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HARTFORD – David Bingham, a dedicated state and national advocate for pro-environment policies for decades, was recently honored by the CT League of Conservation Voters with its Lifetime Achievement Award.
Bingham, of Salem, is a retired physician who joined the National League of Conservation Voters during the first Earth Week in 1970. Bingham comes from a political family with elected members representing both sides of the aisle. He currently serves as Co-Chair of the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters, having served as a founding board member since the League’s inception in 2000. He currently chairs CTLCV's Political Action Committee, participating in hundreds of endorsement interviews with political candidates for the Connecticut General Assembly over the years, and supporting their candidacies for elected office. A founding member of the Salem Land Trust, Bingham is also a member of the Eightmile River Wild and Scenic Coordinating Committee. He was an elected member of the Salem Planning and Zoning Commission for 36 years. As a life-long activist on state policy issues and electoral politics, Bingham has advocated and testified on behalf of the Sierra Club, NARAL Pro-Choice America, Planned Parenthood, Population Connection, Rivers Alliance, CT Land Conservation Council and Audubon CT. During CTLCV’s Environmental Achievement Awards ceremony in October, CTLCV Executive Director Lori Brown referred to Bingham as a champion for the environment and an inspiration for all who work to protect our water, air, and open spaces for the safety and enjoyment of future generations. “David has significantly shaped the mission and goals of CTLCV’s work in his role as Board Chair and as an active advocate at the Capitol,” Brown said. “He is our go-to person for electoral work that helps build the next generation of climate champions, and his knowledge and passion for policy is immediately evident to anyone he talks to. Anyone who has seen his beautiful property in Salem and met his wonderful wife Annie knows that David practices what he preaches when it comes to environmental stewardship.” Bingham was also presented with a proclamation from the CT General Assembly by State Sen. Martha Marx (D-20th) of New London, who commended Bingham for his stewardship of the environment through the legislative process. Marx, elected in 2022, is also a strong advocate for the environment, having earned a score of 94 percent on the 2023 Environmental Scorecard and voting in favor of key bills endorsed by CTLCV. The Environmental Scorecard is published annually by the CTLCV as a way to hold lawmakers accountable for their votes on environmental policy in the state legislature. ### HARTFORD – Sen. Mae Flexer (D-29; Representing Brooklyn, Canterbury, Killingly, Mansfield, Pomfret, Putnam, Scotland, Thompson & Windham) earned high marks on the Environmental Scorecard, published annually by the CT League of Conservation Voters.
Sen. Flexer scored 95% on the Environmental Scorecard, which is intended to hold lawmakers accountable for their votes on environmental policy. The final score for each legislator represents an average of their votes on specific bills. This year’s Scorecard covers 31 bills affecting the environment and three bills advancing voting rights. This was the first year CTLCV included a separate “Democracy” score for all lawmakers based on voting rights legislation. Sen. Flexer earned a Democracy Score of 100%. As Senate Chair of the Government Administration and Elections Committee, Sen. Flexer holds a key position in passage of voting rights legislation. She was instrumental in getting all three voting rights bills out of her committee and over the finish line: establishing laws for Early Voting; taking the next step for a constitutional amendment to allow No-Excuse Absentee Voting; and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act. These successful initiatives will all make a difference in our State’s democratic process. With regard to the environment, Sen. Flexer cast pro-environment votes on 15 bills that came before committees on which she served and/or in the full Senate. Chief among these was Sen. Flexer’s critical support for strengthening and providing transparency in the state’s Land Conveyance process. Her efforts this past session greatly enhanced the review process to ensure that property owned by the state was not sold before a detailed environmental evaluation. Furthermore, Sen. Flexer was a strong supporter of House Bill 6483, which calls for increasing the bond authorization to $10 million annually for the Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program administered by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. “Sen. Flexer has once again proven to be a champion for pro-environment legislation and we value her support, which carries significant influence based on her years in both chambers of the legislature,” said Lori Brown, Executive Director of the CTLCV. Sen. Flexer voted in favor of Senate Bill 904, a multi-pronged transportation bill that established a “Carbon Budget.” This