Vermont
Jewish group files ethics complaints against Vermont legislators who took paid trip to Israel – VTDigger
MONTPELIER — A Jewish group that opposes Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has lodged ethics complaints against the five members of the Vermont House who traveled to Israel last September on a trip that was sponsored by the Israeli government.
The Vermont and New Hampshire chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace argued in filings last week that by accepting invitations to go on the trip, the Democratic and Republican legislators ran afoul of state laws limiting what gifts public officials should accept.
The lawmakers are Rep. Sarita Austin, D-Colchester; Rep. Matt Birong, D-Vergennes; Rep. Gina Galfetti, R-Barre Town; Rep. Will Greer, D-Bennington; and Rep. James Gregoire, R-Fairfield. In all, 250 legislators from all 50 states attended the trip, which was described as the largest-ever gathering of U.S. state legislators in Israel.
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According to an Instagram post from Israel’s government at the time, the lawmakers “witnessed the magnitude of the October 7 tragedy, experienced Israel’s innovation and cutting-edge technology, tasted our incredible cuisine, and met with Israel’s leaders — including the Prime Minister, the President, the Foreign Minister, and many others.”
At a press conference Tuesday in the Statehouse — the first day of the 2026 legislative session — members of Jewish Voice for Peace, and several other advocacy groups, lambasted the lawmakers’ decision to travel to Israel and demanded they resign.
Officials from the Israeli government valued the trip at $6,500 per person, according to records attached to the ethics complaints that Jewish Voice for Peace filed.
“As elected representatives of Vermont, they implicated our state in Israel’s atrocities,” said Ashley Smith, a member of the Vermont Coalition for Palestinian Liberation, one of the groups at the press conference, speaking to a crowd of dozens of people.
Israel’s ground and air campaign against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip has killed more than 70,000 people, according to local health authorities. Israeli strikes have destroyed vast swaths of buildings and other infrastructure in the enclave. At the same time, the United Nations has declared a famine there, saying that more than half a million people face “starvation, destitution and death” as a result of Israel’s war.
An independent U.N. commission determined last year that Israel has committed four “genocidal acts” in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023. The Hamas attacks on that day that prompted the campaign killed about 1,200 people and led to 250 being taken hostage.
Three other current state legislators were also at the press conference standing among the presenters, including Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky, P/D-Chittenden Central; Rep. Kate Logan, P/D-Burlington; and Rep. Esme Cole, D-Hartford. Vyhovsky called the trip “unconscionable.”
Jewish Voice for Peace is asking Vermont’s State Ethics Commission to recommend that the Vermont House’s internal ethics panel “conduct a thorough investigation” of the group’s complaints. The State Ethics Commission has little authority to take substantive action on ethics complaints when those complaints are related to legislators’ conduct, but the body is generally required to refer such complaints when it receives them.
Christina Sivret, the commission’s executive director, said Tuesday she could not discuss publicly what actions were or were not being taken regarding the complaint.
According to Jewish Voice for Peace, most aspects of the legislators’ trip did not fall into one of the categories of gifts that state law allows public officials to accept. Moreover, the group contended in a press release, the trip amounted to a paid lobbying effort by Israel’s government “with the expectation” that the lawmakers “would support legislation in their home states favorable to Israel’s geopolitical and economic interests.” At the least, the group wrote in its complaints, that created the appearance of a quid pro quo.
The legislators did not file lobbying disclosures with the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office, as is required for some gifts, at the time of the trip. But Vermont legislators aren’t required to disclose gifted trips, anyway, Seven Days reported last year.
The group pointed to how four of the five sponsored a bill last year aimed at creating a new curriculum for Vermont students, and new training for Vermont teachers, focused on “the evolving nature of antisemitism” in the U.S. The legislation, H.310, would also create a new definition of “antisemitic harassment” in Vermont law that includes, among other pieces, “negative references to Jewish customs or the right to self-determination in the Jewish people’s ancestral and indigenous homeland,” which is Israel.
The group also noted how, during a stop in Jerusalem, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar urged the assembled legislators to pass laws in their states that would hinder the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. That’s the international movement aimed at using economic pressure to force Israel’s government to change its policies.
