VLA in the Media
Some recent press mentions for Vermont Legal Aid
2/27/2026 Lawmakers grapple with private equity in Vermont's health care system
Vermont Public
https://www.vermontpublic.org/local-news/2026-02-27/capitol-recap-private-equity-health-care-system-lawmakers
Sam Peisch, a policy analyst for the Office of the Vermont Health Care Advocate, said he and his colleagues were looking at challenges out of state when they began their work on H.583. He cited Steward Health Care, a private-equity owned hospital chain that went on a debt-fueled buying spree before declaring bankruptcy in 2024.
2/26/2026 Lawmakers and advocates highlight need for H.385 to protect Vermonters from coerced debt
Times Argus
https://www.timesargus.com/theworld/business-briefs---feb-26-2026/article_33af5a94-5d06-4917-9ead-323d51d91cf1.html
Grace B. Pazdan of Vermont Legal Aid said coerced debt often leaves survivors with ruined credit and limited options. She noted that many Vermonters facing debt collection lack legal representation and that clearer statutory protections could provide more accessible relief.
2/19/2026 Bill relieves domestic abuse victims of coerced debt
Vermont Daily Chronicle
https://vermontdailychronicle.com/bill-relieves-domestic-abuse-victims-of-coerced-debt/amp/
A bill now before the House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development would allow victims of domestic abuse to void debts they were coerced into taking on during abusive relationships. ... At a press conference Thursday at the Vermont State House, a spokesperson for Vermont Legal Aid said many domestic violence survivors are pressured or forced to take out loans, open credit cards, or sign financing agreements for the benefit of their abusers.
2/18/2026 Can Vermont lawmakers ease the housing crisis by helping renters — and also landlords?
Vermont Public and VT Digger
https://www.vermontpublic.org/local-news/2026-02-18/can-vermont-lawmakers-ease-the-housing-crisis-by-helping-renters-and-also-landlords
But faster eviction turnarounds will afford renters less time to get aid, said Jean Murray, an attorney with Vermont Legal Aid. About two-thirds of the eviction cases the law clinic and its partner Legal Services Vermont has assisted with over the last several years have involved tenants falling behind on rent, she said. “These very short timelines will prevent quite a few people from responding on time,” Murray said. “There simply won’t be time for them to get the assistance they need to keep up with the rent and keep the apartment.”
2/18/2026 Medicare change big affordability win for lower incomes
Vermont Daily Chronicle
https://vermontdailychronicle.com/medicare-change-big-affordability-win-for-lower-incomes-rodgers/amp/
Lieutenant Governor Rodgers and the Office of the Health Care Advocate (HCA) are sharing an affordability win for Vermonters on Medicare. Due to action in recent budget bills, beginning January 1, 2026, more Vermonters on Medicare will qualify for help paying for health insurance premiums and cost-sharing. ... If you have questions about your options, contact the Office of the Health Care Advocate for free, confidential help at 1-800-917-7787. The Office of the Health Care Advocate is a project of Vermont Legal Aid and helps any Vermonter with health care issues.
2/8/2008 New initiative to increase number of immigration lawyers
WCAX-TV3
https://www.wcax.com/2026/02/08/new-initiative-increase-number-immigration-lawyers/
“All of us could be working 24/7, doing everything we possibly could, and we would never come close to meeting the need,” said Devanne O’Brien with Vermont Legal Aid. She’s hoping to help get through the backlog on immigration cases. “For the people that we are representing, it’s going to hopefully have a dramatic impact on the outcome of their case.”
2/10/2026 Is Windham County prepared to get older?
The Commons
https://www.commonsnews.org/issue/852/852Windham_Aging
“We have a contract with Vermont Legal Aid to provide legal services,” Boutwell said. ... Senior Solutions, working with Vermont Legal Aid, also provides services for prevention of abuse and neglect.
2/12/2026 Vermont bill aims to protect domestic abuse survivors from forced debt
NBC-TV5
https://www.mynbc5.com/article/bill-protect-domestic-abuse-survivors/70334752
House Bill 385 would create a legal process for survivors to challenge debt created through abuse. Supporters said it could offer a clearer path to relief for some. "While H385 cannot stop the underlying emotional and psychological trauma caused by abuse and exploitation, it would provide meaningful financial relief to survivors struggling to rebuild their lives," said Grace B. Pazdan, [a] project director for Vermont Legal Aid.
1/3/2026 More bailouts for nursing homes? Why Vermont has given millions to keep care centers afloat.
