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Press Room |
![]() Hartford, CT – Today, the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) endorsed Representative Raghib Allie-Brennan (D) to represent the 2nd House District of the CT General Assembly including the towns of Bethel, Danbury, Newtown, and Redding. Representative Allie-Brennan has earned a perfect 100% rating on CTLCV’s Environmental Scorecard for the last three years. “2022 was a phenomenal year for climate action. These wins would not be possible without lawmakers like Raghib Allie-Brennan, who worked hard to pass legislation to reduce pollution from transportation, and who are continually looking to improve the environmental policies of our state,” said Lori Brown, CTLCV Executive Director. Raghib Allie-Brennan brought critical pieces of environmental legislation to the State House floor in the recent legislative session. This year, he championed the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Program (CPACE), which offers a tool to pay for zero-emission vehicle infrastructure and resiliency measures to address the climate crisis. He also helped secure wins for our state’s most significant environmental wins this year, the CT Clean Air Act and the Climate Change Mitigation Act. In 2021, he pushed for passage of legislation to ban single-use plastic bags, and helped to pass CT’s landmark recycling law, known as the “Bottle Bill.” Looking ahead, Representative Allie-Brennan’s work to restrict the use of the toxic chemical known as PFAS will continue, as will his work to improve our state’s outdated Environmental Justice laws. “Raghib Allie-Brennan is a young, enthusiastic, and committed lawmaker who effectively advocates for environmental rights. We need him at the Capital to push for strong environmental policies, and to call for state investments that tackle climate change,” said Brown. To receive CTLCV’s endorsement, all candidates must have completed a Survey on the Environment. Endorsements are issued based on a candidate’s responses, their voting record in our Scorecard, and their demonstrated leadership on specific issues. ### The CT League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) is a nonpartisan statewide organization dedicated to protecting Connecticut’s environment. CTLCV works to pass equitable and sustainable legislation that impacts our air, land, water, wildlife, and climate and holds all state legislators accountable with an annual Environmental Scorecard. Visit ctlcv.org for more information on CTLCV. ![]() Hartford, CT – Today, the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) endorsed Representative Anne Hughes (D) to represent the 135th House District of the CT General Assembly including the towns of Easton, Redding and Weston. For the past two years, Anne Hughes has earned a perfect rating of 100% on CTLCV’s Environmental Scorecard. She is among a select group of state legislators who have been honored as an “Environmental Champion” for leadership on key climate legislation in 2022. It was a phenomenal year for climate action. These wins would not be possible without lawmakers who worked hard to pass legislation crucial to reducing pollution from transportation and are committed to the environment. Representative Hughes is a leader in the Bipartisan Women’s Caucus and the Progressive Caucus. She was at the forefront of climate legislation this year, passing the CT Clean Air Act and the Climate Change Mitigation Act, which take steps to reduce transportation emissions and transition Connecticut to 100% clean energy. She also voted for a budget that includes a climate change curriculum in public schools, promotes climate-smart agriculture practices, and supports education and training to reduce the use of road salt that contaminates our rivers and lakes. Looking ahead, Representative Hughes will push for greater state investments to manage our growing waste crisis. She will also continue to fight for stronger Environmental Justice laws to protect vulnerable communities from environmental harm caused by polluting facilities in their neighborhoods. “Anne Hughes is a strong, progressive leader for her district and the state. She is a fighter for what is right and fair, and we need her at the Capitol to continue her good work,” said Lori Brown, CTLCV Executive Director. To receive CTLCV’s endorsement, all candidates must have completed a Survey on the Environment. Endorsements are issued based on candidates’ responses, voting records in our Scorecard, and demonstrated leadership on specific issues. ### The CT League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) is a nonpartisan statewide organization dedicated to protecting Connecticut’s environment. CTLCV works to pass equitable and sustainable legislation that impacts our air, land, water, wildlife, and