![Bob Kinzel](https://cdn.statically.io/img/npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3afb573/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1051x1401+86+0/resize/150x200!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fsites%2Fvpr%2Ffiles%2F201901%2Fbob-kinzel-vpr-bishop-20180420.jpg)
Bob Kinzel
Senior ReporterCurious about the Vermont Legislature? Ask Bob.
Bob Kinzel has been covering the Vermont Statehouse since 1981 — longer than any continuously serving member of the Legislature. With his wealth of institutional knowledge, he answers your questions on our series, "Ask Bob."
Curious about how the Vermont Legislature works? Have questions about what's happened under the Golden Dome in the past, and how that affected our present? Submit a question for future exploration using the form below.
About Bob:
Bob is a veteran Vermont journalist, specializing in political reporting. He is based in Vermont Public’s Capital Bureau located across the street from Vermont’s Statehouse. Prior to joining Vermont Public full time in 2002, Bob ran the Vermont News Service for 21 years. The service provided daily local news for eleven stations, including Vermont Public. Bob started the News Service following a stint as news director for WNCS.
-
Montpelier and Barre saw a deluge of rain and flooding in July 2023, damaging many homes and businesses. Vermont Public’s Bob Kinzel remembers watching floodwaters rise in downtown Montpelier. Guests and listeners also share their recollections from the Wrightsville Dam and Barre.
-
Last month, early voting started for Vermont's primary election. Vermont's 45-day window to vote either by mail or in person is the longest in the country. Primary election day is Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024.
-
The governor’s willingness to use his veto pen — and Democrats’ ability to erase it — represents a deepening partisan chasm in Montpelier.
-
The new law will allow an existing retail store to qualify for a license to sell specifically to medical patients, who can access higher potency products without a sales tax.
-
The bill, signed by Gov. Phil Scott earlier this month, allows the Vermont Veterans' Home in Bennington to partner with different health care provider groups throughout the state to better serve veterans who aren't located in southern Vermont.
-
The Democrat served in the Vermont Senate for 32 years. Sears championed judicial reform — including reducing the number of Vermonters who were incarcerated out of state — and often advocated for a trauma-informed approach to the rehabilitation of at-risk youth.
-
Sen. Peter Welch and Rep. Becca Balint each said the verdict indicated the strength of the American judicial system.
-
That bill, called H.72, sets up a pilot site in Burlington where individuals would be able to use illegal drugs under medical supervision. Overdose reversing medication would also available. Advocates say the centers can prevent fatal overdoses and provide touch points for people with substance use disorder to seek help.
-
Currently, lawmakers need to sign off before a town can put an additional 1% tax on sales, rooms and meals, or alcohol. This bill will remove that requirement.
-
Gov. Phil Scott signed legislation that allows primary care physicians to order tests and certain medications without seeking prior authorization from a health insurance company — a process many doctors say can delay treatments. Insurers said the bill would lead to rate increases.