All five of the legislators pushed back against the advocacy groups’ assertions and calls for resignation in written statements and interviews on Tuesday.
Birong chairs the House Government Operations and Military Affairs Committee and is the most powerful Vermont legislator who took the trip.
“In a world increasingly filled with siloed media and narrowed information streams, I wanted to take the opportunity to witness for myself and ask questions,” he said in a statement. “When accepting the invitation, I was under no illusion as to the perspective of our hosts.”
Gregoire is vice chair of the House Corrections and Institutions Committee and pushed back against the assertion that the trip was a lobbying effort by a foreign government.
“We went during the off session and there was no connection to our legislative work,” Gregoire said in a statement. “No one asked us to do anything beyond standing up against antisemitism and that was during casual conversations.”
Austin said she did not believe she or her colleagues had violated any ethics rules when traveling on the trip. Both Galfetti and Greer said they were eager to move forward with their legislative work for the year, and pointed to how they have been threatened and have feared for their safety since the details of their trip were made public last fall.
Galfetti said in a statement that the complainants and organizers of Tuesday’s press conference “have lied and continued to lie about this trip, pushing an incendiary false narrative designed to spread disinformation in these troubled times.”
In a statement, House Speaker Jill Krowinski, D-Burlington, said her office did not have purview over the legislators’ decision to go on the trip and that “our established, independent review process — the House Ethics Panel” — was where any issues from critics of the trip could be reviewed. The panel’s proceedings are highly secretive, with little information typically available to the public about a given complaint or how it gets resolved.
Meanwhile, Pattie McCoy, the House GOP leader, said in a statement Tuesday that she supported the legislators’ decision to go on the trip.
“We support State Representatives who reach out and travel to engage in, and build, international relations,” the Poultney Republican said. “Through these efforts Vermont has built business partners that continue to increase our economic presence globally, allowing Vermont businesses to grow and thrive.”
Vermont
46 anti-Trump No Kings protests planned in Vermont. How to go
Vermonters protest against deportations, stand in solidarity with LA
Vermonters marched up Church Street in solidarity of Los Angeles protestors and against the federal government’s immigration policies June 10.
Large scale anti-Trump protests are coming to Vermont for a third time, with at least 46 No Kings protests planned across the state for March 28.
This round of No Kings protests might be the biggest so far: organizers anticipate it’ll be “one of the largest single-day nonviolent nationwide protests in U.S. history,” with more than 3,000 events already planned across the country on March 28.
“As President Trump escalates his attempts to control us, it is on us, the people, to show that we will fight to protect one another and our country,” the “No Kings” website says. “If he believes we will roll over and allow him to take our freedoms, he is mistaken. We are coming together again on March 28 because we know we can overcome this repression when we unite.”
In Vermont, protests are being held in all corners of the state, from Bennington to Newport. There are about six protests listed in Burlington, including a march to City Hall, a New North End Honk and Wave and a rally at the intersection of Shelburne Rd and Hannaford Drive.
Here’s what to know ahead of the protests.
What are ‘No Kings’ protests and what does it mean?
In June 2025, large crowds of Vermont residents took part in the first round of “No Kings Day” protests, planned the same day as the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary celebration and the president’s birthday.
Another wave of nationwide “No Kings” protests came several months later in October, in which over seven million Americans joined events in all 50 states, according to the organization. In Burlington, thousands of protesters brought homemade signs protesting Trump, dressed in colorful inflatable costumes, played music and chanted.
Organizers behind the No Kings protests say that it is a “peaceful movement” to push back on President Donald Trump’s policies, including on immigration, foreign policy and the economy.
“With every ICE raid, every escalation abroad, and every abuse of power at home, Americans are rising up in opposition to Trump’s attempt to rule through fear and force. Each day Trump crosses a new red line, and more people are deciding they’ve had enough,” said Ezra Levin, co-executive director of Indivisible, one of the many organizations backing the mass protests.
Others include American Civil Liberties Union, the Human Rights Campaign, MoveOn and 50501.
No Kings protests near me: See events, rallies in Vermont
As of 2 p.m. on March 26, there were 46 No Kings events planned in Rhode Island for March 28. Some towns and cities are holding multiple events.
