CONTACT:
Vermont:
Andrea Stander
802-224-9090 astander@vtlcv.org

National:
Kate Geller
202-454-4573
kate_geller@lcv.org

***Full Scorecard available at www.lcv.org/scorecard***

Montpelier – Today the Vermont League of Conservation Voters (VT LCV) joined the national League of Conservation Voters (LCV) in releasing the 2010 National Environmental Scorecard, revealing scores for the Vermont delegation in the second session of the 111^th Congress. The 2010 Scorecard was released amidst the greatest attack on the EPA’s budget in 30 years and current assaults on the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and wildlife protections in Congress.

“We applaud Senator Leahy, Senator Sanders and Representative Welch for their courageous and steadfast commitment in 2010 to protecting public health and the environment and reducing our nation’s dangerous dependence on oil,” said Andrea Stander, Executive Director of VT LCV. “The 2010 LCV Scorecard clearly demonstrates that Vermont’s entire delegation is unique in the country in their strong and consistent commitment to putting the health and well-being of Vermonters and all Americans ahead of corporate polluters and other special interests who are actively seeking to dismantle our country’s strongest and most successful environmental protection laws.”

The 2010 Scorecard includes 6 Senate and 9 House votes on issues ranging from clean energy to public health protections to wildlife conservation. Given the disastrous impact of the resolution offered by Senator Murkowski (R-AK), LCV double scored the vote on her bill, which would have blocked the Environmental Protection Agency from moving forward with commonsense steps to reduce dangerous carbon pollution. Additionally, LCV took the unusual step of scoring co-sponsorship of Dirty Air Act legislation in the House. These steps bring the Senate total to 7 and the House total to 10. In Vermont, the entire delegation earned a perfect 100 percent score in 2010 – the only delegation in the country to do so.

“Unfortunately, the most important votes of 2010 are the ones that didn’t happen: the Senate failed to even begin debate on a comprehensive clean energy and climate bill and also failed to respond to the greatest environmental disaster in our nation’s history — the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico,” said LCV President Gene Karpinski. “The 2010 National Environmental Scorecard clearly illustrates that there is much work to be done, and LCV will be there at every step of the way in 2011 and beyond, working to protect the environment and public health while transitioning our nation to a clean energy economy. “

Representative Welch voted for the CLEAR Act to respond to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Senators Leahy and Sanders both voted against Senator Murkowski’s Dirty Air Act resolution.

For 40 years, the National Environmental Scorecard issued by LCV has been the nationally accepted yardstick used to rate members of Congress on environmental, public health and energy issues.

The full 2010 National Environmental Scorecard can be found at www.lcv.org/scorecard

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Montpelier – The Vermont League of Conservation Voters (VT LCV), the non-partisan political voice of the state’s environmental community, is pleased to announce the appointment of its new Executive Director. The Board of Directors, following an extensive search process, has selected long-time central Vermont activist and political organizer Andrea Stander of Montpelier to lead the organization in its next stage of development.

Ms. Stander most recently worked under contract with the League to help organize their highly successful Get Out The Green Vote initiative during the 2010 election cycle. Previously, she served on the development team at the Vermont Public Interest Research Group from 2007 to 2010 and was the Central Vermont Regional Field Coordinator for Bernie Sanders’ successful campaign for the US Senate in 2006.

Stander began her environmental organizing work with the Northern Plains Resource Council in Montana in 1992 and also worked with the Northern Forest Alliance here in Vermont. She brings diverse experience in community organizing, environmental advocacy, communications and fundraising to the role of Executive Director for VT LCV.

“We are truly excited to open the League’s next chapter with Andrea Stander at the helm,” said Stark Biddle, acting Board Chair. “Andrea has the skills and background we need to build from our recent electoral successes by engaging with elected officials, working with the environmental community, and activating Vermonters around our collective environmental values.”

