Many Final Readers spend so much time in the Statehouse, heads buried in our work, that we don’t often stop to appreciate the building itself. But that’s not the case for the many tourists, from near and from far, who also traverse the halls under the Golden Dome each year.
It got us thinking: what do these people, with eyes clear and hearts full, really think about the place? To find out, we turned to a reliable, and highly scientific, source: reviews of the building published on Google Maps.
Most visitors seem to have had a great time. With some 160 ratings published as of Friday, the Statehouse scores an average of 4.7 stars out of 5. Many reviewers commend the building’s rich history, forested backdrop and ease of access compared with capitols in other states.
“This is one of the coolest places I have ever been to,” wrote one reviewer who, accordingly, afforded the building a full five stars. “Besides the history, we mostly enjoyed the elegant furnishings,” said another five-star rating, which would surely delight the State Curator’s Office.
“Very nice place. Have some words for the representatives inside but that’s another matter,” says another five-star review, leaving readers on a tantalizing cliffhanger.
Some reviewers seem to have dropped stars from their reviews as a result of situations that, frankly, seem to reflect their own decisions or lack of planning, but not the building itself.
“Dropped my ice cream walking up the stairs. Cried,” writes one review, with two stars.
Wrote one three-star-rater: “When I visited the location, construction was going on. Didn’t have a good view of the location. Also, the town is very small.” (What were you expecting, Boston?)
One four-star review — which, to be sure, could be a joke — detailed some real user error.
“We kinda ended up here by accident at night, kiddo misread the signs and thought we were going to ‘Vermont STEAK House.’ Came hungry, left hungrier,” the review says, before going on to critique a “beat-up and overflowing garbage can” located nearby. (Someone sounds hangry.)
Perhaps our favorite review, though, offered some brief — but profound — analysis.
“It is a fine building. US politics is complicated,” the review says.
— Shaun Robinson
In the know
Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark hit two remarkable milestones on Friday. She joined a 15th case against actions taken by President Donald Trump and his administration since his second inauguration in January. The lawsuits have all been in conjunction with 11 or more other states’ attorneys general.
The case — which challenges Trump’s declaration of an “energy emergency” — is also her third joint lawsuit against the administration filed within the past five days, a new record.
It’s a lot to stay on top of, but we’ve tried to help with our online Vermont v. Trump tracker. The attorney general’s office also keeps a more detailed list of actions to check out.
— Kristen Fountain
On the move
Lawmakers are nearing the finish line on a wide-ranging housing package.
The eclectic omnibus bill, S.127, does everything from creating new programs to finance infrastructure for housing, altering who can appeal housing permits, putting in new fair housing protections for immigrants and directing a raft of reports.
“It’s really got apples, oranges, bananas and pears in it,” said Rep. Marc Mihaly, D-Calais, who chairs the House Committee on General and Housing.
Legislative leaders have indicated that S.127, which passed the Senate in late March and is currently winding through the House, will be the central housing bill in 2025. But at the same time, the Senate is continuing to work on a separate version of a similar bill, H.479, muddying the path to the final product.
Read more here about the top changes this year’s housing package would make – including where lawmakers are still debating the details and where Gov. Phil Scott’s administration stands.
— Carly Berlin
Visit our 2025 bill tracker for the latest updates on major legislation we are following.
Flu-free
The United States Department of Agriculture has declared Vermont’s dairy cattle bird flu-free, according to a press release from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets. The agency’s milk sampling program, (which is mandated by the USDA) shows no affected dairy cattle as of Friday.
The Ag Agency ran tests at 411 dairy farms across the state, the costs of which were covered by the federal government.
— Olivia Gieger