Here’s a list of events in Burlington:
- Burlington New North End Honk and Wave: 11a.m. – 12:30 p.m., 1127 North Ave, Burlington
- “Invite your friends and neighbors and meet up at 11 a.m. at 1127 North Avenue along the sidewalks at the entrances of the Ethan Allen Shopping Plaza (home to Hannaford Supermarket and many other shops). Bring your signs, banners, noise makers, and American flags,” the listing reads. “This joyous, non-violent honk and wave action will wrap up at 12:30 p.m. Following the Honk and Wave, participants are welcome to proceed to City Hall Park to join the conclusion of the North End and South End marches.”
- Patchen Road Overpass: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Patchen Road & Landfill Road, South Burlington
- “We’ll be unfurling our huge NO KINGS banners on the overpass as 4,000 – 5,000 vehicles per hours pass below on Interstate 89. Bring a sign, bring an American flag, and bring a friend,” reads the listing. It says to register and to follow the guidance of safety marshals, and encourages attendees to carpool as “parking is tight.”
- Burlington South End March: 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Calahan Park, 45 Locust St, Burlington
- “We’ll be marching from Calahan Park to City Hall Park,” says the event description. “If you don’t want to march or are unable please join us at City Hall park at 12:30 p.m. for singing, chanting and more.”
- South Burlington: 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Intersection of Shelburne Rd and Hannaford Dr in South Burlington, 1001 Shelburne Rd, South Burlington, VT
- “Join Champlain Valley Indivisible at the intersection of Shelburne Rd and Hannaford Drive in South Burlington to stand up and speak out against this administration’s unjust and cruel acts of violence,” the event listing says, adding that those interested should register.
- Burlington March to City Hall: 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., 1 S Prospect St., Burlington
- Burlington Old North End March: 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Roosevelt Park, 57 Oak St., Burlington
- “We’ll be marching from Roosevelt park to City Hall Park,” the listing says. “If you don’t want to march or are unable please join us at City Hall park at 12:30 p.m. for singing, chanting and more.”
Here’s a list of all the towns in Vermont holding protests so far, plus when, where and other helpful information listed on the event pages or provided in press releases:
- Bellow Falls
- Bennington
- Bradford
- Brandon
- Brattleboro
- Burlington
- Charlotte
- Chester
- Essex Junction
- Fair Haven
- Fairfax
- Hardwick
- Hartford
- Huntington
- Jericho
- Manchester
- Middlebury
- Milton
- Milton
- Montpelier
- Morrisville
- Newbury
- Newport
- Northfield
- Randolph
- Randolph
- Richmond
- Rutland
- Saint Johnsbury
- Shelburne
- South Burlington
- South Burlington
- St. Albans
- Wallingford
- Waterbury
- Westfield
- Williston
- Wilmington
- Windsor
- Winooski
- Wolcott
- Woodstock
More events may be planned. You can check the map on the No Kings website to see if your town is holding a protest.
What time are No Kings events?
“No Kings” protests in Vermont start at various times on March 28, with some events planned at 10 a.m. and others planned throughout the afternoon, according to the online map of events.
Contributing: Paris Barraza
Vermont
Vermont Sports Hall of Fame adds two members to 2026 induction class
An international ambassador for tennis from South Burlington and a three-sport captain at Burlington High School and the University of Vermont more than 100 years ago are the final members for the 2026 Vermont Sports Hall of Fame banquet, the organization announced in a news release on Thursday, March 26.
Jake Agna, the former legendary tennis coach at South Burlington High School, is the 2026 David Hakins inductee, which honors an individual or a group or organization for exceptional promotion of sports, athletics and recreation in the state. Fenwick Watkins, a pioneer and exceptional athlete and coach who helped break color barriers in sports in the early 1900s, has been named the hall’s historic inductee.
Agna and Watkins join 10 other members previously announced this year who will officially be enshrined during a celebration banquet at the Delta Marriott Burlington Hotel on 1117 Williston Road in South Burlington on Saturday, April 25.