Ms. Stander, who will begin her work with the League this week said, “I am honored to have this opportunity to serve the League’s unique mission of making environmental protection a top priority for elected officials, candidates, and voters. The VT LCV Board, and my dynamic predecessor Todd Bailey, has ably demonstrated the influence and commitment of Vermont’s ‘green’ voters. I look forward to helping build the capacity of VT LCV to ensure that Vermonters’ strong environmental values play an integral role in setting the state’s public policy and priorities.”

Founded in 1982, VT LCV is an advocate for advocates for sound environmental and conservation policies, works to elect environmentally friendly candidates to public office, and then holds elected officials accountable for the decisions they make affecting our air, water, open space and quality of life.
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Todd Bailey, Vermont League of Conservation Voters

Vermont environmental groups took credit for helping to elect a slate of statewide and local Democratic candidates to office and then laid out their wish list for the next legislative session in a conference call on Thursday.

The Vermont League of Conservation Voters Education Fund spent about $200,000 on its “Vote Green Initiative,” according to Todd Bailey, former executive director of the league and now a lobbyist for Kimbell Sherman Ellis.

Bailey told listeners on the call, including members of the press and the public, that green groups knocked on 15,000 doors, made 40,000 phone calls and sent out mailings to 50,000 households before the election on Nov. 2.

Listen to a podcast of the call.

The result? The election of pro-environment candidates Democrat Peter Shumlin to the office of governor, Jim Condos to secretary of state and 102 members of the Vermont House and Senate, according to Bailey. (The Vermont Secretary of State’s official results show that 243,617 of the state’s 453,181 registered voters went to the polls in the governor’s race, a 54 percent turnout.)

“At the end of day,” Bailey said, “the effort to drive turnout, including 150,000 contacts with voters, meant 4,000 to 5,000 additional voters going to the polls. In an election (for governor) determined by 4,400 votes, that was substantial.”

For the first time in eight years, groups like the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, Vermont Natural Resources Council, Preservation Trust of Vermont, Smart Growth Vermont and the league, have “allies” in state government, Bailey said. “We’re excited about the opportunity we have,” he said.

The green groups hope to use those alliances to their advantage in the upcoming legislative session.

What follows is a rundown of their lobbying agendas, by organization.

1. More funding for tax credits for downtown construction projects. Last year, the state authorized $1.8 million worth of credits for 27 projects around the state. Seventy percent of applicants received funding.

Downtown rehab projects yield good returns for Vermont, according to Paul Bruhn, executive director of the trust, because he says they are labor intensive; they generate state income and sales taxes; and they are an investment in community infrastructure. (Developers receive tax credits when projects are completed.)

“Our downtowns are generally pretty challenged and pretty fragile,” Bruhn said. “We’ve had a lot of years that we have been unwilling in Vermont to say no to development outside of town (and that) undermines our brand and future economic vitality, as well as undermining our downtowns.”

Bruhn said he also wants to make sure the Department of Historic Preservation is adequately funded.

2. Discouraging government-funded sprawl.

Noelle MacKay, executive director of Smart Growth Vermont, wants to see the state encourage developments in “smart growth locations.” She says projects funded through the state’s economic development and transportation agencies should be constructed in already developed locations, such as villages, downtowns and industrial parks. For example, she said, 95 percent of Vermont Housing and Conservation Board funding is invested in projects that don’t contribute to sprawl.

“We’d like to see (the state) look at growth through the smart growth filter,” MacKay said. “Whether it’s retrofitting an older building, or building in a downtown location or existing industrial park, we should be using the infrastructure and buildings we have and land we’ve already consumed.”

3. Expanding the standard offer program (a state set kilowatt pricing system) for “community scale” solar, hydro, wind and methane projects.

4. Beefing up Vermont’s clean energy requirements, creating a new clean energy standard to help foster renewable energy development.

5. Bolstering incentives and financing programs for business and homeowner installations of renewables. James Moore, clean energy program director said in some districts, caps on net metering need to be “adjusted where appropriate.”

6. Renewable heating and energy efficiency for buildings.

“We’re entering a new era for clean energy in Vermont,” Moore said. “We’re looking to lead the nation with the expansion of the standard offer.”

