Good evening friends and neighbors, Fall is here, ballots are arriving, towns are working through important land use decisions, and I am spending a lot of time preparing for the next legislative session. The photo above is from a recent visit I made out to the old Rawsonville School House which Jamaica is working to modernize and reuse - a very cool step back in time! There are several things I want to make sure you know about this week. There is a wonderful new documentary about longtime East Dover farmer Sonny Brown, who at 94 is still cutting wood, sugaring and showing up for his neighbors.

New fuel-economy standards, which President Trump said he finalized Saturday, would kill a federal effort to speed the transition to electric vehicles.

DOVER, VT — Representative Laura Sibilia (I-Dover) has filed a complaint asking the Vermont Attorney General’s Office to review paid advertisements by Americans for Prosperity during the 2026 election cycle. The advertisements criticize legislators and their voting records. One asks Vermonters to contact their legislators in support of AFP’s policy positions. “This is not a complaint about whether AFP has a right to speak. It does,” Sibilia said. “Even though I disagree with quite a bit of what AFP says, that does not matter. The question is did/is AFP spending money to influence an election or legislative action, and if so, is it following Vermont’s disclosure laws?”

Good evening friends and neighbors, I hope you’ve had an enjoyable Labor Day weekend.Tj and I were able to spend time in our gardens, with family and friends and got on a great hike in the White Mountains. Welcome home to the members of Vermont’s 158th Fighter Wing after long deployments overseas. I am very glad to see our Vermonters coming home to their families. This has been an unusually demanding and uncertain period for many people connected to our military, service members, officers, civilian employees and especially military families. Please check in on the military families you know. 

Office Hours Wednesday, August 12, 6:00 p.m. – Visiting at the Community Gathering on Route 30 or in the event of rain, at the Jamaica Town Office (second Wednesday) Thursday, August 20, 6:00 p.m. – Wardsboro Public Library(Third Thursday of each month.) Saturday, September 5, 11:00 a.m. – Dover Free Library (First Saturday of each month.) Wednesday, September 9, 6:00 p.m. – Visiting at the Community Gathering on Route 30 or in the event of rain, at the Jamaica Town Office (second Wednesday) Thursday, September 10, 6:00 p.m.

The Treasury Department released rules that would prevent schools with race-based programs from qualifying for tax-exempt status, a threat to both higher education and other private schools.

Last updated: August 29, 2026 There is a lot of national news and noise about voting right now, including lawsuits over mail-in ballots, federal efforts to obtain voter information and arguments about voter fraud. Here in Vermont, the most important thing for our voters to know is actually pretty simple: 1. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. 2. You can vote by mail, vote early in person or vote at the polls on Election Day. 3. Vermont allows you to register to vote right through to Election Day.

Good evening friends and neighbors, Over the past several weeks I’ve continued meeting with constituents during office hours, attending local school board meetings, working throughout our reg…

Hello Friends and Neighbors, This Memorial Day, I hope you will join me in remembering those who lost their lives in service to our country. Behind every name on a memorial are families and communi…

May 12, 2026 Today, Representative Laura Sibilia announced she is seeking reelection to represent the Windham-2 district in the Vermont House of Representatives. “I’m grateful for the conversations…

It’s just one month, but it’s a sign of where the U.S. is headed as renewable energy — namely solar — surges onto the grid.

Namely, immigrant detention centers and data centers.

Dear friends and neighbors, This week, two issues continued to dominate conversations: land use and education. Both are complicated, both affect costs, and both are still very much in motion. We saw a significant shift on Act 181, and the House passed H.955, the education transformation bill, sending it to the Senate. Below I walk through changes and what is still unresolved or up for additional changes.

Friends and neighbors, This past week was one of the more intense weeks of the session for me. Much of it centered on Act 181. Some of it was public. A lot of it was not, including offline conversations happening as members try to work through next steps and what changes, if any, will be made to the current approach in…

Dear friends and neighbors, The place you send your elected leaders to work in displays artwork from many Vermont artists. The photo above hangs in the Senate Institution's Committee Room. Focal Point, is a painting by Montpelier artist Kate Burnim, whose work explores how color, space, and process reflect the way we experience and make sense of the world. More info here…

Good evening. I will be sending out an update On Sunday evening. Please see this op-ed that I published earlier this week related to Act 181: A reminder that to tomorrow April 4 is the first Saturday of the month and I have office hours tomorrow at the Dover Free Library from 11-noon. Please stop in!

