Joanna and Andy open with a St. Paddy's Day debrief — cement trucks, cold wind, and Andy's complicated relationship with foundation construction. Then it's into Act 73 territory: a CVU legislative breakfast where school board members laid out the math showing the foundation formula could slash Chittenden County school funding by 14%. Plus: Mets heartbreak, fantasy baseball drafts, and jersey fashion dilemmas.

Then Molly Gray — former Lieutenant Governor, leader of the Vermont Afghan Alliance, and our first-ever repeat guest — joins the pod on her birthday to talk about why she's back in the race for Lieutenant Governor. She makes the case for fierce, experienced leadership in a moment that doesn't have room for on-the-job training. We get into the South Burlington ICE raid and what it exposed about Vermont law enforcement's lack of preparedness, the governor's decision to cut SNAP for Afghan SIV holders, and the real cost of a Vermont that's becoming a playground for the wealthy. Molly also reflects on the Democratic Party's identity crisis and how to bring back the people it's lost.

In Last Licks, it's a Maple Weekend tribute: fun facts about syrup from space to the Civil War, and the jaw-dropping story of the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist of 2012 — $18 million of Quebec's strategic reserve, 30 arrests, and the longest food-theft sentence in Canadian history. Don't mess with the maple.

#TheresNoAInCreemee #VTPoli #VermontPolitics #MollyGray #LieutenantGovernor #VTElections2026 #ICERaids #ImmigrantRights #Act73 #VermontEducation #VTLeg #AfghanAlliance #VermontValues #HoldTheLine #MapleWeekend #MapleHeist #VermontMaple #GreatMapleHeist #Creemee #VermontPodcast #802Politics

Joanna and Andy welcome Alison Novak, Seven Days education reporter and soon-to-be Reporter of the Year from the New England Newspaper and Press Association, for a deep dive into Vermont schools during a pivotal crossover week. They unpack the stalled implementation of Act 73, the fight over school choice and independent school funding, the lawsuits already in the pipeline, declining enrollment, technical education, and second homeowners tax proposals.

In our opener Joanna opens up about his first week as a candidate in the wild — and the emotional gut-punch of an ICE raid in South Burlington

Plus: a Glossary of Shame on bills "stuck on the wall," Amanda Janoo announces she's running for governor, and Allison reveals what may be the most creative Creemee order we've ever heard — the Dreamee from Yates Family Orchard.

#TheresNoAInCreemee #VTPoli #VermontPolitics #Act73 #VTLeg #VermontEducation #AllisonNovak #SevenDaysVT #EducationReform #VermontSchools #Crossover #Creemee #AmandaJanoo #VTElections2026

We've got big news here on There's No "A" in Creemee.

We sit down with Ryan McLaren, longtime behind‑the‑scenes force in Vermont politics and now a candidate for Lieutenant Governor.

We talk about what shaped him (including growing up in a 900‑square‑foot house in Essex Jct), what he's hearing from voters, and why he's running.Ryan digs into affordability, rebuilding trust with working Vermonters, the soft‑power weirdness of the LG’s office, and what it means to be “Made in Vermont.”

Plus: rural vitality, floods, dairy, and how not to get pushed around by a Trump administration.Ryan levels up our Creemee Order segment with a deeply considered opinion on the subject.

This week’s episode centers on a deep-dive conversation with Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak. We talk about:

1. The intertwined crises of homelessness, mental health, and substance use—and why Burlington’s challenges are really Vermont’s challenges

2. Community safety, media narratives, and what it actually means for Burlington to be ranked among the safest communities in the country

3. Preparing for a potential ICE surge: what the city can do, where its authority stops, and how mutual aid and neighboring towns fit into the response

4. “Modern Gov,” budgets, Dillon’s Rule, and why Vermont’s government structures need an update

5. Gun policy, charter changes, and why Emma chose the Progressive Party

6. The politics of style, taking up space in heels, and (crucially) what the Mayor orders at the creemee stand

We also bring you along for a quick Great Ice Festival dispatch—bonfires, fireworks, and a goat named Lord Voldemort.

Plus, we check in with Elaine Haney about her run for State Senate in Chittenden Central and what it means to challenge incumbents in a crowded primary.

And finally: Vermont Business Magazine has added a Best Vermont Podcast category this year. It’s a write‑in, penultimate‑question situation—so if you’ve got a minute before March 1, we’d be honored to have your vote for There’s No "A" in Creemee.