Moore said Vermonters spend $1 billion on heating (and commercial and process) fuels in Vermont. VPIRG is working on an analysis of “biomass” heating, i.e. sustainable harvesting of wood for burning in the form of logs, chips and pellets, as well as grass pellets. “We’re really excited about the potential of investing locally in local heating fuels and building efficiency,” Moore said.

In the coming session, VPIRG says it will focus on helping Vermonters make buildings more efficient. “That’s the first step so we make sure we’re not wasting heat,” Moore said.

VPIRG also wants to expand returnables to include plastic water bottles. Moore says the state’s bottle bill is “under attack by Coca Cola and other large bottling companies.”

7. Increasing citizen participation in the environmental permitting process.

Jake Brown, VNRC’s legislative liaison, said the council’s primary focus is a new environmental permit restructuring bill that “will increase citizen participation (and) give some clarity and certainty to the permitting system in Vermont.”

According to Brian Shupe, of VNRC, Vermont’s regulatory processes, including Act 250, were designed to provide citizens an opportunity to address legitimate concerns about the impacts that a large development project might have on their property and community. Neighbors are increasingly being denied the right to participate in Act 250 reviews, however, and the appeals process has become expensive and complicated, Shupe wrote in an e-mail.

The system, Brown said, isn’t working: “There have been hang ups at the Environmental Court. The permitting system in many respects is “broken” — it’s not working for citizens, (and) it’s not working for developers in some cases.”

“Many people have been agitating for this over the years,” Brown said. “We also have some very specific ideas for increasing our environmental standards so that we’re better prepared for the 21st century, particularly on the energy and climate front.”

Brown said VNRC would be working with VPIRG to ensure that Vermont Yankee is closed on schedule.

8. Keeping state lands free of all-terrain vehicles

9. Taking a hard look at “some of the practices that have been ongoing under the prior administration, including a dramatic increase in timber harvesting on state lands”

10. Supporting citizen participation in the Act 250 process

Chris Kilian, executive director of CLF, said his organization is committed to open government and ensuring that Vermont’s legal process is fair to citizens.

“Some people have referred to this as public participation or citizen participation,” Kilian said. “To us, it’s a basic question of fundamental fairness and open government, so we are also committed to making sure that whether it’s an enforcement action or a permitting process, the people of Vermont can fully participate.”

VTDigger

October 26, 2010 Todd Bailey,

Ben Walsh,

VT LCV and VPIRG Team-Up For Get Out The GREEN Vote Effort

Burlington, VT – With the 2010 election just one week away, the Vermont League of Conservation Voters (VT LCV) and the Vermont Public Interest research Group (VPIRG) teamed up to register University of Vermont (UVM) students for the upcoming election.

“VPIRG began as a student group on the UVM campus nearly 40 years ago and we remain committed to helping students get involved in our democracy,” said Ben Walsh, Field Director for the Vermont Public Interest Research Group. “It’s great that so many students on this campus are willing to buck the trend that suggests that young people aren’t interested in voting.

The two organizations were not only registering young voters, they were also providing a free shuttle to City Hall so the students could register and vote all at once. Vermont does not allow for Election Day Registration, but Vermonters are able to register and vote on the same day if they do so before October 27th, which is the last day to register to vote in the 2010 election cycle.

“All indications are that young people vote green at a very high rate. We believe that if we can encourage young people to vote, they will most likely support candidates that support clean water, our working landscapes, retiring Vermont Yankee, and the promotion of clean energy” said Todd Bailey, executive director of the Vermont League of Conservation Voters. “We have been focusing on increasing voter participation for the past year and are excited to be working with UVM students to increase participation on campus as well,” Bailey went on to say.

VPIRG and the VT LCV spent most of the day at UVM and had more than 25 volunteers helping them register students on campus. By the time the day was over the groups had registered dozens of new voters, many of whom cast their ballot at the Burlington City Hall later the same day.

If the gubernatorial election is as close as many predict these young voters could end up being the difference between victory and defeat for many of the candidates on the 2010 ballot.