Valley News
https://vnews.com/2026/01/03/vermont-nursing-homes-bailout/
Staffing tends to be the highest expenditure for nursing homes, and oftentimes nursing homes that work with temporary staffing agencies are contractually obligated to pay contract staff more than permanent staff, said Kaili Kuiper, Vermont Legal Aid’s long-term care ombudsman. That means nursing homes spend much of their budget on filling the staffing gap with temporary staff, and do not have the funds to invest in recruiting long-term staff.
1/8/2026 Vermont treasurer proposes plan to lower prescription drug costs
Brattleboro Reformer (also WPTZ-TV5, Vermont Public, Vermont Daily Chronicle, and Vermont Biz)
https://www.reformer.com/local-news/vermont-treasurer-proposes-plan-to-lower-prescription-drug-costs/article_6418f105-5e83-417c-a88e-d7c5239a3154.html
"We hear from Vermonters regularly who call us in desperation ...," said Mike Fisher, chief health care advocate. "We want people to make health care choices, not economic choices. Unfortunately, sometimes they have no choice."
1/20/2026 Commentary | Maryellen Griffin: Evictions cause homelessness. We can’t afford more.
Manchester Journal
https://www.manchesterjournal.com/opinion/columnists/commentary-maryellen-griffin-evictions-cause-homelessness-we-can-t-afford-more/article_a3098cca-58ea-4292-8c27-5dd1ef150c94.html
Maryellen Griffin is a staff attorney for Vermont Legal Aid.
1/21/2026 Housing clinic argues before Vermont Supreme Court
Yale Law School
https://law.yale.edu/yls-today/news/housing-clinic-argues-vermont-supreme-court
The clinic represented amici Vermont Legal Aid and the National Consumer Law Center, arguing that mortgage servicers cannot foreclose on homeowners without showing clear legal entitlement to do so at the time they filed their complaint.
1/22/2026 Early numbers show many Vermonters dropping their insurance for 2026
VT Digger
https://vtdigger.org/2026/01/22/early-numbers-show-many-vermonters-dropping-their-insurance-for-2026/
The new reality of marketplace insurance without federal subsidies may leave Vermonters feeling like, “I have insurance and I can’t afford to use it,” state health care advocate Mike Fisher said.
1/29/2026 VT groups hire lawyers to help immigrants with court access across the state
Burlington Free Press
https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/local/vermont/2026/01/29/vermont-legal-aid-vermont-asylum-assistance-project-boost-immigration-lawyers-courts-access-citizen/88396400007/
Vermont Legal Aid and the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project have joined forces to expand immigration legal services in the state. “We are incredibly thankful for this collaboration and for the community of supporters who made it possible,” Bessie Weiss, interim executive director at Vermont Legal Aid, said. “This partnership allows us to expand services, deepen impact, and ensure immigrant communities across Vermont have meaningful access to justice.”
1/29/2026 New immigration legal services expand into southern and central Vermont
VT Digger
https://vtdigger.org/2026/01/29/new-immigration-legal-services-expand-into-southern-and-central-vermont/
“Particularly now, as more and more people are being detained, it’s really important to make sure that as many people as possible have legal representation,” said Devanne O’Brien, a newly hired community immigration lawyer. ... One of the new lawyers hired through the initiative based in Springfield, Daniel Schmidt, had previously worked at Vermont Legal Aid for three years doing disaster relief work. Schmidt said he will work with community-based organizations to help people wade through the complicated mire of the U.S. immigration system.
1/30/2026 Gov. Phil Scott pitches a (mostly) deregulatory plan for health care
Vermont Public
https://www.vermontpublic.org/local-news/2026-01-30/capitol-recap-gov-phil-scott-pitches-a-mostly-deregulatory-plan-for-health-care
Vermont Health Advocate Mike Fisher told lawmakers this week he’d entertain the governor’s proposal if he thought it could meaningfully impact the makeup of the state’s insurance pool. But he argued the 5% price differential contemplated in the bill was unlikely to drive change, and he noted that a significant chunk of those who are uninsured are already eligible for Medicaid.
1/30/2026 New immigration legal services expand into southern and central Vermont
Associated Press
https://apnews.com/article/vermont-jill-martin-diaz-immigration-sharon-hall-general-news-666b664f5e8f8fe5c8fdf9ff9e4da1ad
The new program, the Immigration Community Lawyering Initiative, is a partnership between Vermont Legal Aid and Vermont Asylum Assistance Project.
1/31/2026 Capitol Beat: Immigration law
This collaboration establishes an immigration law practice at Vermont Legal Aid for the first time in the organization’s history… “We are incredibly thankful for this collaboration and for the community of supporters who made it possible,” said Bessie Weiss, interim executive director at Vermont Legal Aid. “This partnership allows us to expand services, deepen impact, and ensure immigrant communities across Vermont have meaningful access to justice.”