Vermont This Week Vermont Public

Just a week after the passing of state Sen. Dick Mazza, Vermont has lost another political cornerstone with the death of Dick Sears, who served more than three decades in the Vermont Senate.Plus, Gov. Phil Scott continues to take action on the remaining bills from this past legislative session — including a veto of the so-called “yield bill” due to its double-digit property tax increase.And, a closer look at the evolution of the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival. That and more, ahead on Vermont This Week.

In "Trials & Tribulations," Vermont Public and Seven Days teamed up to spend a week inside Vermont's busiest courthouse. Reporter Derek Brouwer shares what they learned.Plus, the filing deadline for candidates has passed — we’ll tell you who’s on the 2024 primary ballot and what's at stake.And, Vermont’s largest health care system seeks state regulators' approval for a $130 million surgical facility. That, and more, on Vermont This Week.

With the filing deadline for candidates quickly approaching, the 2024 election season is starting to take shape.Former Gov. Howard Dean ended weeks of speculation and suspense this week, announcing he would not run for governor. "I think the future of the Democratic party is 40-year-olds, not 75-year-olds," Dean said.Plus, the list of state senators not seeking reelection grows, as the Vermont GOP hopes to make gains in the statehouse.And the University of Vermont halts plans for a proposed $100M housing project.

As the 2024 legislative session comes to a close, lawmakers are reflecting on a particularly contentious year.Panelists discuss which bills made it to the finish line — and discuss the announcement of long-serving Sen. Jane Kitchel's retirement.Plus, Vermont’s health insurers are eyeing steep rate increases for the year ahead.

Mitch Wertlieb makes his debut as the new permanent host of Vermont This Week, leading a panel of journalists in discussion of the issues animating the 2023-2024 legislative biennium's closing days.State lawmakers agree on safe injection site legislation, but Gov. Phil Scott has indicated he plans a veto.Vermont's biggest energy bill of the session, which would force utilities to source all of their power from renewable resources by 2035, is headed to the governor’s desk.Plus, panelists provide updates on pro-Palestinian encampments on Vermont campuses.

This week in the legislature saw heated words and a rare no vote from Senate lawmakers on Vermont's education secretary nominee Zoie Saunders.Plus, Howard Dean, Vermont's longest-serving governor, is making rumblings of a potential run at his old job. And panelists take a deeper look at Vermont students camping out on campus to protest the war in Gaza.