Sorrell’s plans include environmental law

Capitol Beat: Sorrell’s plans include environmental law

 | December 10,2016



Vermont Attorney General Bill Sorrell plans to join the U.S.-Asia Partnerships for Environmental Law at Vermont Law School as an honorary visiting scholar for one year when he steps down from his government post.

VLS announced earlier this week that Sorrell will share his experience representing Vermont in environmental and public health matters with U.S.-Asia PELs partner schools and legal advocates. He will offer lectures in China in February and March.

I am most grateful to Vermont Law School for providing me this opportunity for an extraordinary overseas experience shortly after I complete my time as attorney general, Sorrell said in a statement.

He has served as attorney general since 1997. He previously served as secretary of administration under former Gov. Howard Dean as well as states attorney and deputy states attorney in Chittenden County.

Attorney General Bill Sorrell is a familiar and respected face on the Vermont Law School campus, and we are honored that he has agreed to work with us to advance environmental issues and advocacy, Professor Siu Tip Lam, director of U.S.-Asia PEL, said in a statement.

We look forward to introducing him to our colleagues in China, where we are likewise committed to training environmental stewards and legal advocates to use the power of the law to protect the environment, public health, and welfare, Lam said.

The U.S.-Asia Partnerships for Environmental Law was founded in 2006 as the U.S.-China Partnership for Environmental Law. It works collaboratively with government institutions, nongovernment organizations, lawyers, judges, lawmakers and others to promote environmental governance in Asia.

In 2013, the U.S.-Asia PEL initiated a Myanmar Environmental Governance Program. More recently, the partnerships embarked on a project working with government entities, NGOs and environmental lawyers from China and countries in the lower Mekong Sub-region Myanmar, Lao PDR, Cambodia and Vietnam to explore ways to sustainably manage the environmental and social impacts of rapidly increasing Chinese overseas investment in the region.

Election tally

Secretary of State Jim Condos has announced that Vermonts three members of the Electoral College will meet Dec. 19 t at the State House to cast their votes for president and vice president.

Condos said the three electors Martha W. Allen, president of the Vermont NEA; Timothy Jerman, the vice chairman of the Vermont Democratic Party and a state representative from Essex; and Gov. Peter Shumlin will take their oaths of allegiance and oaths of office, organize by electing a president, clerk and messenger, cast official ballots for president and vice president of the United States and complete a Certificate of Vote to be sent to Washington, D.C.

State law requires the statewide canvassing board to issue its certificates of election to the electors nominated by the party whose candidate for president has received the greatest number of votes.

State law also says the electors must vote for the candidates for president and vice-president who received the greatest number of votes at the general election.

In Vermont, the three electors will vote for Democratic nominees Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine, who beat Republican nominees Donald Trump and Mike Pence in the state.

KSE rebrands

KSE Partners, one of Vermonts largest lobbying firms, has rebranded itself as Leonine Public Affairs. The firm, originally named for its founding members, was launched nearly 30 years ago.

It began as a government relations firm in 1987 under the direction of Steve Kimbell and Bob Sherman, officials in the administration of former Gov. Madeleine Kunin. It now provides public relations and campaign services, national economic and tax analysis for the wireless and telecom industry and legislative consulting and regulatory tracking in all 50 states, according to the firm.

Leonine now has more than 30 employees and offices in Montpelier, Minnesota and Washington, D.C.

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