2025 Connecticut Legislative Environmental Scorecard Released

​Hartford, CT- The Connecticut League of Conservation Voters, the state's leading environmental convener, released its annual Scorecard today. The Scorecard, which grades state senators and representatives on a 0% to 100% scale based on how they vote on important environmental legislation, has been an important tool for voters during the past 25 years. Holding legislators accountable on a variety of environmental issues, this year’s edition features a high level of engagement among freshmen legislators and illustrates the growing partisan divide over the funding and oversight related to environmental issues.

This year’s Scorecard graded votes on 23 environmental bills during this year's four-month legislative session. Two major bills scored that earned a high degree of public interest and engagement include HB 5004, which targets energy and emissions, and SB 9, which addresses municipal and state planning for climate resiliency. Lobby efforts and advocacy by CTLCV and its partners played a key role in helping to pass these and eight other pro-environment bills. The group was also able to help stop or amend all but one of the seven hostile bills. 50% of legislators received a rating of 90% or higher. In the previous scorecard, 54% of legislators achieved such a score indicating a sustained effort to advance environmental initiatives.  

Based on this year’s Scorecard, the League identified nine freshmen lawmakers who represent Connecticut’s newest upcoming champions and named 21 lawmakers as environmental champions this year. Representative John Michael Parker, the Democratic lawmaker from Connecticut’s 101st House District has received the group’s highest honor as the 2025 Key Environmental Champion.

CTLCV’s Executive Director, Lori Brown, says “Rep. John-Michael Parker has emerged as a true climate leader at the Capitol. As House Chair of the Environment Committee, he played a key role in passing HB 5004 and has been instrumental in advancing legislation that puts Connecticut on track to meet its climate goals. His collaborative approach and commitment to success make him our Key Environmental Champion this year.” 

While CTLCV is a nonpartisan organization, just one of the 21 champions is a member of the Republican Party. Senator Tony Hwang, the Republican Senator from Connecticut’s 28th District, has been a longtime ally on environmental issues and is the sole Republican to receive the group’s endorsement. 

In celebration of CTLCV’s 25th anniversary, the organization is on a mission to build bridges to conservative audiences. While concerns about regulations and spending remain, there are also opportunities for common ground. Environmentally responsible policies can lead to long-term savings in areas like waste management, healthcare, and energy—benefits that serve all communities across Connecticut. Board Chairman Joe McGee of Fairfield, on the board with the release of the first Scorecard 25 years ago says, “The Connecticut League of Conservation Voters was founded on a commitment to protect and conserve our natural resources and to fight for a healthy environment and healthy communities. Our founding Board Chairs, Julie Belaga, a Republican, and Russ Brenneman, a Democrat, knew how important it was to find common ground across the partisan divide. As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, the urgency to address the challenges of climate change and a warming planet has become critical. It is our fervent hope and guiding principle that environmental solutions will be science-based and advanced after open, vigorous debate that respects different points of view. We invite Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals, to advance Connecticut as a global leader in the fight to save our planet. Economic growth and environmental protection are not mutually exclusive. In fact, economic innovation that enhances our environment will be the foundation of the 21st-century economy. We believe common ground exists—and that people of goodwill can find it”. 

The public can read and download the 2025 Scorecard at www.ctlcv.org/scorecard. In addition to providing legislators’ scores, the Scorecard provides additional information about CTLCV’s priorities and the bills the group supported and opposed this year. Constituents can use the Scorecard to see where their state lawmakers stand on the issues they care about—and to follow up, whether to ask questions or say thank you. That’s what makes the Scorecard such a powerful accountability tool: it reminds legislators that their constituents are paying attention.

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