The dinner begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m. followed by the induction ceremony. To purchase tickets to the 2026 event, visit the VSHOF website at vermontsportshall.com. The cost is $95 per plate with part of the proceeds going to Prevent Child Abuse Vermont, the longtime designated charity for VSHOF.
Over 38 years coaching girls tennis at South Burlington, Agana compiled a 489-95 record with eight perfect seasons, 16 Division I titles and 13 runner-up trophies before stepping down prior to the 2023 season.
Agna is also founded Kids on the Ball in 2000, which is designed to teach children life lessons such as relationships and respect by learning the game of tennis. He has led 31 trips to Cuba to help expand the sport. His tennis programs reach out to over 200 kids each day in school and after school programs.
Agna’s work to help resurface 10 courts and renovation of the National Tennis Center in Cuba in 2017 was recognized by the Tennis Channel.
Watkins was a three-sport star in football, basketball, baseball at Burlington before graduating in 1905. At UVM, he is believed to be the first Black captain of a non-historical Black college or university sport and was captain for all three sports at both BHS and UVM, according to VSHOF.
After UVM, Watkins went on to become a high school and college head coach in North Dakota at Concordia College (football) and what is now known as North Dakota State (baseball and football). He died in 1943.
The previous winners for the Hakins award are: Barry Stone (2024); Thomas Dunkley (2023); Ted Ryan (2022); Cochran’s Ski Area, Mickey & Ginny Cochran (2020); Mal Boright (2019); Helmut Lenes (2017); Ernie Farrar (2015); Tom Curley (2014) and Ray Pecor (2013).
The previous historic winners include: Leo Papineau, St. Michael’s College, athlete, coach and official (2025); Clarence Demar, South Hero, distance running, (2017); Fred Harris, Brattleboro, outdoors/ski jumping, (2015); James Taylor, Windsor, outdoors, (2014); and Charles Adams, Newport, National Hockey League, (2013).
Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5.
Vermont
See the Brattleboro student who won the Poetry Out Loud state finals
Eason DeMarsico-Thorne, a student at Brattleboro Union High School, won the 2026 Poetry Out Loud State Finals, held the Flynn on March 5, according to a community announcement.
DeMarsico-Thorne will represent Vermont at the national competition at the end of April in the nation’s capital. Gretchen Wertlieb of South Burlington High School was the runner-up, and Aiva Reed of Windsor High School placed third.
The state finals featured 10 students who recited poems over three rounds. The top three, with the highest cumulative scores after the first two rounds, advanced to the final round.
DeMarsico-Thorne recited “Fruit of the Flower” by Countee Cullen, “I Shall Return” by Claude Mckay and “A Southern Road” by Helene Johnson.
Wertlieb recited “To a Young Dancing Girl” by Elsa Gidlow, “Thoughts in Jail” by Katharine Rolston Fisher and “I shall forget you presently, my dear” (Sonnet IV), by Edna St. Vincent Millay.
Reed recited “Why We Oppose Women Travelling in Railway Trains” by Alice Duer Miller, “Militants to Certain Other Women” by Katharine Rolston Fisher and “If I Had Known” by Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson.
The other finalists were Phoebe Gresham from Mount Mansfield Union High School, Ranee Hall from Thetford Academy, Marcus Burns from St. Johnsbury Academy, Taylor Daleb from Peoples Academy, Moya Thayer from Burlington High School, Theo Novak from Champlain Valley Union High School and Patrick Tester from Lyndon Institute.
Eighteen schools across Vermont registered to bring the national Poetry Out Loud program to their classrooms for the 2025-26 school year, reaching 2,000 students with about 60 teachers participating, according to the announcement. Fifteen students were selected by their teachers as school champions and participated in the statewide semifinals, held on Feb. 12 at the Barre Opera House.
DeMarsico-Thorne received $200 and advances to the national finals, where $50,000 in awards and school stipends are distributed. The state champion’s school receives $500 for the purchase of poetry materials. Wertlieb received $100, with $200 for her school.
Poetry Out Loud is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Vermont Arts Council. Since the program began in 2005, more than 4 million students across the country have participated. The Poetry Foundation provides and administers the monetary prizes.
For more information about Vermont Poetry Out Loud, visit flynnvt.org/Education/poetry-out-loud.
This story was created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
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