The Montpelier Happy Hour

Regional Collaboration - a Practice of Building Trust with Abby Long

June 26, 2026 (prerecorded 6/23): Regional Collaboration. The state talks about it. Many Vermont communities could benefit from it. But what does it take to build successful cooperation? Abby Long, executive director of the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative, shares her experience building coalitions across the NEK's three counties. Long previously served as the executive director of Kingdom Trails, overseeing more than 100 miles of biking trails and working with 106 private landowners. The Northeast Kingdom Collaborative: https://www.nekcollaborative.org/ [https://www.nekcollaborative.org/] Kingdom Trails: https://www.kingdomtrails.org/ [https://www.kingdomtrails.org/] Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net/ [http://rhtt.net/]

News Roundup with Randolph T. Holhut: Candidate forums, local journalism, Brattleboro's new train station

June 19, 2026: Randolph T. Holhut of The Commons joins this week's conversation to update listeners on what's happening in Windham County. Read The Commons here: https://www.commonsnews.org/ [https://www.commonsnews.org/] Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net [http://rhtt.net]

A new regional policing pilot with Sheriff Mark Anderson

June 5, 2026: Windham County Sheriff Mark Anderson outlines a multi-year pilot to establish a regional policing governance program in Windham County. The legislation enabling this pilot is S.255, which sets up the Windham County Law Enforcement Governance Council. The council will be made up of representatives from participating municipalities without police departments. Read S.255 / Act 104 here: https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/S.255 Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net

News Roundup with John Walters: End of the Legislative Session, H.955, and Campaign Season

May 29, 2026 (prerecorded 5/28): Journalist John Walters updates us on the issues he's watching as the Legislature plans to wrap up for the year. There are a number of bills still moving through conference committees; specifically, we're watching the education reform bill H.955. John will also touch base on campaign season. Read John's work at https://thevpo.org/ [https://thevpo.org/] Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net [http://rhtt.net/]

Wages and what it costs to work and live in Vermont with Katrina Menard

May 22, 2026: Have you heard of the Vermont tax? If not, it's a tongue-in-cheek way to explain the calculation many Vermont workers make: do they choose Vermont and a high quality of life, or move away for better wages? In this episode, Public Assets Institute State Policy Fellow Katrina Menard shares data on the state's income gaps, including rising income inequality, and on what most residents earn relative to the cost of living. She also shares insights on what policy changes could shift the equation. Read the PAI's brief on income inequality: https://publicassets.org/research-publications/despite-growth-vermonts-lowest-wages-arent-livable [https://publicassets.org/research-publications/despite-growth-vermonts-lowest-wages-arent-livable] The JFO's Basic Needs Budget: https://ljfo.vermont.gov/assets/Subjects/Basic-Needs-Budgets/WLegislative-Joint-Fiscal-OfficeBasic-Needs-Budgets-and-Livable-Wage-Report1-15-2025.pdf [https://ljfo.vermont.gov/assets/Subjects/Basic-Needs-Budgets/WLegislative-Joint-Fiscal-OfficeBasic-Needs-Budgets-and-Livable-Wage-Report1-15-2025.pdf] Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net [http://rhtt.net]