legislation sets a maximum amount of carbon dioxide emissions allowed from the transportation sector and holds the Department of Transportation to this “carbon budget” as a mechanism to help the state reach its climate goals. Among other issues, the bill also initiated a study of the DOT’s tree-cutting practices which many citizens feel has been overly aggressive and unresponsive to community concerns. In the Government Administration and Elections Committee, Sen. Flexer voted to enact a state Decarbonization Roadmap, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions to meet the state’s goals under the Global Warming Solutions Act. This vital bill would have developed a comprehensive plan to establish policies across multiple agencies to guide state action toward these goals rather than requiring lawmakers to vote on every new program or update. CTLCV will make passage of the Decarbonization Roadmap a priority in the 2024 session. In keeping with her concern for residents of low-income neighborhoods, Sen. Flexer supported Senate Bill 1147, the Environmental Justice Program of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The law now gives DEEP authority to deny permits for new polluting facilities in already overburdened communities based on the cumulative impact on public health and the environment. Sen. Flexer also voted to provide grants to towns for PFAS testing and remediation to help improve drinking water quality. She voted in favor of the Carbon-Free Schools bill to provide cleaner, healthier schools for our children and teachers. This bill would have leveraged state and federal funding to carry out cost-saving energy projects, fund solar and other energy efficiency studies, and provide technical assistance to evaluate and implement these projects. In addition, Sen. Flexer supported new laws to help restore eelgrass, protect shoreline nesting birds, halt the overharvesting of horseshoe crabs, and protect migrating birds from artificial night lights. These and other important initiatives were deliberated and voted on at the CT General Assembly this year. For the full array of environmental bills that CTLCV tracked and included in the Scorecard, visit CTLCV.org. State Rep. Devin Carney (R-23) (Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Westbrook) was among those legislators earning top scores on the 2023 Environmental Scorecard published annually by the CT League of Conservation Voters.
The Environmental Scorecard is intended to hold lawmakers accountable for their votes on environmental policy. The final score for each legislator represents an average of their votes on specific bills. This year’s Scorecard covers 31 bills affecting the environment. Carney’s score of 95% earned high praise from CTLCV Executive Director Lori Brown. “We applaud Rep. Carney’s commitment to a cleaner environment through strong policies that will benefit future generations,” Brown said. “Rep. Carney’s knowledge and experience in clean energy and environmental issues are an asset to the legislature, and we look forward to his bipartisan leadership in advancing pro-environment policies in the 2024 session and beyond.” Carney is a former co-chair of the bipartisan Clean Energy Caucus, and at the start of the 2023 legislative session was named Policy co-chair of the House Republican caucus by House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora. In addition to his work as a state lawmaker, Carney serves as Treasurer of the Board of the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators. Among key votes in support of the environment, Rep. Carney voted to establish a state decarbonization plan to guide state agencies toward goals prescribed by the Global Warming Solutions Act. The plan would provide a broad set of policies intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across multiple agencies. This economy-wide approach would include long and short-term goals and benchmarks. Rep. Carney also voted to provide grants to towns for PFAS testing and remediation to help improve drinking water quality. He also voted in favor of a statewide Carbon Budget calling for the state Department of Transportation and Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to jointly establish a maximum level of greenhouse gases emitted by the transportation sector. In an effort to provide cleaner, healthier schools for our children and teachers, Rep. Carney voted in favor of the Carbon-Free Schools bill as a member of the House Finance Committee. This bill would have leveraged state and federal funding to carry out cost-saving energy projects, fund solar and other energy efficiency studies, and provide technical assistance to evaluate and implement these projects. The legislation passed in the Senate with unanimous consent, but never made it to a House vote. These and other important initiatives were deliberated and voted on at the CT General Assembly this year. For the full array of environmental bills that CTLCV tracked and included in the Scorecard, visit CTLCV.org # # # |
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December 2024
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