Land Use Policy Won’t Work If Vermonters Aren’t Part of It Repealing parts of Act 181 is the first step to rebuilding trust and moving forward with rural Vermonters By Rep. Laura Sibilia Vermont has a responsibility to address climate change and protect our communities and the natural systems that support us. We have seen firsthand the damage a changing climate is doing across our state, from flooding that damages homes and roads to increasing wildfire risk and the growing threat to species we depend on.

Dear friends and neighbors, Last week was a very busy week with long day of debate on the floor. Both the budget and a miscellaneous tax bill passed out of the House as well as new legislation on data privacy that will affect how your personal information is handled. We talked a lot about the local option tax surplus and how that surplus should be addressed.

Hello friends and neighbors, I am hearing from many of you and your town leaders with questions about Act 181 of 2024 and what it means for your land and your community. Many of these questions are coming up now because parts of the law are moving from planning into implementation. I have been writing and speaking about this issue for the past three years as the bill was developed and passed.

From my update to constituents in 2024. H.687 become Act 181 Dear Friends and Neighbors, There are two major issues that impact our region coming to a head in the statehouse right now, and a third that is quickly emerging. The first is Act 181, Vermont’s 2024 land use law. As more Vermonters begin to understand how far-reaching these changes are, concerns are growing.

Friends and neighbors, This was an intense week. The time change was enough to throw people off, but this week also brought a lot of emotionally charged events. The resignation of Representative Bob Hooper, the ICE operation in South Burlington that drew large protests and law enforcement presence, and the ongoing national turmoil are affecting many Vermonters. I’ve heard from some of you who are feeling upset and anxious.

Friends and neighbors, It was so good to see so many of you at Town Meeting this week and to see new faces stepping up and lifelong volunteers celebrated. I'm taking a few days to visit my daughter before the legislature reconvenes next week, and so I'm moving the regularly scheduled office hours for tomorrow, March 7th, to next Saturday March 14th.

Understanding the “Defend the Guard” Movement and H.355 By Rep. Laura Sibilia I have heard from Vermonters, many of them outside the Windham-2 district I represent, about H.355, often called the “Defend the Guard Act.” I believe that outreach is happening in part because I come from a military family and serve as Co-Chair of the Vermont National Guard and Veterans Affairs Caucus.

Dear friends and neighbors, The legislative session is close to half over, and today we adjourned for a week back home in our districts and at our Town Meetings. I am looking forward to seeing many of you on March 3. Town Meeting is where democracy is most visible and most personal. I hope you will attend and embrace your role as citizens holding your government to account by asking hard questions, voicing your hopes for your town and schools, and electing your neighbors to serve in municipal government.

Friends and neighbors, We are now in Week 7 of the 2026 legislative session, and this is the point in the session when it starts to become clearer which proposals are more likely to move then others. I’ve been hearing from many of you about a very wide range of issues including education reform, nuclear policy, herbicide applications, regional proposals, public safety pilots, and how major land-use changes under Act 181 are taking shape on the ground.

Friends and neighbors, Congratulations to Jessie Diggins and Ben Ogden, both Stratton Mountain School alumni, on earning Olympic medals in Italy. It’s always thrilling to see Vermonters succeed at the Olympics stage. The legislative session is now about one-third of the way through, and more bills are beginning to reach the House floor for debate. This week, I reported two telecommunications-related bills to the House.

Friends and neighbors, We have reached the halfway mark between the Christmas/Hanukah holidays and Spring and the pace at the statehouse is picking up! A quick scheduling note: this week’s office hours are being moved to Saturday, February 14 at 11:00 a.m. at the Dover Free Library so that my family and I can travel to celebrate a birthday together this Saturday.

Dear friends and neighbors, Like many of you, I started this week distraught about what was happening in Minnesota.I heard from many Vermonters is and outside of our district who were shaken, and it felt important to me not to be silent in the face of ongoing violations of basic rights. That’s why I joined with others in the House in supporting H.R.

Last weekend, I stood with neighbors in Jamaica at a candlelight vigil. It was simple and short, and it meant a lot. Moments like that are a reminder to me that people are dealing with a lot right now, and that community matters, especially when things feel uncertain. I work hard to keep that perspective with me during the week at the State House.

