Vermont
Opinion — Rep. Mike Mrowicki: The spirit of cooperation for the 2025 legislative session
This commentary is by Mike Mrowicki, democratic state representative for the Windham-4 district.
As we head into the 2025 legislative session in January, I want to first offer congratulations to Gov. Scott, Jason Maalucci and the Republican campaign effort. They sure got it right about affordability.
Yes, property taxes / education funding are on people’s minds but the ongoing frustration about inflation/affordability also includes the price of eggs, the increase in health insurance cost and rising home insurance costs. Especially where there’s been flooding two years in a row.
So, Vermonters want action and there sure seems a broad sense of enthusiasm from legislators to come together and get the work done. To balance the competing needs of providing our kids a quality education and making it affordable. After all, the kids of today will be taking our blood pressure tomorrow and don’t we want them to be able to do it accurately, based on the quality education they got in Vermont?
At the same time, no one should feel that their taxes are a threat to staying in their homes. We need to make sure, especially for those on fixed incomes, that despite rising property values, property taxes should reflect ability to pay.
In the spirit of working together with the governor, then, I and other legislators are eagerly awaiting his ideas for fixing the property tax / ed funding dilemma. And, we are ready to hear what he has to say on the raft of other factors that challenge Vermonters’ sense of affordability.
Like the cost of health insurance. Blue Cross Blue Shield Vermont individual premiums will rise by 19.8% next year. There isn’t a budget this doesn’t affect: home budgets, town budgets, school budgets and state budgets. It’s a cost driver across the board and we’re looking forward to hearing the governor’s plan on how to make this more affordable.
Housing is unaffordable and, in many cases, unavailable, especially for our financially challenged neighbors. The lack of housing is the barrier to progress in so many sections of our landscape. It is the greatest barrier to growing our workforce and economy so, likewise, we’re looking forward to the governor’s plans on Housing.
The cost of transportation and maintaining our roads and bridges is also unaffordable. This is compounded by our gas taxes no longer providing sufficient funds to maintain our roads and bridges. Here’s another area where we’re waiting to hear the administration’s plan so we can work together to solve this.
And, of course, climate change is costing towns across Vermont unaffordable amounts to fix the damage from this year’s floods, and last year’s as well. Who knows what next year will bring, but these are costs that Vermont taxpayers are bearing right now and adding to the pile of issues that are making Vermont unaffordable. We’ll be looking forward to hearing from the governor and his administration how we make those climate costs affordable.
Legislators are ready to work together, as the 18-week session nears. To work together in the spirit of cooperation and keeping focused on how we can best help Vermonters.
As the late Mario Cuomo once said when he was governor of New York in the last century, “You campaign in poetry. You govern in prose.” A good way of saying the campaign is over, the hard work is ahead of us.
Vermonters work hard to make ends meet. We get that. Legislators will also be working hard to make sure Vermonters feel heard and see results. When we adjourn in May, here’s hoping the spirit of cooperation brings us to a better place for all the issues facing Vermont, so everyone’s hard work feels all the more worthwhile.
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 Nov. 28, 2025, results for each game:
Winning Vermont Mega Millions numbers from Nov. 28 drawing
06-07-13-39-48, Mega Ball: 04
Check Vermont Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Gimme 5 numbers from Nov. 28 drawing
06-23-25-29-31
Check Gimme 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lucky For Life VT numbers from Nov. 28 drawing
19-28-32-41-47, Lucky Ball: 16
Check Lucky For Life VT payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from Nov. 28 drawing
Day: 7-9-0
Evening: 8-4-4
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from Nov. 28 drawing
Day: 6-1-1-8
Evening: 4-0-8-4
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.
The Pride Center of Vermont says it received an anonymous donation of $350,000, enough money for it to eventually reopen.
Back in October, the center, one of the state’s largest LGBTQ+ organizations, announced a sudden pause in operations after 26 years, citing “critical funding shortfalls.”
The organization laid off its employees and paused all programs, save for the SafeSpace Anti-Violence Program, which has continued under the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. At the time, the group’s board said it would need $350,000 to start back up.
Despite meeting that fundraising goal, the Pride Center has not set a date for when it will reopen, turning its focus toward rehabilitating the organization, which operated in “crisis-mode” for years until a recent back-to-back loss of state and federal money made continuing impossible, according to the board.
“Instead of rushing to restore the status quo, we are intentionally taking this moment to design a stronger, healthier and more community-rooted organization,” the board of directors said in an Oct. 25 press release.
Before reopening, the Pride Center also plans to conduct a statewide assessment to ensure it provides services Vermonters need and to avoid duplicating the efforts of other organizations.
The Pride Center intends to rehire staff and hire new employees in phases once it develops a sustainable financial plan and clear operational structure, according to its website. The first group of employees are set to help with the statewide needs survey.
“We know the Pride Center is deeply missed, and we share that urgency,” the board said on the organization’s website. “But our priority is to ensure that when we reopen, it is on solid, sustainable and transparent footing.”
What will the $350,000 be used for?
With the $350,000 donation, the Pride Center says it plans to pay off debt and liabilities, secure new stable funding, create an emergency fund, hire outside help for a financial review and pay for limited operational costs during the rebuilding process. The money is also set to pay for the community needs assessment, the organization says.
The board plans to speak with former organization leaders, staff and partners to determine what did and didn’t work in the past. Board members said they also plan to tighten financial oversight.
The Pride Center is also looking for new board members, specifically candidates with experience in fundraising and development, communications or media and finance and organizational management. For more information, email board@pridecentervt.org.
Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at mstewartyounger@gannett.com.
BURLINGTON, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) – After an Afghan national was charged in the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., the Vermont Afghan Alliance is criticizing the Trump administration’s response as “deeply harmful.”
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, posted on X Wednesday night that they would stop processing all immigration requests for Afghan nationals immediately.
The Vermont Afghan Alliance, a group connecting the Afghan community in Vermont with housing, immigration, and language services, said that they feared misinformation while thanking the Afghan community in Vermont for their contributions.
“An act of one individual, on his own, cannot be attributed to an entire community or nationality… These individuals face persecution by the Taliban for their loyalty to the U.S. and fled everything – including family – for safety here.”
The most recent U.S. Census was before many Afghans sought refuge in the United States following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, but according to the Associated Press, 100 refugees out of the first group of 37,000 chose to settle in Vermont.
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