#Burlington #VTPoli #VermontPolitics #EmmaMulvaneyStanek #MayorEmma #TheresNoAInCreemee #CreemeeCulture #VTNews #CommunitySafety #HomelessnessCrisis #Act250 #HousingVT #LocalGov #ModernGov #GreatIceFestival

This week Joanna and Andy start with a hard look at Vermont’s relationship to the federal government: the illegal detainments of Steven Tendo and Hussein Noor Hussein, the senate's confirmation of Michael Drescher to the Vermont Supreme Court, and what it means when federal power collides with Vermont values. They also spotlight the Vermont Immigration Legal Defense Fund and why “every purchase is a protest” when local retailers step up where Amazon won’t.

Then Deputy Auditor Tim Ashe joins the pod to talk about what the state auditor actually does, why accountability is a prerequisite for restoring public trust, and how the office can influence big-ticket issues like healthcare costs, water quality spending, housing policy, and municipal capacity. He shares stories from the Statehouse, his vision for a truly independent watchdog, and, of course, his go‑to creemee order.

#TheresNoAInCreemee #VTPolitics #VermontPodcast #PodcastsOfVT #MontpelierMatters #802Politics #VermontNews #VermontLife #VermontAuditor #TimAsh #GovernmentAccountability #PublicTrust #VTLeg #VermontElections #WatchdogOffice #FollowTheMoney #VermontValues #ImmigrantJustice #VLIDF #HumanRights #VTEd #EducationFunding

We sit down with two incredible young organizers — Taylor Garner and Natalie Julow — for a conversation that’s equal parts inspo, reality check, and reminder that Vermont’s future is already rolling up its sleeves.Taylor and Natalie talk candidly about why they stepped up, what younger Vermonters are actually struggling with, and how affordability, voting access, democratic identity, and representation look from the people who are trying to build their lives, in Vermont, right now. We get into the frustrations and the hope — plus a very Vermont detour into rotary phones, basement living, federal overreach, and the perennial statewide question of: what does affordability mean?Also this episode:

• Is the party ready for the 2026 election season?
• Are we listening to young voters, or just explaining things at them?
• Is the Governor protecting democracy?
• TNAC hitting local TV (yes, really!)
• And of course… the creemee orders. Maple crunchies are apparently sprinkles now.

It’s inspiring, it’s honest, it’s Vermont politics with heart — and some of the fastest Julow‑family wit on record.#elections2026 #vtpoli #theresnoaincreemee #vermont #podcast

This week is a vt-poli sampler pack: three interviews, three locations, and at least three questionable wardrobe choices. We kick things off with friend of the pod Peter Booth, fresh from a nonviolent sit‑in at the Williston ICE facility. Peter walks us through what happened that day, and what it means that ICE’s East Coast targeting runs out of Chittenden County.

Then we shift gears for some legislative opening‑day energy under the Golden Dome. First up: retiring House Commerce Chair Rep. Mike Marcotte, who talks about workforce, tech ed, data privacy, and what it’s like to spend 22 years on the same committee.

We wrap with Rep. Jana Brown from House Education, who pops in to chat about the mountain of education work ahead this session—and is kind enough to gush about the pod on mic, which we obviously did not edit out.

Plus: why the hosts nearly got stranded in Montpelier, the continued saga of Vermont’s redistricting angst, and a reminder that the Islands still exist.

This episode of There’s No “A” in Creemee takes you back to the Vermont State House for a crash course in how the money actually moves. Joanna and Andy sit down with Representative Robin Scheu and Representative Tiffany Bluemle, the Appropriations Chair and Ranking Member whose committee keeps Vermont’s budget standing even when the federal government… doesn’t.

From budget surpluses to spreadsheet triage to the weirdness of forecasting revenue when D.C. keeps changing the rules, this is Appropriations 101 — but Vermont‑style

Then, in our field segment, we head to Church Street for the chilly January launch of Nikhil Goyal’s campaign for Chittenden Central Senate. We talked with Nikhil about his campaign, priority issues, and what it means to run a primary challenge in a state where incumbency is everything. Yes, it was cold. Yes, the visuals were great anyway.

It’s a packed, policy‑nerdy, creemee‑hearted episode straight from under the golden dome.

Welcome to our inaugural State of the Creemee State address! We break down Governor Scott’s speech, why Act 73 dominated the conversation, and what got left out—like housing, healthcare, and the future of Vermont’s young people.

Andy shares a roof update, Joanna dreams of a Darn Tough sticker, and we ask: does Vermont still have its small-town magic?

Plus, Last Licks serves up the goofy side of legislation, from UFO task forces to camel parking rules. The state of our creemee state? Melty—but there’s hope, and plenty of sprinkles

#VTPolitics #SmallTownMagic #VermontLife #BraveLittleState #Act73 #EducationReform #HousingCrisis #HealthcareCosts #SupportSmallBusiness #UFOTaskForce #CamelParking #WhistleUnderwater #VermontOddities