Peter Hirschfeld
ReporterHelp shape my reporting:
The Vermont Statehouse is often called the people鈥檚 house. I am your eyes and ears there. I keep a close eye on how legislation could affect your life; I also regularly speak to the people who write that legislation. The more I hear from you, the better I鈥檒l be at my job. So, what issues do you want lawmakers to focus on? What info do you most urgently need?
I'm eager to hear from you. Get in touch here.
About Peter:
Peter Hirschfeld covers state government and the Vermont Legislature. He is based in 开云体育鈥檚 Capital Bureau located across the street from Vermont鈥檚 Statehouse.
Hirschfeld is a Vermont journalist who has covered the Statehouse since 2009, most recently as bureau chief for the Rutland Herald and Times Argus. He began his career in 2003, working as a local sports reporter and copy editor at the Times Argus.
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Members of the House Committee on Appropriations have spent the last three months crafting a $9 billion spending plan that relies on hundreds of millions of dollars that might evaporate by summer. And a plan to buy down property taxes next year could be on the chopping block if Vermont sees significant cuts to Medicaid funding. -
If Congress approves a federal budget that results in dramatic funding cuts to states, then some Vermont lawmakers say an increase in state income taxes may be the least worst option for Vermont. -
Outright Vermont is urging state lawmakers to safeguard the rights of youth in Vermont as the Trump administration seeks to rollback protections for LGBTQ+ Americans. -
This will likely come as welcome news to property taxpayers, who saw bills rise an average of almost 14% this year. But the use of $118 million one-time funds to buy down rates is a risky move 鈥� and one that could set schools and taxpayers up for a financial cliff in the following year. -
Last Friday marked the first of two "crossover" dates in the Vermont Legislature 鈥� the deadline for bills to either make it out of committee votes and continue, or die for the year. The second "crossover" deadline for bills including revenues or appropriations is this Friday. -
A wide-ranging housing plan unveiled by Republican Gov. Phil Scott last month is now making its way through the legislative process, but it鈥檚 unclear how much of that proposal Democratic lawmakers will be willing to advance. -
Rank-and-file lawmakers are ramping up pressure on Democratic leadership to move forward with Republican Gov. Phil Scott鈥檚 proposal to exempt military pensions from state income taxes. -
A disagreement between Democratic lawmakers and Republican Gov. Phil Scott over the future of Vermont鈥檚 emergency motel housing program could lead to the first gubernatorial veto of the 2025 legislative session. -
The debate over the future of energy policy in Vermont hit a key turning point this week when Republican Gov. Phil Scott presented Democratic lawmakers with what he鈥檚 calling his 鈥淐limate Action Management Plan.鈥� -
The Vermont Asylum Assistance Project furloughed two legal fellows and closed intake for new cases after an order by the Trump administration cut off a key source of federal funding for the nonprofit.