Friends and neighbors, As we move into the second week of the 2026 legislative session, I am focused on the work here in our state. Nonetheless, national decisions and statements are shaping the context Vermont is operating in, whether we are talking about civil rights, education, energy, or affordability. What happens at the federal level eventually shows up in our communities and is especially now is regularly showing up in the questions people also bring to local and state officials.

This week marked the first full week of the 2026 legislative session. We are right back to work on long-standing challenges here in Vermont, even as national headlines and events abroad have caused real concern and distress for many of you. I have heard from constituents following the shooting of protesters by federal immigration officers and in response to last week’s events in Venezuela.

Friends and neighbors, This is a longer update than usual. Please find my thoughts on the weekend's news, a legislative reflection on 2025 and my thoughts going into the 2026 session as well as a few timely updates. A moment of concern What we are watching unfold in Venezuela is extraordinary and deeply alarming. The United States has used military force to capture another country’s president, and the President has openly stated that the U.S.

Friends and neighbors, I hope you are all doing well after the holidays. I wanted to share a quick note because I’ve been quieter than usual. Like many others, I came down with the flu after a really beautiful stretch of time with all of our kids home. I’m feeling better and I’m working on a year-end reflection and a look ahead to 2026, which I’ll share this weekend.

Friends and neighbors, As we make our way through December, I know many of you are balancing year-end obligations with preparations for the holidays. The past week’s headlines have been heavy. Gun violence in Rhode Island, ongoing fights in Washington over healthcare costs and accountability, and the attack in Australia as Hanukkah began are hard to read and harder to absorb.

This newsletter highlights upcoming office hours and summaries of recent legislative fiscal briefings and a projected 12 percent rise in education property taxes.

Friends and neighbors, I hope you were able to spend time with family and friends over the Thanksgiving holiday. We were grateful to spend time with two of our kids and family! My daughter and I were lucky enough to spend a few days in Canada including visiting Notre Dame Cathedral. Thank you for staying engaged. I will hold office hours next Saturday December 6th in Dover from 11 to noon at the Dover Free Library…

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.

Good evening friends and neighbors, Did you see the northern lights this past week? My husband drove us up to Cooper Hill in Dover to check out the show. I'm really relieved that the federal government shut down has ended, at least for now. If your family was effected and that effect is not resolved quickly, please let me know if you need assistance.

Dear friends and neighbors, As we observe Veterans Day this coming week, I want to recognize those who have served our country and the families who have stood beside them. We are grateful. The federal government remains shut down in what is now the longest shutdown in U.S. history. For many, this feels like political theater, but the impacts on our neighbors are real.

Rural Caucus Leaders: Vermonters Deserve Notice and a Fair Voice in Land-Use Decisions Vermont is undergoing the most significant land-use regulation update in over fifty years. As Tier 2 and Tier 3 mapping and rulemaking under Act 181 of 2024 move forward, decisions are being made right now that will affect how Vermonters access their homes, live on, build on, and use their land.

Dear friends and neighbors, I want to start close to home. When things feel uncertain at the national level, Vermont communities continue to do what we always do. We take care of one another. The new community pantry at the Dover Free Library is an example of that spirit in action. Anyone who needs food is welcome to take what they need, and neighbors who are able can quietly contribute unexpired items.

Communities like ours show what democracy looks lik: neighbors helping neighbors, even when Washington stalls. In my latest update: the federal shutdown’s impact on Vermont families, communities denied FEMA aid, local resilience planning, and Act 181 rulemaking updates for Dover, Jamaica, Wardsboro, and Stratton.

The People Are Always Right by Rep. Laura Sibilia Delivered in Wilmington, Vermont — October 18, 2025 At the No Kings Protest I served on our local school boards for over twenty years, and the best advice I received during that service was from our chair: “The people are always right.” Especially when we were divided — that reminder helped us find consensus.

Statement on Reported Misconduct by Young Republican Leaders The messages revealed by POLITICO this week are appalling — not just offensive, but dehumanizing. Leaders of Young Republican groups reportedly joked about gas chambers, slavery, rape, and Hitler, and used racist, antisemitic, and misogynistic language. That kind of rhetoric obscures everything good about public service. According to POLITICO, Vermont Senator Sam Douglass participated in those conversations, and his wife was quoted using an antisemitic slur.