###

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The Conservation Law Foundation (CLF), Vermont League of Conservation Voters Education Fund (VLCV- EF), Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC) and Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG) support the development of wind energy in Vermont. This collective statement of support for wind, and other renewable energy technologies, is based on our deep concern that society has not moved fast or aggressively enough to address the most urgent environmental crisis in human history: climate change.

We are also mindful that the extraction and generation of other energy sources used by Vermonters often has significant impacts on both local and global environments. These include, on the local level, the Gulf oil spill, mountain top removal for coal extraction in West Virginia, and groundwater contamination from hydro-fracking for natural gas extraction in Pennsylvania and Rocky Mountain States. On a global scale, our energy decisions are driving climate change and the acidification of the oceans.

These trends demand that Vermont make a concerted effort to, first, reduce energy demand through much greater efficiency and conservation and, second, assume greater responsibility for generating the energy that we use through the sustainable development of renewable resources. The state has formally committed to greater reliance on in-state renewable energy through the SPEED program and the 25 x 25 initiative.

Our support for wind energy, however, is dependent on careful siting, scale, and design of wind facilities. We believe there is a way to do wind right. We are here today because we are disappointed that the debate over the development of wind energy is too often a black and white issue of wind being either good or bad, without adequate consideration of local circumstances or concerns, the regional context, or the very real global challenges that we face.

We want to move the debate away from whether wind energy has a legitimate role to play in Vermont’s energy mix. We believe that wind power in Vermont, from backyard turbines to commercial scale, should combine to meet a meaningful portion of our state’s electricity supply. Our challenge is developing wind energy in Vermont in a manner that balances our moral obligation to combat climate change with protecting our natural resources, including wildlife populations, safeguarding water quality and forest health and promoting the best interests of Vermonters. We believe we can and must strike that balance.

Our organizations are working together to identify the best approaches and strategies to accomplish those goals. We believe wind is an important part of Vermont — and the world’s — solutions to the energy and climate crisis we face. We are committed to working collaboratively together, and with others, to achieve these objectives.

VTDigger

October 20, 2010 Todd Bailey 802-917-1227

Vermont BlueGreen Alliance Engaging In Major Voter Turnout Effort

MONTPELIER – A coalition of groups representing working people, environmentalists, supporters of reproductive choice and others today announced that they will contact more than 100,000 Vermonters directly between now and election day urging them to vote for Democrat Peter Shumlin.

A recent poll said that the race between Shumlin and his Republican opponent to fill the seat of outgoing Gov. James Douglas is neck-and-neck, and the state’s prominent political scientists say that the candidate who convinces more of his supporters to get to the polls will likely win this very close race.

The efforts of Vermont-NEA, the Vermont State Employees Association, the Communications Workers of America. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England Action Fund, the American Federation of Teachers, the Working Families party, and the Vermont League of Conservation Voters combined will lead to phone calls, e-mails, direct mail, and door knocks to more than half of Vermont’s electorate, the groups said.

“Our 14,000 supporters know that Peter Shumlin not only supports a women’s right to choose, but he also will protect affordable access to reproductive health care services,” said Jill Krowinski, Director of Vermont Public Policy, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England Action Fund. “We are working to ensure that all of our supporters vote for Peter Shumlin on Election Day.”

The race in 2002 between Doug Racine and Jim Douglas was decided by only 5,871 votes or 2.5% of the total ballots cast, which was the last year there was an open seat in Vermont’s gubernatorial election.

“Our 12,000 members know the value of public education, and that is why we are reaching out to thousands of Vermonters on the phone, through the mail and in conversations and convincing them to vote for Peter,” said Vermont-NEA President Martha Allen. “Turnout will be crucial, and we believe, like Peter, that Vermont’s public school system is one of the keys to our bright economic future.”

The NEA, VSEA, VT LCV, PPNE Action Fund, AFT, CWA, and the Working Families have been aggressively reaching out to Vermonters and encouraging them to vote on Election Day. By the end of Election-Day, November 2, 2010 the six groups combined will have mailed 225,000 pieces of mail, knocked on 50,000 doors and called nearly 200,000 Vermont voters.