climate and holds all state legislators accountable with an annual Environmental Scorecard. Visit ctlcv.org for more information on CTLCV. ![]() Hartford, CT – Today, the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) endorsed Representative Quentin Williams (D) to represent the 100th House District of the CT General Assembly, including the town of Middletown. For the past two years, Representative Williams has earned a perfect 100% rating on CTLCV’s Environmental Scorecard. This was a phenomenal year for climate action. These wins would not be possible without dedicated lawmakers like Quentin Williams. He worked hard to pass the CT Clean Air Act—groundbreaking legislation that will reduce pollution from transportation, curb diesel emissions from trucks and buses, invest in clean electric school buses, and provide funds to reduce traffic congestion. He is fully committed to a clean and healthy environment for his district and all communities across the state. Representative Williams is Vice Chair of the Progressive Caucus and has been a leading voice for Environmental Justice. His leadership was essential to establishing more equitable solutions while modernizing Connecticut’s landmark recycling law, better known as the “Bottle Bill.” As Chair of the Housing Committee, Representative Williams has been pushing to modernize our energy grid to cleaner, more affordable power and to increase solar paneling and energy-efficient heat pumps in new housing construction. “Representative Quentin Williams is a leader and champion for issues important to his district and the state. His enthusiasm and hard work as a lawmaker were essential to major climate successes this year. We need him at the State Capitol to continue this work in 2023,” said CTLCV Executive Director Lori Brown. To receive CTLCV’s endorsement, all candidates must have completed a Survey on the Environment. Endorsements are issued based on candidates’ responses, voting records in our Scorecard, and demonstrated leadership on specific issues. ### The CT League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) is a nonpartisan statewide organization dedicated to protecting Connecticut’s environment. CTLCV works to pass equitable and sustainable legislation that impacts our air, land, water, wildlife, and climate and holds all state legislators accountable with an annual Environmental Scorecard. Visit ctlcv.org for more information on CTLCV. ![]() Hartford, CT – Today, the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) endorsed Representative Eleni Kavros DeGraw (D) to represent the 17th House District of the CT General Assembly including the towns of Avon and Canton. For the past two years, Eleni Kavros DeGraw has earned a perfect 100% rating on CTLCV’s Environmental Scorecard. “2022 was a landmark year for climate action. Eleni Kavros DeGraw came to the legislature in 2020 with a driving force to enact stronger environmental laws. Eleni was a champion among champions, and she enthusiastically put her efforts behind some of the most significant environmental wins our state has achieved in recent memory,” said Lori Brown, CTLCV Executive Director. These wins would not have been possible without lawmakers like Representative Kavros DeGraw, who worked hard to pass legislation to reduce polluting emissions from transportation (the CT Clean Air Act) and from energy production (the Climate Change Mitigation Act). As a member of the Energy and Technology Committee, Representative DeGraw collaborates with environmental advocates to increase renewable energy sources and achieve the state’s clean energy goals. Looking forward to the next session, Representative DeGraw plans to focus on the growing waste management crisis in our state. She wants to ensure that composting is included in a municipal waste solution and to pass legislation that will cut down on styrofoam waste. “Eleni Kavros DeGraw is a dependable leader, fighting for clean energy, conserving our precious natural resources, and protecting open space from development,” said Brown. To receive CTLCV’s endorsement, all candidates must have completed a Survey on the Environment. Endorsements are issued based on candidates’ responses, voting records in our Scorecard, and their demonstrated leadership on specific issues. ### The CT League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) is a nonpartisan statewide organization dedicated to protecting Connecticut’s environment. CTLCV works to pass equitable and sustainable legislation that impacts our air, land, water, wildlife, and climate and holds all state legislators accountable with an annual Environmental Scorecard. Visit ctlcv.org for more information on CTLCV. ![]() Hartford, CT – Today, the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) endorsed Representative Jonathan Steinberg (D) to represent