Vermont
Judge dismisses lawsuit against Burlington's short-term rental regulations – VTDigger
A Vermont Superior Court judge last week dismissed a lawsuit filed by more than a dozen rental property owners challenging Burlington’s regulations governing short-term rentals.
The lawsuit, filed in July 2023 in Chittenden Superior civil court, argued the city overstepped state law when it enacted restrictions in June 2022 on short-term rentals.
Those restrictions set strict limits on property owners who rent out their properties using services such as Airbnb and VRBO. It prohibited short-term rentals in the city unless they are owner-occupied and defined a short-term rental as a dwelling rented to guests for fewer than 30 consecutive days.
The penalty for noncompliance starts with a $100 civil fine and increases to $200 after the second violation.
Burlington is not the only municipality to set limits on short-term rentals. Towns and cities such as South Burlington and Morrisville have in recent years enacted similar regulations in an effort to ensure the availability of housing for long-term residents.
In previous legal filings, the property owners’ attorneys wrote that enforcement would have a “substantial impact on Plaintiffs’ financial stability and greatly harm Plaintiffs’ business interest.”
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State law grants municipalities jurisdiction over regulating housing for the purpose of promoting a city’s or town’s health, safety and welfare. But the plaintiffs, 14 different individuals and business entities in Burlington, argued the city overstepped state law by setting duration limits and owner-occupied requirements for rental units.
Superior Court Judge Samuel Hoar was not convinced, and on Nov. 19 dismissed the lawsuit.
The plaintiffs’ claim “fails as a matter of law,” Hoar wrote in the decision, because the city “plainly has broad authority to regulate short-term rentals” under existing statute.
“The relationship between a lack of available long-term housing and strains on the housing market, with impacts on homelessness, is intuitive, as is the consequent impact on a municipality’s general welfare,” Hoar wrote. “Thus, the city’s regulation of short-term rentals bears an obvious and rational relation to public welfare, health, and safety.”
The judge’s decision was first reported by Vermont Public.
The plaintiffs in the case included three individuals — Sean Hurley, Kristin Baker and Petra Winslow — and a number of companies. The properties listed in the suit are mostly located in the city’s Old North End.
Liam Murphy, an attorney with Burlington law firm MSK, which represented the plaintiffs, did not respond to a request for comment. City attorney Kimberlee Sturtevant and city spokesperson Joe Magee did not respond to an email seeking comment.
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The Vermont Lottery offers several draw games for those willing to make a bet to win big.
Those who want to play can enter the MegaBucks and Lucky for Life games as well as the national Powerball and Mega Millions games. Vermont also partners with New Hampshire and Maine for the Tri-State Lottery, which includes the Mega Bucks, Gimme 5 as well as the Pick 3 and Pick 4.
Drawings are held at regular days and times, check the end of this story to see the schedule. Here’s a look at Jan. 4, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Lucky For Life VT numbers from Jan. 4 drawing
03-08-13-38-47, Lucky Ball: 02
Check Lucky For Life VT payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from Jan. 4 drawing
Day: 5-2-1
Evening: 0-7-7
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from Jan. 4 drawing
Day: 7-8-2-2
Evening: 0-2-9-1
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
For Vermont Lottery prizes up to $499, winners can claim their prize at any authorized Vermont Lottery retailer or at the Vermont Lottery Headquarters by presenting the signed winning ticket for validation. Prizes between $500 and $5,000 can be claimed at any M&T Bank location in Vermont during the Vermont Lottery Office’s business hours, which are 8a.m.-4p.m. Monday through Friday, except state holidays.
For prizes over $5,000, claims must be made in person at the Vermont Lottery headquarters. In addition to signing your ticket, you will need to bring a government-issued photo ID, and a completed claim form.
All prize claims must be submitted within one year of the drawing date. For more information on prize claims or to download a Vermont Lottery Claim Form, visit the Vermont Lottery’s FAQ page or contact their customer service line at (802) 479-5686.
Vermont Lottery Headquarters
1311 US Route 302, Suite 100
Barre, VT
05641
When are the Vermont Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Gimme 5: 6:55 p.m. Monday through Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
- Pick 3 Day: 1:10 p.m. daily.
- Pick 4 Day: 1:10 p.m. daily.
- Pick 3 Evening: 6:55 p.m. daily.
- Pick 4 Evening: 6:55 p.m. daily.
- Megabucks: 7:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
What is Vermont Lottery Second Chance?
Vermont’s 2nd Chance lottery lets players enter eligible non-winning instant scratch tickets into a drawing to win cash and/or other prizes. Players must register through the state’s official Lottery website or app. The drawings are held quarterly or are part of an additional promotion, and are done at Pollard Banknote Limited in Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Vermont editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Vermont
Vermont’s congressional delegation condemns attack on Venezuela and capture of Maduro – VTDigger
Vermont’s congressional delegation condemned the U.S. military’s attack on Venezuela over the weekend that led to the capture of the country’s leader, Nicolás Maduro.
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, and Vermont Democrats U.S. Sen. Peter Welch and U.S. Rep Becca Balint, all labeled Maduro a brutal authoritarian but said President Donald Trump’s attacks on the South American country exceeded his constitutional authority.
“Trump’s attack on Venezuela will make the United States and the world less safe. This brazen violation of international law gives a green light to any nation on earth that may wish to attack another country to seize their resources or change their governments,” Sanders said in a statement.
U.S. forces entered the Venezuelan capital of Caracas overnight Friday into Saturday, and more than 100 U.S. aircraft helped neutralize the country’s air defenses, the New York Times reported. More than 40 people were killed, according to Venezuelan authorities, though Trump said there were no Americans killed in the attack.
American troops captured both Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, later transporting them out of the country, according to news reports. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro would face charges in the U.S. of narco-terrorism conspiracy and cocaine importation conspiracy, among other charges.
Trump said Saturday that the U.S. would “run” Venezuela while a transfer of power took place. The details of that plan were not immediately clear, though many of Trump’s comments focused on growing the Venezuelan oil industry.
Vermont’s top federal lawmakers wasted little time in condemning the military escalation. They had similarly criticized the staging of Vermont Air National Guard members in the Caribbean to support the military buildup against Venezuela.
“President Trump’s hunger for a regime change war makes it clear he doesn’t care about how this unauthorized and illegal action could cause further chaos and suffering in Venezuela. Has he learned nothing from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya?” Welch said in a statement Saturday. “This could lead us into another forever war, risking the lives of U.S. service members and hurting the economy.”
Balint, in her own statement, said the U.S. had made “these horrible mistakes before.”
“Americans do not want another war,” she said.
SD Lottery Lucky For Life winning numbers for Jan. 4, 2026
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VT Lottery Lucky For Life, Pick 3 results for Jan. 4, 2026
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