Additional Contact information

PPNE Action Fund – Jill Krowinski 802 – 288 -8419

VT NEA – Darren Allen – 802 – 223-3465

VSEA – Conor Casey 802 – 22 -5247

Working Families – Larry Maskowitz 917 – 488-2515

CWA – Ralph Montefusco – 802 – 598-5613

VTDigger

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jim Condos jcondos@aol.com (802)238-3809

Jim Condos has received endorsements for Secretary of State by the following organizations:

Vermont AFL-CIO
Vermont State Employees’ Association
Vermont State Building Trades Council
Northeast Kingdom Central Labor Council
UA Local 693 Plumbers and Pipefitters
Vermont Troopers’ Association
Sheet Metal Workers Local Union 63
Professional Fire Fighters of Vermont
VT-NEA
VT League of Conservation Voters
United Profession AFT Vermont
VT Teamsters Local 597

“I am honored to have been endorsed by these organizations,” stated Condos. “I admire the work they do and the public service they provide to Vermonters.”

In endorsing Condos, the organization representatives made the following comments about Condos:

“Jim Condos knows how Government works at the Local and State Levels, he has the experience we need in the Secretary of State Office” – – Matt Vinci, President, Professional Firefighters of Vermont

“Senator Condos has always been a great advocate for state troopers and other law enforcement officers. He was a key sponsor and leader on issues important to us, including working to fund law enforcement and other critical public services. Jim Condos is who we want to be Vermont ’s next Secretary of State.” Mike O’Neil, President of Vt Troopers Association

“Senator Condos’ superior work regarding open and transparent government led to our decision to back his bid to be Vermont ’s next Secretary of State.” – Todd Bailey, Vermont League of Conservation Voters

“Jim Condos’ desire to make sure all Vermonters have the tools to succeed whether in education, jobs, or business puts him on the right track to be the next Secretary of State. Jim brings a level of excellence with him where ever he goes. Jim has work endlessly to improve the quality of life in Vermont by supporting minimum wage increases, vocational rehabilitation payments ordering insurance companies to start making wage and medical payments to an injured employee pending a hearing, and increasing COLA adjustments to workers compensation benefits. This a short list highlighting a career long commitment to working Vermonters, families and communities.” – Dennis LaBounty, Vermont AFL-CIO

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October 4, 2010 Todd Bailey, (802) 917-1227

The Vermont League of Conservation Voters Announces Endorsements

Montpelier, VT – The Vermont League of Conservation Voters (VT LCV) announced today that it has endorsed Senator Patrick Leahy in his re-election bid for the US Senate, Congressman Peter Welch in his bid to return to the US Congress for a third term, and Senator Peter Shumlin to replace the retiring Jim Douglas.

This is the first time that the VT LCV has endorsed in federal elections. In previous years, the state league did not have a formal relationship with the National LCV which has changed in recent years. This is also an election year where the VT LCV has re-engaged in statewide elections after sitting out all of the 2008 statewide races, instead choosing to focus exclusively on legislative races.

“We are extremely fortunate to have Senator Leahy and Congressman Welch representing Vermonters in Washington DC. They have proven time and time again that the issues of Climate Change, clean energy, clean water, and our environment in general are priorities to both of them,” Todd Bailey, the VT LCV executive director, said. “At this critical time in Vermont’s history we need a governor who shares these values, knows how to get tough things done, and will ensure that the Green Mountain State is a national leader in creating good paying jobs for Vermonters in the emerging green economy,” Bailey went on to say.

The National LCV, like the VT LCV, produces an environmental scorecard. Every member of Congress is scored after each session of Congress. The National LCV also publishes a report card assessing the President’s performance on environmental and conservation issues. This past year Senator Leahy scored a 100% and has a lifetime score of 92%, while Congressman Welch scored a 93% on the 2009 scorecard and has a lifetime score of 94%. Senator Shumlin’s Vermont scores are equally impressive, with a lifetime score of 94%.

The VT LCV also cited all three individuals as leaders on climate and renewable energy issues as the rationale for each of them earning this critical endorsement.