the 136th House District of the CT General Assembly, including the town of Westport. Jonathan Steinberg has earned a perfect 100% rating on CTLCV’s Environmental Scorecard for the past two years. “Representative Steinberg is one of our most reliable and effective allies at the state legislature,” said Lori Brown, CTLCV Executive Director. Over many years, Representative Steinberg has championed some of Connecticut’s most significant environmental wins. He led the effort to pass our first statewide water plan, helped to modernize our recycling laws (aka the “Bottle Bill”), and passed restrictions on toxic PFAS chemicals that contaminate our drinking water. As Chair of the Public Health Committee, he played a central role this year in improving indoor air quality in schools by securing funds to replace and upgrade school HVACs. He plans to extend this work to nursing homes. He also worked hard to pass the Climate Mitigation Act that requires Connecticut to supply 100% of its electricity from clean sources by 2040. Looking ahead, Representative Steinberg plans to focus his efforts on our state’s waste management crisis by supporting environmentally responsible solutions such as composting food waste and reducing the use of styrofoam in schools and restaurants. “Jonathan Steinberg is an effective leader who has long championed policies to protect our land, air, water, and climate. Our state is a cleaner, healthier place to live because of his lifelong dedication to the environment,” said Brown To receive CTLCV’s endorsement, all candidates must have completed a Survey on the Environment. Endorsements are issued based on candidates’ responses, voting records in our Scorecard, and demonstrated leadership on specific issues. ### The CT League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) is a nonpartisan statewide organization dedicated to protecting Connecticut’s environment. CTLCV works to pass equitable and sustainable legislation that impacts our air, land, water, wildlife, and climate and holds all state legislators accountable with an annual Environmental Scorecard. Visit ctlcv.org for more information on CTLCV. ![]() Hartford, CT – Today, the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) endorsed Representative Kerry Wood (D) to represent the 29th House District of the CT General Assembly including the towns of Newington, Rocky Hill, and Wethersfield. For the past two years, Kerry Wood has earned a perfect 100% on our Environmental Scorecard. This was a phenomenal year for climate action. These wins would not be possible without lawmakers like Kerry Wood, who worked hard to pass legislation crucial to reducing pollution from transportation and are committed to the environment. Kerry Wood is a strong advocate for climate-smart agriculture. She started one of the state’s first organic farms and supports sustainable, local, and organic farming practices. She also supports renewable energy and fiercely opposes natural gas fracking waste and pipelines. Last year, Representative Wood helped pass legislation to ban single-use plastic bags and to update our current recycling law known as the “ Bottle Bill”. As Co-Chair of the legislature’s Insurance Committee and an outspoken member of the Commerce Committee, she was part of a task force that successfully overhauled state laws to clean up polluted industrial sites under the Transfer Act. Looking ahead, Representative Wood wants to see our state investing in more clean energy and improving air quality. “Kerry Wood is an effective leader with strong values that connect good economic policy with good environmental policy. Her constituents need her back at the Capitol so she can continue to serve her district and the entire state of Connecticut” To receive CTLCV’s endorsement, all candidates must have completed a Survey on the Environment. Endorsements are issued based on a candidate’s responses, their voting record in our Scorecard, and their demonstrated leadership on specific issues. ### The CT League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) is a nonpartisan statewide organization dedicated to protecting Connecticut's environment. CTLCV works to pass equitable and sustainable legislation that impacts our air, land, water, wildlife, and climate and holds all state legislators accountable with an annual Environmental Scorecard. Visit ctlcv.org for more information on CTLCV. ![]() Hartford, CT – Today, the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) endorsed Representative David Michel (D) to represent the 146th House District of the CT General Assembly including the town of Stamford. David Michel has consistently earned high scores on CTLCV’s Environmental Scorecard, but he is one of a handful of legislators who was featured as an “Environmental Champion” for his leadership on a variety of important