The Bernie Buzz

This year’s “Choral Concert and Town Meeting on the Arts” is taking place on Saturday, April 5 at 6:00 PM at the Casella Theater on Vermont State University’s Castleton campus. Whether you know a young person participating this year or just want to enjoy a great night of music celebrating the talent of young Vermonters from around the region, we hope you’ll join us for this great community event.

This Women’s History Month, I wanted to share with you the story of a remarkable Vermont woman, Consuelo “Connie” Northrop Bailey. You may have never heard of Bailey before, but among many other things, she was the first woman in the country elected Lieutenant Governor. She was also the first woman to serve as Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives and the first Vermont woman to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity, as a member of the Senate Finance Committee, to raise my strong objections to the disastrous steps President Trump, Elon Musk and his administration have been taking to undermine Social Security. I voiced my concerns during a hearing to consider President Trump’s nominee to lead the Social Security Administration, Frank Bisignano, a financial services executive who made $100 million in compensation in 2017.

The third-annual “Youth Chess Day” will be held on Saturday, April 19 from 11:00 AM to 4 PM at Vermont State University in Randolph. The Learn to Play session is a great opportunity for first through eighth grade students to learn how to play and hone their skills, while more experienced players grades first through twelfth can test their knowledge in a recreational tournament in the afternoon.

I wanted to take this opportunity to update you about the very serious set of developments which are unfolding in Washington. Last Friday, I voted against a very dangerous bill that will not only be a disaster for working families, but will undercut the very foundation of our democracy. This bill – known as a continuing resolution – was written in a 100% partisan manner. The only people involved were extreme right-wing Members of the Republican-led House of Representatives. They had no input from anybody but themselves.

Our Bernie Buzz team bundled up and headed outside to share the experience of The Great Ice with our readers. They spoke to attendees and volunteers, who help make the festival possible. When asked what he hopes for the Great Ice in the coming years, one volunteer shared “I hope it continues to be something that is special and that people in the community take a lot of pride in…. I hope it continues to grow and be about family, outside, and about people putting their phones away and enjoying each other.”