“Congressman Welch’s opponent does not think climate change is real, while Senator Shumlin’s opponent needed two tries before he would acknowledge that climate change is a reality,” Bailey went on to say. “If Brian Dubie is not 100% certain on these globally significant issues, which have a tremendous impact on Vermont, how can Vermonters be confident that he is in line with their desire to maintain Vermont’s quality of life? During the recent environmental and renewable energy debate, Brian made it perfectly clear that he does not support our state’s conservation efforts, that he supports relicensing the 40 year old nuclear power plant for another 20 years, and would do nothing to regulate CO2 emissions, ” Bailey added.

Senator Leahy, Congressman Welch, and Senator Shumlin have all referenced their work on environmental issues during the 2010 election cycle as a reason to vote for them on November 2nd. Senator Leahy was recently awarded his second “Connie Award,” which is given by the National Wildlife Federation to the elected official who most embodies a conservation ethic.

Congressman Welch has been a champion of renewable energy and energy efficiency, and has quickly become an active and effective member of Congress. He has introduced several key pieces of legislation, including: The Home Star Energy Retrofit Act; End Big Oil Subsidies Act; and recommended an extension of the Renewable Energy Expansion Act

Much like his cohorts, Senator Shumlin has been an active leader on environmental issues. He is largely credited with passing comprehensive clean energy legislation, making climate change a state priority, and leading the Senate this past February to the historical 26-4 vote to retire Vermont Yankee as scheduled.

To find out more about the VT LCV’s endorsements, go to their website, www.vtlcv.org or go to its Vote Green Vermont initiative at www.votegreenvt.org to review the gubernatorial candidates’ answers to the VT LCV candidate questionnaire.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT:
October 5, 2010 Todd Bailey, (802) 917-1227

The Vermont League of Conservation Voters Announces Endorsements

Montpelier, VT – The Vermont League of Conservation Voters (VT LCV) announced today that it has endorsed Representative Steve Howard in his bid to become Vermont’s Lieutenant Governor and former state Senator Jim Condos for Secretary of State. In addition to these endorsements, the VT LCV announced its entire slate of legislative endorsements.

The VT LCV endorsed 24 Senate candidates for the 30 seats available and 107 Vermont House candidates for the 150 seats available. Its endorsements included candidates from all three major Parties as well as several Independents.

“This was the right time for the VT LCV to get involved in the Lieutenant governor’s race. Steve Howard has a lifetime score of 93% on our environmental scorecard while his opponent scored a 25% this past year and has a lifetime score of only 54%”. Todd Bailey, VT LCV executive director said. “Voting records matter a tremendous amount in making this decision but it also Senator Scott’s position on the aging nuclear power plant, Vermont Yankee, that made the decision a clear cut one” Bailey went on to say.

In addition to being involved in the Lieutenant Governor’s race for the first time since 2002, the VT LCV also endorsed a candidate in the Secretary of State’s race for the first time in its history. The organization cited its one-of-a-kind structure in the environmental community that allows it to participate directly in elections and the concern for how the office is managed in overseeing the electoral process as the rationale for offering an endorsement in the race.

“The ability of the VT LCV to carry out its mission is directly impacted by how the Vermont elections are run. Those elections being run fairly and being open to as many people as possible is a critical for all Vermonters” Bailey added “The VT LCV supports Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) and Election Day Registration (EDR), both measures Jim Condos supports and his opponent opposes. These issues in addition to Senator Condos superior work regarding open and transparent government led to our decision to back his bid to be Vermont’s next Secretary of State” Bailey said.

To find out more about the VT LCV’s endorsements, go to their website, www.vtlcv.org

VTDigger

Montpelier, VT – The Vermont League of Conservation Voters released its 2009-2010 Environmental Scorecard today. The Environmental Scorecard, which rates each Vermont legislator based on his or her voting record for the environment, is available online at www.vtlcv.org.

