WhoRunsTheStates Badge.png
Who Runs Your State Government?
Does your state lean blue or lean red? Check out our new report, highlighting partisan control of state government from 1992-2013.






Richard Sears

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Share this article:  E-mail this story Bookmark with Facebook Share on Google+ Share on twitter.com

Richard Sears
Sears.jpg
Vermont Senate Bennington District
Incumbent
In office
1993 - present
Term ends
January 7, 2015
Years in position 20
PartyDemocratic
Compensation
Base salary$604.79/week
Per diem$162/day (non-commuter)
$61/day (commuter)
Elections and appointments
Last electionNovember 6, 2012
First electedNovember 3, 1992
Next electionNovember 4, 2014
Term limitsN/A
Education
Bachelor'sUniversity of Vermont
Personal
BirthdayApril 22, 1943
Place of birthFramingham, MA
ProfessionCo-Director, Youth Program
ReligionCongregational
Websites
Office website
www.CandidateVerification.org

Contents

Richard Sears (b. April 22, 1943) is a Democratic member of the Vermont State Senate, representing the Bennington District since 1993.

Sears was the Co-Director for 204-206 Depot Residential Programs for Troubled Youth.

Sears earned his BA from the University of Vermont in 1969.

Committee assignments

2013-2014

At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Sears served on the following committees:

Vermont Committee Assignments, 2013
• Appropriations, Chair
• Judiciary
• Judicial Rules
• Fiscal
• Corrections Oversight, Chair
• Legislative Council

2011-2012

In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Sears served on these committees:

2009-2010

In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Sears served on these committees:

Issues

Charter schools

On February 8, 2013, Sears and fellow Senators Donald Collins, Richard McCormack, and David Zuckerman introduced a bill to impose more requirements on many independent schools. Under Senate Bill 91, any independent schools which receives public tuition funds for more than one third of its students would be required to hire only state-certified teachers, accept all publicly funded students who apply so long as space permits, provide free and reduced-price lunch to eligible students, and be approved to offer at least four categories of special education.[1] John McClaughry of the Ethan Allen Institute, a free-market think tank, criticized McCormack's bill as "clearly designed to put as many general purpose independent schools under the big fat thumb of the Education Agency in Montpelier." He accused McCormack of attempting to rush the bill through without input from the independent schools.[2] The Vermont Independent Schools Association also opposed the bill, saying, "State control of admissions and of hiring would strongly impair independent schools' ability to fulfill their unique missions."[3] McCormack and bill supporters argued that the independent schools were weakening public education by attracting students and state tuition dollars away from public schools without being required to meet state mandates, such as the requirement to offer expensive special education services. The Vermont National Education Association and the Vermont School Board Association endorsed SB 91.[4] The bill was referred to the Education Committee, chaired by McCormack. Collins and Zuckerman are also members of the five-member committee.

Elections

2012

See also: Vermont State Senate elections, 2012

Sears won re-election in the 2012 election for Vermont State Senate Bennington District. Sears was unopposed in the August 28 Democratic primary and was unopposed in the general election which took place on November 6, 2012.[5]

2010

See also: Vermont State Senate elections, 2010

Sears ran for re-election to the 3rd District Seat (Bennington District) in 2010. He ran against Robert Hartwell in the primary. In the general election he defeated Patricia Blair (R), Gerald Woodard (R), and Craig Hill (I) on November 2, 2010.[6]

Vermont State Senate, Bennington District, General Election (2010)
Candidates Votes
Green check mark.jpg Dick Sears (D) 8,615
Green check mark.jpg Bob Hartwell(D) 6,655
Gerald Woodard (R) 4,252
Patricia Blair (R) 4,001
Craig Hill (I) 866

2008

On November 4, 2008, Sears won re-election by finishing first for the two-seat Bennington District of the Vermont State Senate, receiving 12,097 votes ahead of Democrat Robert Hartwell (8,975), Republicans Gerald Woodward (5,166) and Ruth Harvie (4,987), and write-ins (34).[7]