bills during the recent legislative session. This was a phenomenal year for climate action. These wins would not be possible without lawmakers like David Michel who worked hard to pass legislation crucial to reducing pollution from transportation and who are committed to the environment. David Michel serves on the Environmental Committee and is House Democratic Chair for the Animal Advocacy Caucus. His top priorities are Environmental Justice, Climate Change, and Biodiversity Protection. Representative Michel has also facilitated important efforts in his district of Stamford. Over the past five years, he has collaborated with the city managers, elected officials, and state agencies to advocate for the construction of a barrier to prevent trash from spilling into the Long Island Sound from the city’s transfer station. Looking forward to 2023, Representative Michel plans to collaborate with companies to pilot cleanups of contaminated sites throughout the state. “Representative Michel is a major force for the environment. His energy and passion have often been the driving force behind many bills to ensure strongest possible policies are negotiated for our air, land, water, wildlife and people. We need him at the Capitol to continue to serve his district and the state.” To receive CTLCV’s endorsement, all candidates must have completed a Survey on the Environment. Endorsements are issued based on a candidate’s responses, their voting record in our Scorecard, and their demonstrated leadership on specific issues. ### The CT League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) is a nonpartisan statewide organization dedicated to protecting Connecticut's environment. CTLCV works to pass equitable and sustainable legislation that impacts our air, land, water, wildlife, and climate and holds all state legislators accountable with an annual Environmental Scorecard. Visit ctlcv.org for more information on CTLCV. ![]() Hartford, CT – Today, the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) endorsed Representative Christine Palm (D) to represent the 36th House District of the CT General Assembly, including the towns of Chester, Deep River, Essex, and Haddam. Over the years, she has become one of the most active and hardworking of our environmental champions. For the past two years, Christine Palm has scored a 100% on our Environmental Scorecard. She is among a handful of legislators honored by CTLCV as an “Environmental Champion” both years. This was a phenomenal year for climate action. As Vice Chair of the legislature’s Environment Committee, Representative Palm worked tirelessly to pass legislation crucial to our state, including the CT Clean Air Act that will greatly reduce pollution from transportation. These victories would not be possible without lawmakers who care and are committed to the environment. Christine Palm successfully championed a multi-year effort to ensure that climate change education will now be taught in public schools. Her driving passion is to engage her constituents, especially youth, to have a stronger voice in shaping the environmental laws that guide our state. She also fought successfully this year for state funding to address the growing problem of invasive plants that are damaging our state’s lakes and rivers, and she pushed through legislation to eliminate toxic PFAS from our drinking water. Looking ahead to 2023, Representative Palm promises to be front and center on legislation to manage our growing waste crisis, and she will continue to work on Environmental Justice laws that prevent new polluting facilities in vulnerable communities. “There is no doubt that Christine Palm is a leading voice for the environment and for our state’s historic progress on climate legislation this year. She is an example of what every lawmaker should strive to be,” said CTLCV Executive Director Lori Brown. To receive CTLCV’s endorsement, all candidates must have completed a Survey on the Environment. Endorsements are issued based on a candidate’s responses, their voting record in our Scorecard, and their demonstrated leadership on specific issues. ### The CT League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) is a nonpartisan statewide organization dedicated to protecting Connecticut's environment. CTLCV works to pass equitable and sustainable legislation that impacts our air, land, water, wildlife, and climate and holds all state legislators accountable with an annual Environmental Scorecard. Visit ctlcv.org for more information on CTLCV. The Connecticut League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) today released the 2022 Environmental Scorecard, a comprehensive review of the major environmental victories, challenges, wins, and losses for Connecticut’s environment during the 2022 legislative session of the Connecticut General Assembly.