Download 2010 Vermont League of Conservation Voters Scorecard

The 2009/10 Scorecard details how legislators voted on 9 separate bills between the House and Senate, offers a brief overview of those bills, and rates each candidate on a percentage basis. The specific votes that were chosen represent the range of environmental and conservation issues that the legislature dealt with during the 2009-2010 Biennium.

The Environmental Scorecard provides objective factual information about the environmental voting records of members of the Vermont House and Senate. The League of Conservation Voters is recognized as the first organization to utilize a scorecard as an effective tool to inform voters on how their elected officials performed. The scorecard is now produced by the National LCV as well as all 36 state leagues through out the country. Due to the success of the environmental scorecard, groups like the Chamber of Commerce and the ACLU have also started to calculate scores on their issues in order to distribute the information to voters.

“The scorecard is the single most effective tool in determining if a candidate for office is truly green or just trying to green wash voters” Todd Bailey Executive Director of the VT LCV said. “Whether I am in Stowe, Vergennes, or Bennington, I hear from Vermonters who have decided on which candidate to vote for based on the VT LCV environmental scorecard”. Bailey went on to say.

The VT LCV scorecard does not provide a score for the Speaker of the House since Representative Smith is typically presiding over House votes and does not generally cast a vote. However, the VT LCV scorecard does indicate that he has an 85% lifetime score dating back to his time in office prior to being elected the Speaker.

Th 2009/10 Scorecard also includes a special Vermont Yankee section. As most Vermonters are aware, the Senate voted 26-4 in favor of retiring Vermont Yankee as scheduled. “This was a truly historical vote and we believe that we needed to provide more background for voters on this issue” Bailey added.

In addition to the Vermont Yankee vote, the VT LCV scored votes on environmental health, clean water, smart growth, and renewable energy. After calculating all the scores the Republican’s have a cumulative score of 50% in the senate and 39% in the House while the Democrat’s had a 80% score in the Senate and a 91% score in the House. The Progressive party ended the biennium with a collective score of 89%.

VTDigger

September 23, 2010

MONTPELIER, Vt. – Kimbell Sherman Ellis, LLP, (KSE) a national government affairs and strategic communications firm, announced today that Todd Bailey will be joining the firm in November.

Bailey, 39, is the current executive director of the Vermont League of Conservation Voters, a statewide environmental advocacy group.

Bailey will join KSE’s statehouse advocacy team, representing clients across a broad spectrum of issue areas.

KSE Partner Kevin Ellis said: “Todd is an exceptional hire. He is bright, personable and politically astute. He has all the modern tools needed to be successful in the today’s rapidly changing government relations field. His wide experience in human services, environmental issues and political campaigns make him an ideal fit for KSE.”

Bailey will join KSE Partners Chuck Storrow, Clare Buckley and Kevin Ellis and Associate Nick Sherman on the Vermont statehouse team.

Bailey graduated from Johnson State College (JSC) with a degree in Environmental Science, Natural Resources. After graduating from JSC, Bailey spent time as a small business owner in Burlington , Vermont . Prior to becoming the Executive Director at the Vermont League of Conservation Voters he worked with the Howard Center for Human Services as the Transition Coordinator at the Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center in Colchester.

“It has been a great experience to be able to spend the past five years working with the Vermont environmental community and supporting green candidates through three election cycles,’’ Bailey said. “That work has taught me invaluable lessons.

“I am extremely fortunate and excited to have the opportunity to continue my professional growth working with the KSE team.”

Bailey lives in Montpelier with his wife Lauren.

The Bailey announcement is the second major development at KSE in the last few months. KSE recently announced a joint venture with Anya Radar of Arrowhead Health Analytics to serve clients in the growing health care sector.

About KSE:

Kimbell Sherman Ellis, LLP is a national government affairs and strategic communications firm with offices on Montpelier, VT, Cambridge, MA and Washington, DC. The firm provides customized strategies in state government affairs, communications, public relations, and new media for clients nationally.

Kevin Ellis
Partner
Kimbell Sherman Ellis, LLP

Montpelier * Washington, D.C. * Cambridge

Phone: 802-229-4900 ext: 107
Cell: 802-371-8112
Email: kevin@ksefocus.com

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