MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – Longtime Vermont Sen. Dick Sears died over the weekend. He was 81.

Sears was born on April 22, 1943, and became a resident of Bennington in 1971. Sen. Sears served in the Vermont Legislature for 32 years. During his tenure, Sears served as the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

According to legislative leaders, Sears died surrounded by family and long-time friends.

“Dick’s legacy is all but incalculable. Recognized nationally as one of America’s “most productive” legislators, he made judicial and corrections reform his personal mission,” Sen. Phil Baruth said.

Baruth went on to say, “Much, much more will be said of Dick Sears than I can say in a short statement, but I will add that although in some ways we were unlikely friends and allies, I came to love him like a father and I will miss him like family.”

Bennington County Sen. Brian Campion also issued a statement saying, “Dick loved representing Bennington County and took great pride in that honor for the 32 years he served as State Senator. He was one of the most effective leaders in the Senate and will be sorely missed. Dick was also a dear friend and I will always remember his sense of humor, sense of justice and lifelong dedication to the service of others.”

In a statement, Gov. Phil Scott said, “I am saddened to learn of the passing of Senator Dick Sears. Senator Sears was already in the Senate when I arrived as a freshman in 2001. We served together for many years and I have always had a great deal of respect for him. I appreciate his willingness to work across the aisle to get things done. Just this past session, he worked closely with my team to pass important public safety legislation.”

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MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – Millions flowing to Vermont’s outdoor recreation scene to improve flood damage and beyond.

The Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative — or VOREC — recently announced 6.3 million dollars in grants to support outdoor rec across the state.

It’s going to 51 projects focused on improving outdoor spaces and who gets to access them.

The most money they’ve ever doled out, VOREC says they pushed for an additional million to help flood-ravaged communities revive their outdoor recreation economy.

“It’s pretty incredible to see how communities investing in their resources can really bring life back to their downtown centers,” VOREC Program Manager Jackie Dagger said.

The VOREC grants also set aside dedicated funding for projects focused on outdoor equity.

Copyright 2024 WCAX. All rights reserved.

Vermont this week became the first U.S. state to pass a law that requires oil and gas companies to pay for climate change-related damage caused by their emissions, a move that is sure to prompt legal challenges from the energy industry.

Gov. Phil Scott allowed the bill to become law without his signature late Thursday, citing concerns about the costs and outcome of the small state taking on “Big Oil” alone in a long and expensive fight.

“With just $600,000 appropriated by the Legislature to complete an analysis that will need to withstand intense legal scrutiny from a well-funded defense, we are not positioning ourselves for success,” Scott said in a letter to state lawmakers.

But “I understand the desire to seek funding to mitigate the effects of climate change that has hurt our state in so many ways,” the governor wrote.

The American Petroleum Institute has said it is “extremely concerned that the [law] retroactively imposes costs and liability on prior activities that were legal, violates equal protection and due process rights by holding companies responsible for the actions of society at large; and is pre-empted by federal law.”

New York, California, Massachusetts and Maryland are considering similar legislation.

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