Vermont - From the Peoples House

Representative Dobrovich’s Weekly Newsletter Week of April 15–18, 2025 Dear Constituents, As we conclude another week at the State House, I’m pleased to share updates on our legislative activities, focusing on the House Education Committee, House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development, and House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs. Weekly Recap House Education Committee H.54, An Act Relating to Phone-Free Schools  This week the House Education Committee heard testimony on H.54, a bill to create phone-free schools, brought compelling insights. Harwood Union Middle and High School’s principal, Megan McDonough, and students Elelliana Buckingham and Celia Wang shared how their phone-free policy boosts focus: 63% of students reported better classroom engagement, 55% noted an improved learning environment, and bullying cases fell from 9 to 1. Using Yondr pouches, Harwood fosters real connections without strict enforcement. Mike McRaith of the Vermont Pr...

Representative Dobrovich’s Weekly Newsletter Week of April 8, 2025 – April 11, 2025 Dear Constituents, As we conclude another week at the State House, I'm pleased to share updates on our legislative activities, focusing on House Education, House Committee on Human Services, and House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs. Weekly Recap This week, the Vermont House passed H.454, a bill presented as a reform to our education system. As a member of the House Education Committee, I spent 13.5 weeks working on this legislation, listening to your concerns, and striving for solutions that would make education more affordable and deliver better outcomes for our children. After careful consideration, I voted no on H.454 because it falls far short of the bold, urgent reform Vermonters deserve. You’ve told me clearly: you want an education system that eases the burden of skyrocketing property taxes and ensures our kids receive a world-class education. H.454 fails to deliver o...

Representative Dobrovich’s Weekly Newsletter Week of March 31, 2025 – April 4, 2025 Dear Constituents, As we conclude another week at the State House, I'm pleased to share updates on our legislative activities, focusing on the House Education Committee. Weekly Recap House Education Committee This week, the House Education Committee (and the House Floor) experienced a noticeable slowdown in activity as we approached the final stages of refining education-related legislation. Despite this, we continued to engage in critical discussions and testimony surrounding the future of education transformation in Vermont. Our focus included legal issues tied to redistricting and the governance of career and technical education—both essential components of the broader changes under consideration. We also had the privilege of hearing directly from Vermont State University students and participants in the CCV Early College program, whose insights underscored the real...