted to share with listeners this conversation with Vermont's Health Care Advocate Mike Fisher from December 15, 2023.From the December 15, 2023 episode: Vermont Health Care Advocate Mike Fisher discusses the cost of health care. What options do we have to lower costs? This conversation builds off of last week's discussion about education taxes.The Vermont Office of the Health Care Advocate: https://vtlawhelp.org/healthBills* H.118 and S.61 which Mike Fisher discussed: https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2024/H.118https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2024/S.61*Note: H.118 and S.61 are the House and Senate versions of the same bill. They may not move through the chambers at the same time, however, so keep an eye on both. Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

September 20, 2024: Earlier this month, the State Auditor's office released its audit of the State Hazard Mitigation Plan. This plan outlines the state's responses to disasters such as flooding and infectious diseases. The audit concluded that there is room for improvement in the state's planning efforts. Auditor Doug Hoffer shared his office's findings.Read full audit here: https://auditor.vermont.gov/sites/auditor/files/documents/StateHazardMitigationPlan-FinalReport_0.pdfTheme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

September 13, 2024: Leslie Black-Plumeau from VHFA joins this week's discussion. Leslie is the Research and Communications Relations Director at VHFA and helped put together the Vermont Statewide Housing Needs Assessment 2025-2029 on behalf of the VT Department of Housing and Community Development. The assessment's key findings outline how the state's housing shortage is pinching communities now and possibly into the future. HUD requires the assessment for state that receive federal housing dollars. Leslie summarizes the report in this post: https://vhfa.org/news/blog/vermonts-2025-2029-housing-needs-assessment-completedRead the full Housing Needs Assessment here: https://accd.vermont.gov/housing/plans-data-rules/needs-assessmentHousingData.org is a useful source for housing information: https://www.housingdata.orgTheme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

September 6, 2024: Last month, the Brattleboro Selectboard received crime data showing a 16 percent increase in calls to police. Many calls were to report violations such as burglary and assault. Investigative Journalist Leah McGrath Goodman shares her views on the data and what it could mean for the town. For more information, check out coverage from Journalist Kevin O'Connor at VTDigger:Brattleboro seeks to boost police presence to address rising crime: https://vtdigger.org/2024/08/21/brattleboro-seeks-to-boost-police-presence-to-address-rising-crime/Many police calls require social services. What if providers have no-trespass orders on those in need? https://vtdigger.org/2024/09/04/many-police-calls-require-social-services-what-if-providers-have-no-trespass-orders-on-those-in-need/In other news... Public safety has been a growing concern for some in Vermont. Governor Phil Scott has issued a 10-point public safety enhancement and violence prevention plan. Learn more here: https://governor.vermont.gov/press-release/governor-phil-scott-issues-10-point-public-safety-enhancement-and-violence-preventionTheme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

August 30, 2024 (prerecorded 8/29): Writer, communications consultant, and podcast host Kevin Ellis joins our conversation today. Where does Vermont (and Vermont voters) fit in the national political landscape? Do our votes matter in presidential elections? Or, are those the wrong questions in a state that guest Kevin says does democracy really well? Learn more about Kevin and his work: https://www.kevinkellis.com/Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net