Sears raised $10,745 for his campaign, against $5,795 by Hartwell, $5,700 by Woodward, and $6,270 by Harvie.[8]

Vermont State Senate, Bennington District
Candidates Votes
Green check mark.jpg Richard Sears (D) 12,097
Green check mark.jpg Robert Hartwell (D) 8,975
Gerald Woodward (R) 5,166
Ruth Harvie (R) 4,987
Write-ins 34

Recent news

BallotpediaAvatar bigger.png
 		Know more information about this profile?
Submit a bio

This section displays the most recent stories in a Google news search for the term "Richard + Sears + Vermont + Senate"

All stories may not be relevant to this legislator due to the nature of the search engine.

Richard Sears News Feed


Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found


Campaign donors

2012

Campaign donor information is not yet available for this year.

2010

In 2010, Sears received $12,462 in campaign donations. The top contributors are listed below.[9]


2008

Sears raised $10,745 for the 2008 election.

His major contributors are listed below.[10]

Donor Amount
Federal Express $500
Corrections Corporation of America $500
Vermont Association of Realtors $400
Vermont State Dental Society $250
Patrick Winburn $250
Vermont Retail Lumber Dealers Association $250
Pepsi Bottling Ventures LLC $250

Personal

Sears has a wife, Beverly.

External links

Light Bulb Icon.svg.png
 		Suggest a link

References

  1. ↑ Text of SB 91, accessed March 7, 2013
  2. ↑ John McClaughry, Ethan Allen Institute, "The Sudden New Assault on Independent Schools," accessed March 7, 2013
  3. ↑ [Caledonian Record, "Senate Bill Threatens School Choice, Independent Schools," February 26, 2013]
  4. ↑ [Alicia Freese, VTDigger.org (Vermont Journalism Trust), "Bill would attach strings to public funds to independent schools," February 28, 2013]
  5. ↑ Official primary candidate list
  6. ↑ General Election 2010 Official Results
  7. ↑ Vermont State Senate official 2008 election results
  8. ↑ Follow the Money's report on Sears's 2008 campaign contributions
  9. ↑ Follow the Money - 2010 contributions
  10. ↑ Campaign contributions to Richard Sears
v • d • e
Democrat majority Current members of the Vermont State Senate
Senate President: Phillip Scott (D) • Senate Majority Leader: Philip Baruth (D) • Senate Minority Leader: Joe Benning (R)
   
    Addison District
  1. Claire Ayer (D)
  2. Christopher Bray (D)

    3. Bennington District

  3. Robert Hartwell (D)
  4. Richard Sears (D)

    5. Caledonia District

  5. Jane Kitchel (D)
  6. Joe Benning (R)
    Chittenden District
  1. Timothy Ashe (D/P)
  2. Philip Baruth (D)
  3. Sally Fox (D)
  4. Virginia Lyons (D)
  5. Diane Snelling (R)
  6. David Zuckerman (P)

    7. Chittenden-Grand Isle District

  7. Richard Mazza (D)

    8. Essex-Orleans District

  8. John Rodgers (D)
  9. Robert Starr (D)
    Franklin District
  1. Donald Collins (D)
  2. Norman McAllister (R)

    3. Lamoille District

  3. Richard Westman (R)
    Orange District
  1. Mark MacDonald (D)

    2. Rutland District

  2. Eldred French (D)
  3. Margaret Flory (R)
  4. Kevin Mullin (R)

    5. Washington District

  5. Ann Cummings (D)
  6. William Doyle (R)
  7. Anthony Pollina (P/D/W)
    Windham District
  1. Peter Galbraith (D)
  2. Jeanette White (D)

    3. Windsor District

  3. John Campbell (D)
  4. Richard McCormack (D)
  5. Alice Nitka (D)
Democratic (21) • Republican (7) • Progressive (2) • Vermont State Senate • Vermont House of Representatives
Retrieved from "http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Richard_Sears&oldid=1743224"
Personal tools
Namespaces
Variants
Actions
Encyclopedia
Calendars
Get Involved
Donate
Toolbox