The Vermont Department of Labor is now accepting applications for the 2022 Vermont Internship Program. Funded by VDOL, the program will award $400,000 to eligible organizations. Click here for more. What is the Vermont Internship Program? The Vermont Internship Program promotes internships by providing grants to organizations that support or connect Vermont employers with student-interns […]
USTR Considers Extension of Section 301 China Tariffs
The following is provided in cooperation with our national partners and allies at NAM: Earlier this month, USTR issued a formal notice (click here) to inform U.S. companies of the four-year anniversary, and potential expiration, of the first two batches of Section 301 tariffs on imports from China (Lists 1 and 2). Section 301 of […]
Recorded Webinar: Building Workplaces that Support Mental Health
The US Department of Labor recently hosted a virtual event highlighting strategies that foster equitable and inclusive mental health-friendly workplaces. Click here for more.
SBA Loan Clinic
The Small Business Administration is hosting a free webinar at 12:00 on June 1 about its guaranteed loan programs. SBA guarantees loans making it easier for small businesses to get the funding by reducing lender risk. Funds can be used for most business purposes, including long-term fixed assets and operating capital. Amounts range from $500 […]
Legislative Session Wrapping Up, Updates and Outlooks Coming
It appears all but certain that the Legislature will conclude its regular session by the end of this week. It remains uncertain whether there will be a date set to return to deal with any potential vetoes that might be issued after this initial adjournment, or if no date will be set and it will […]
Corporate Tax Reform Passes the Legislature and Awaits Governor’s Action, Key Manufacturing Provisions Included
The House and Senate conference committee negotiating a final version of S.53 reached an agreement for the bill addressing corporate income tax reform. Both chambers have now passed the final bill and we are now awaiting the Governor’s action. The bill includes the most impactful provision, adopting single sales factor apportionment, that had been removed […]
Clarification and Expansion of the Sales Tax Exemption for Manufacturing Machinery and Equipment Near Final Passage in the Legislature
Clarification and expansion of Vermont’s sales tax exemption for manufacturing machinery and equipment, another long standing tax priority for AIV, is near final passage in the Legislature. Provisions addressing several shortcomings in Vermont’s current law were included by the Senate Finance Committee in this year’s technical tax bill, H.738. Although this legislation traditionally addresses technical […]
Potential Increases in Fossil Fuel Costs Fails in Close Veto Override Vote, But Issue Won’t Go Away
The House on Tuesday narrowly sustained the Governor’s veto of H.715, which would have directed the Public Utility Commission (PUC) to develop Clean Heat Standard rules. Under the Clean Heat Standard, sellers of heating oil, propane, kerosene, natural gas, and coal would have to reduce greenhouse gas emissions attributable to the Vermont thermal sector by […]
$100 Million Increase in UI Costs Over Coming Years Included in “Economic Development” Bill
The recently passed final conference report for S.11, which became the latest and last vehicle for attaching a wide range of economic development and other provisions (see post on these provisions here), includes provisions to arbitrarily increase UI benefits over the coming years, ultimately adding a total of $100 million in new costs that will […]
Economic Development Bill Passes Legislature, Includes Aid and Incentives for Employers and Employees
The final conference report for S.11, which became the latest and last vehicle for attaching a wide range of economic development and other provisions that have evolved over this session, has passed the Legislature and is awaiting the Governor’s action. It includes a number of provisions intended to help certain employers and employees. Unfortunately it […]