Good evening friends and neighbors,

Our travels this weekend took us to Dover’s Crosstown Trails and a very active colony of beavers. We first came across a freshly felled tree nearly 12 inches across which was impressive on its own. As we followed the markings and downed limbs, we eventually spotted the beavers working. They were cutting and gathering wood, shaping channels, and moving branches through the water to build and reinforce their dams. It was beautiful and also wild to see how much impact one colony can have on the surrounding land. Watching them work was a reminder of how powerful steady, persistent effort is in shaping a landscape.

I spent another part of this week in Washington, D.C. meeting with our congressional delegation, national policy staff, and the National Conference of State Legislatures. NCSL is the bipartisan organization that brings lawmakers from every state together to learn from one another and work on state/national issues. I serve on NCSL’s AI, Cyber and Data Security Task Force and on its Natural Resources and Energy Committee.

Our conversations focused on a growing concern. Some in Congress and the Trump Administration want to stop states from setting any rules for artificial intelligence while also blocking federal regulation. Since federal law sits above state law, this would directly affect Vermont’s ability to protect people’s privacy and manage the energy impacts of large data centers.

There is significant dysfunction in D.C. right now. That leaves states, often referred to as the laboratories of democracy, to test solutions that work for their people. Other states are already acting because AI uses enormous amounts of data and electricity and can raise electric rates in places where growth is not managed.

Understanding what Washington is considering and what other states are trying helps Vermont prepare for the legislative session that begins in January. The President has a draft executive order that would prevent states from regulating AI. You can read it here.

This week I also had the chance to meet virtually with the two UVM legislative interns I will be working with this year. I love this program and the chance to help students deepen their interests, see how policy work really happens, and share what they are learning and observing in the Statehouse. Their perspectives help me stay on top of the wide range of issues moving through committees and floor debates.

If you know middle or high school teachers who want to bring students to the Statehouse, I am happy to help connect and coordinate. I also encourage all Vermonters to stop in to the People’s House and see the work happening under the golden dome. No appointment is necessary, although I always appreciate knowing when constituents will be in the building.

As we head into Thanksgiving, I hope you find some time with the people who matter to you. It has been a tough year for many Vermonters with rising costs and a lot of national turmoil. What gives me hope is the steady way our communities show up for one another. I am grateful to represent you, and I wish you a safe and peaceful holiday.

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Bennington Banner: A week left to sponsor 243 wreaths at Vermont Veterans’ Home

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I joined other members of the Windham County Legislative Delegation at Grace Cottage Hospital this week to hear an update from hospital leaders on finances and operations. We also received an update on the permit approval for the new clinic. Legislators are invited to meet with many regional interests prior to the start of the legislative session. For those of us who work full time when the Legislature is not in session, juggling schedules can become impossible. If Im unable to meet with a group I’ll ask them to forward me any presentations that were given so I can keep pace with the opportunities and pressures regional interests are facing.

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VTDigger and FRONTLINE PBS Flood Survey and Reporting:

Small, rural towns, like those in southern Vermont and the Northeast Kingdom, have tiny, sometimes volunteer governments with limited capacity to plan for floods. Some of these towns are currently grappling with millions of dollars in debt — doubling their annual budgets in some instances. –VTDigger joins forces with FRONTLINE to investigate the aftermath of Vermont’s severe flooding

Please consider sharing this VTDigger survey with anyone who has a flood story to tell. It is an important tool for understanding how our communities have navigated natural disasters and how we can improve Vermont’s recovery systems. This applies to: individual people hit by flooding, town administrators, subject matter experts, people who just have questions about flooding

VTDigger, with support from FRONTLINE PBS, is spending the next year reporting on Vermont’s flooding and what recovery has looked like for individuals, towns and businesses. The survey is for anyone affected or involved, and it will help guide their reporting. Nothing shared will be published without consent.

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Governor Phil Scott Submits Appeal of Disaster Declaration Denial

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Office Hours

Dover: Saturday, December 6, 11 AM–12 PM | Dover Free Library
Wardsboro: Thursday, December 18, 6–7 PM | Wardsboro Library

From January to May, regularly scheduled in person office hours will only take place on the 1st Saturday in Dover. I am in Montpelier from Monday evening to Friday evening when the legislature is in session.

If you need help with state services, please reach out. I do not have staff and I work year-round, so if you do not hear back in a day or two, please follow up or send a text. If you find my work useful and are able to support it, you can do that here.

Thank you for staying engaged and looking out for one another. That is how Vermont gets through hard times and solves problems.

Rep. Laura Sibilia
Windham-2 District (Dover, Jamaica, Somerset, Stratton, Wardsboro)
Email: lsibilia@leg.state.vt.us
Phone: (802) 384-0233

The photo below is from a recent Energy conference I attended with the Chair and Vice Chair of the House Energy and Digital Infrastructure Committee, Rep. Kathleen James of Manchester and Rep. Scott Campbell of Saint Johnsbury