HCR 284

R-342  Page 1 of 1
2026
No. R-342. House concurrent resolution honoring former Senate Majority Leader
and Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs Executive Director John F.
Campbell for his outstanding public service career.
                                         (H.C.R.284)
   Offered by Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs
  Whereas, upon graduating from the University of Florida, John Campbell joined the
Broward County Sheriff’s Office as a patrol officer, and
   Whereas, after experiencing the rough-and-tumble of hands-on law enforcement, he
opted for a potentially more sedate work environment, graduating from what is today
Nova Southeastern University’s Shepard Broad College of Law, and
  Whereas, upon heeding the call to “go north, young man,” and relocating to Windsor
County, he practiced as a private attorney, and
   Whereas, in 2000, John Campbell successfully stood for a Windsor County Senate
seat and served continuously until 2016, including several terms as the respected Senate
Majority Leader, and
  Whereas, in 2016, he became the Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs
Executive Director and in that role was a decisive and thoughtful leader, and
    Whereas, under his guidance, the Department improved its administrative support in
all 14 counties, and
   Whereas, although charged with being the State’s Attorneys’ and sheriffs’ advocate,
John Campbell did not shy away from criticizing severe professional misconduct, and he
enthusiastically supported an ultimately unsuccessful legislative effort to impose new
accountability for these elected county officials in the belief that Vermonters deserve the
best from their public servants, and
   Whereas, reflecting on his quarter of a century in State government, John Campbell is
most proud of his 2009 co-lead sponsorship of S.115, for which he successfully fought to
override a gubernatorial veto, to establish marriage equality in Vermont, and his lead
sponsorship in 2015 of S.31, a broad gun-control measure that, among other provisions,
would have mandated a federal background check on all Vermont gun sales, and
   Whereas, John Campbell has concluded his State government career to pursue his
passion to paint works of art, now therefore be it
   Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives:
   That the General Assembly honors former Senate Majority Leader and Department of
State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs Executive Director John F. Campbell for his outstanding
public service career, and be it further
   Resolved: That the Secretary of State be directed to send a copy of this resolution to
John F. Campbell.
                                                                             VT LEG #389701 v.1