Press Releases

“I am so sad to learn of Dick Sears passing. This is a deep loss for Vermont. His was a true life of service, rising from profoundly humble beginnings to serve as Chair of Vermont’s Senate Judiciary Committee for nearly 30 years. His work stands as a monument. He did more to shape Vermont’s judicial system than anyone in that time. He steered it with wisdom, an openness to new ideas, genuine courage in making change, and a deep compassion for the people who most needed their government to serve and care for them. 

“I was honored to serve alongside Senator Sears in the Vermont Senate. Some people saw him as the tough and forceful committee chair, but I quickly came to know the man who dedicated his life to helping Vermont’s most vulnerable young people. He spent decades running a home for troubled teenagers in Bennington. He became a powerful and effective legislator, but I so admired how he wrote laws without ever forgetting the love and care that brought him to safety when he was a small child born to an incarcerated mother. 

“I know I join the chorus of so many Vermonters who thank Dick for his deep commitment to public service.”