Vermont

With education bill at an impasse, Vermont Legislature kicks the can on adjournment – VTDigger

Published

6 months ago

May 31, 2025

With education bill at an impasse, Vermont Legislature kicks the can on adjournment – VTDigger

Rep. Peter Conlon, D-Cornwall, rubs his eyes as House and Senate members of the education reform bill conference committee meet at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Friday, May 30, 2025. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger

MONTPELIER — After a drawn-out day of disagreements and false starts, the Vermont Legislature bailed on its plan to wrap up business for the year on Friday, failing to come to a deal, at least for now, on this year’s landmark education reform bill.

So strained were the talks, the House and Senate couldn’t even immediately agree on when negotiations would continue.

The Senate gaveled out for the night shortly after 11 p.m. Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth, D/P-Chittenden Central, told his colleagues that coming to an agreement needed more time, and the Senate would instead gavel back in at 2 p.m. Saturday.

“We’re going home now,” Baruth said.

Soon after, around 11:30 p.m., the House adjourned until Monday at noon. From there, House Speaker Jill Krowinski, D-Burlington, said the chamber would be holding brief sessions without taking any actions, known as “token sessions,” until mid-June. That’s when legislators had previously penciled in to hold votes to override potential vetoes by Gov. Phil Scott.

“We’ve been putting compromises on the table all day, trying to find a path forward,” Krowinski said in an interview after ending her chamber’s business for the night. “This is a top priority for this legislative session, and we have to get it right. And at the end of the day, everyone was feeling like it needed more time.”

Legislative leaders said they expect the joint House and Senate panel hashing out the education bill, H.454, to continue meeting in the coming weeks, though the schedule was not immediately clear.

A woman leans over to speak to a seated man in a suit at a meeting; other people sit nearby and a portrait hangs on the wall in the background.

Both chambers signed off on a handful of other bills Friday, including sweeping housing legislation that would set out a program to finance infrastructure around new developments, a bill that would make it harder for neighbors to sue farmers over impacts the farm may have on their properties, and other bills on motor vehicles, cannabis and drug price caps.

However, the outcome leaves the session’s highest-profile work unfinished. Following an election where property tax rates drove voters, leading to a wave of Republican victories in the House and Senate, Democratic legislative leadership pledged to heed voters’ call for a more affordable education system.

Yet four months in, the path toward that future state remained murky.

The parties began Friday closer than they ended it. Early in the day, the House and Senate conference committee members appeared to reach some tentative agreements on H.454. But as the hours wore on, negotiations — at least in public — faltered. The committee had been unable to lock in key details. Left unsettled was which funding formula to use, what to do about school choice and private schools and how to limit spending before school districts consolidate down the road.

Meetings of the conference committee — three senators and three house members — were continuously postponed. Legislators and legislative staff scrambled in and out of rooms. Lobbyists lingered in the halls. As the conference committee drifted further and further from either chamber’s original position, the possibility of explaining the hugely complex and fast-changing piece of legislation to 180 lawmakers looked near-impossible.

The vast majority of lawmakers dawdled as the conference committee worked in fits and starts, with people playing cards and sipping drinks throughout the Statehouse.

The House, Senate and Scott have made education reform the year’s key issue. All three parties agreed on the need to consolidate school districts and transition the state to a new funding formula. But for months, the parties have reached little consensus on the intricacies and the timeline of that generational transformation.

Baruth had told his chamber around 10 p.m. that agreement still looked possible.

“It’s frustrating,” he said on the floor, describing the delay, “but the way I think about it is, your constituents and my constituents sent us here for this night because they want us to do our work, they want us to finish it up, pay strict attention and then be done and go home.”

That proved overly optimistic.

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Vermont

VT Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life results for Nov. 29, 2025

Published

2 hours ago

November 30, 2025

Press Room

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. 29, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Nov. 29 drawing

19-22-30-32-59, Powerball: 01, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life VT numbers from Nov. 29 drawing

04-08-09-34-39, Lucky Ball: 13

Check Lucky For Life VT payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Nov. 29 drawing

Day: 5-4-4

Evening: 2-6-5

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Nov. 29 drawing

Day: 0-1-0-7

Evening: 2-9-4-6

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Megabucks Plus numbers from Nov. 29 drawing

07-14-30-33-40, Megaball: 01

Check Megabucks Plus 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.

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Vermont

VT Lottery Mega Millions, Gimme 5 results for Nov. 28, 2025

Published

20 hours ago

November 29, 2025

Press Room

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.

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

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?

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.

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Vermont

Pride Center of VT says a donor gave it $350K to reopen. What’s next?

Published

2 days ago

November 28, 2025

Press Room

Pride Center of VT says a donor gave it 0K to reopen. What’s next?

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.

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