The 2022 Environmental Scorecard grades state legislators on their votes cast for or against environmental bills in the State House and Senate. “The 2022 session was a major year for environmental policy in Connecticut, which included passage of five major bills to tackle climate change that will directly affect air quality,” said Lori Brown, Executive Director of CTLCV. “Many lawmakers created real change in environmental policy, and we want to thank all of our environmental champions for their work. However, there are still lawmakers who rank poorly, and we hope they will try to improve their scores next year.” For CTLCV members and voters who care about the environment, the Scorecard is especially valuable in an election year. It is a tool they can use to assess how their state leaders are handling important environmental issues. CTLCV hopes voters will consider this information at the ballot box on November 8. The “Environmental Champions” listed in the report made their mark this year. The Scorecard highlights legislators who led pro-environment initiatives, as well as those who are “Out of Sync” with environmental values. Those who scored poorly are highlighted as well. “Voters need to know how their elected leaders vote on environmental issues. Either they are leading the way, or they are getting in the way,” said Brown. There were five significant wins for climate, including the Connecticut Clean Air Act, an initiative to reduce pollution from transportation with a strong focus on equity and targeted investments. Another key policy win was the Climate Change Mitigation Act, which will require Connecticut to supply 100% of its electricity from zero-carbon sources by 2040. Overall, CTLCV scored lawmakers’ votes on twenty bills on issues ranging from wildlife and clean water to pesticides, land conservation, and more. As always, there are many bills that did not make it over the finish line. The Scorecard lists the “Unfinished Business” that CTLCV expects to see re-introduced in 2023. Chief among them are sustainable solutions to our waste management crisis and updating CT’s Environmental Justice laws to prevent the siting of additional polluting facilities in overburdened communities. “Considering the difficulties at the federal level in passing environmental laws—and that EPA’s enforcement abilities have been severely weakened—it’s more important now than ever that we elect pro-environment lawmakers at the state legislative level and hold everyone accountable,” said Brown ### The CT League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) is a nonpartisan statewide organization dedicated to protecting Connecticut's environment. CTLCV works to pass equitable and sustainable legislation that impacts our air, land, water, wildlife, and climate and holds all state legislators accountable with an annual Environmental Scorecard. Visit ctlcv.org for more information on CTLCV. Advocates Call on Lamont, CT Lawmakers to Keep Their Commitments on TCI
CT Groups Urge Meaningful Action on Climate Change in 2022 Hartford, CT - On Tuesday Governor Lamont said he would no longer pursue passage of the Transportation Climate Initiative, then walked that statement back slightly on Wednesday saying he would sign a TCI bill if it reached his desk. The decision to pause Connecticut’s implementation of the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) has had a domino effect on the region, underscoring the important role our state plays in addressing the climate crisis. Lawmakers have missed a critical opportunity to cap transportation pollution in CT and act on our climate emergency. Connecticut was poised to be a regional leader in addressing transportation emissions, and 24 hours after Governor Lamont abandoned TCI, Massachusetts and Rhode Island backed away from the program in response. The Transportation & Climate Initiative is a multi-state agreement that would cap transportation pollution, charge wholesale polluters for emissions, and direct the funds to improve transportation and air quality for Connecticut residents. TCI is our state’s best opportunity to address our climate mitigation and environmental justice challenges with a regional approach. In September, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) reported that despite Connecticut's aggressive carbon emissions reductions goals laid out in the 2008 Global Warming Solutions Act, transportation emissions continue to rise in our state: Connecticut is not on track to meet its 2030 and 2050 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction requirements. Beginning with Governor Rell in 2010 and continuing throughout the past decade, supporters of TCI have worked with our fellow states to craft a robust and equitable program to address the largest source of climate pollution in our region. Citizen activists across Connecticut have spent years working to advance this critical policy as the demand for real, tangible action on climate change has grown to an all-time high. Governor Lamont’s decision to withdraw support for the Transportation and Climate Initiative turns a blind eye to the urgency of the climate crisis we face. Inaction is a disservice to all