Peter Hirschfeld
ReporterHelp shape my reporting:
The Vermont Statehouse is often called the people’s house. I am your eyes and ears there. I keep a close eye on how legislation could affect your life; I also regularly speak to the people who write that legislation. The more I hear from you, the better I’ll be at my job. So, what issues do you want lawmakers to focus on? What info do you most urgently need?
I'm eager to hear from you. Get in touch using the form below:
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About Peter:
Peter Hirschfeld covers state government and the Vermont Legislature. He is based in Vermont Public’s Capital Bureau located across the street from Vermont’s Statehouse.
Hirschfeld is a Vermont journalist who has covered the Statehouse since 2009, most recently as bureau chief for the Rutland Herald and Times Argus. He began his career in 2003, working as a local sports reporter and copy editor at the Times Argus.
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A wide-ranging housing plan unveiled by Republican Gov. Phil Scott last month is now making its way through the legislative process, but it’s unclear how much of that proposal Democratic lawmakers will be willing to advance. -
Rank-and-file lawmakers are ramping up pressure on Democratic leadership to move forward with Republican Gov. Phil Scott’s proposal to exempt military pensions from state income taxes. -
A disagreement between Democratic lawmakers and Republican Gov. Phil Scott over the future of Vermont’s emergency motel housing program could lead to the first gubernatorial veto of the 2025 legislative session. -
The debate over the future of energy policy in Vermont hit a key turning point this week when Republican Gov. Phil Scott presented Democratic lawmakers with what he’s calling his “Climate Action Management Plan.” -
The Vermont Asylum Assistance Project furloughed two legal fellows and closed intake for new cases after an order by the Trump administration cut off a key source of federal funding for the nonprofit. -
Republican Gov. Phil Scott wants to repeal Vermont's emissions reduction mandates, but some Democratic lawmakers worry his plan would set back the state's climate action plan. -
Elected officials across the political spectrum have said they want to deliver major policy changes in education, housing and other areas, but six weeks into the 2025 legislative session, lawmakers haven’t made much progress toward those goals. -
Major floods in 2023 and 2024 destroyed local food security infrastructure, and the Vermont Foodbank says it wants to be prepared to address local needs after natural disasters in the future. -
Legislation approved by the House Tuesday would allow prosecutors to pursue hate crime penalties even when the direct victim of an offense isn't a member of a protected class. -
The 306-foot-tall monument cost $102,000 to construct in the late 1880s, but the price tag to keep it viable as a historic site — and popular tourist destination — will far exceed that figure.