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.

Dear friends and neighbors, This is us – just before we got married at the turn of the century! TJ and I have been spending time getting ready for winter, checking in on family, and taking pl…

Dear friends and neighbors, This is us - just before we got married at the turn of the century! TJ and I have been spending time getting ready for winter, checking in on family, and taking pleasure in harvesting from our garden. We are also making plans to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary in November! I can’t believe how quickly the years have gone by.

The startup that issued Donald Trump’s memecoin several days before his second presidential inauguration is working to raise at least $200 million to create a digital-asset treasury company to accumulate the struggling token, according to people familiar with the situation.

Dear friends and neighbors, I hope this finds you well and that you are able to enjoy some of the early fall colors. This is one of my favorite times of year in Vermont. Many of you have told me you are worried about rising political rhetoric and violence. This month, President Trump signed an order trying to classify Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, though it is unclear if that is legally possible.

Who Is They Political violence is not protest, debate, or disagreement. It strikes at the heart of democracy — the responsibility we all share to govern ourselves. The recent assassinations of Char…

Friends and Neighbors, I hope you’re finding a little time to enjoy these last summer days. Between back-to-school, harvest season, and everything else that keeps us busy in Vermont, I know it can …

Friends and Neighbors, This summer has been full of significant developments in our district, across Vermont, and nationally. In this newsletter I will share some highlights of what is happening no…

All of Christ for All of Life.