the communities and residents that would have benefited from the pollution reductions and clean transportation investments under the program. In 2018, the Governor’s Council on Climate Change noted that transportation emissions need to fall by about one-third in order to meet our 2030 target. Only two months ago, Connecticut’s greenhouse gas inventory confirmed that we are not on track to meet the emission reductions required by our Global Warming Solutions Act. Advocates pledge to continue to fight for TCI on behalf of Connecticut’s communities who will bear the brunt of the consequences from inaction. While there is no single “silver bullet” that will solve our transportation issues, TCI provides the essential structure around which a comprehensive approach can be built - one that guarantees the emissions reductions necessary to meet our targets and improve the quality of life of Connecticut’s residents. Advocates offered the following statements: “Acadia Center and our partners in the Connecticut’s Transportation Futurecoalition have worked tirelessly over the last few years to build support for action on transportation pollution through TCI. Businesses, mayors, community leaders, and public health professionals have come out in support of the program and its economic, public health, and climate benefits,” said Amy McLean, Acadia Center’s Connecticut Director and Senior Policy Advocate. “Environmental justice leaders have worked closely with state agencies and the legislature to center equity and transportation justice in Connecticut’s implementation of the TCI. While Governor Lamont appears content to press pause on that important work, we are committed to moving it forward.” “We cannot afford to wait for a convenient time to protect the planet,” said Louis Rosado Burch, Connecticut Program Director at Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “We are experiencing increased coastal flooding inundating our shoreline communities, and some of the nation’s worst air quality in our urban centers. Climate Change is impacting our lives every day, and it’s getting worse the longer we delay action. Pulling their support for TCI was a short-sighted move by the Lamont administration, which kicks the can even further down the road on addressing carbon pollution. Connecticut residents want bold leadership from their elected leaders. TCI is a necessity, not a luxury to be put on the shelf for another day. “Connecticut is at a crossroads—will we take climate change seriously, or not?”, said Charles J. Rothenberger, Climate and Energy Attorney at Save the Sound. “It’s now been more than two months since the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection announced Connecticut is not on track to meet its required emissions reductions. The Transportation and Climate Initiative would cut emissions by 26 percent over the next ten years and invest in clean transportation and improved air quality in the communities that need it most. That’s exactly the kind of action we need, and it’s why we’ll keep fighting for this policy. Our leaders need to step up to the plate and show the same urgency in their policies that they’ve shown in their rhetoric. The cost of inaction is too steep.” “We are up against the richest and most powerful industries in the world in the fight against climate change,” said Megan Macomber, Policy Advocate at the CT League of Conservation Voters. “The pushback on TCI shows us how loud these fossil fuel industries can be, but they do not represent the will of the majority.” According to a November 12, 2021 poll by Langer Research Associates, 78% of 18- to 29-year-olds say climate change is a serious problem that needs to be addressed. “Major climate programs like TCI must not fall victim to in-party fighting or be used to leverage political agendas. With 2022 elections on the horizon, elected officials should double down on their efforts to reduce fossil fuel emissions, not shy away from the fight,” said Macomber. "Governor Lamont's decision to abandon his commitment to capping and reducing carbon pollution is a huge step backwards for our state's efforts to fight climate change," said Chris Phelps, Environment Connecticut State Director. "The Governor's lack of commitment to action on climate is a profound disappointment to Connecticut residents who are looking to our elected officials to rise to the challenge of doing what is necessary to stop climate change before it is too late." The following TCI coalition members have signed on to this statement: Lori Brown CT League of Conservation Voters Daphne Dixon Live Green Network Nathan Frohling The Nature Conservancy Robert Goodrich Radical Advocates for Cross-Cultural Education Anne Hulick Clean Water Action Thomas Lefebvre Transport Hartford/ Center for Latino Progress Gannon Long Operation Fuel Amy McLean Acadia Center Mark A. Mitchell MD Mitchell Environmental Health Associates Chris Phelps Environment Connecticut Louis Rosado Burch Citizens Campaign for the Environment Charles Rothenberger Save the Sound Mustafa Salahuddin ATU Local 1336 |
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June 2024
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