State Senator
Matt Lesser
Deputy Majority Leader
Your Independent Voice
- Representing
- Cromwell,
- Middletown,
- Newington,
- Rocky Hill,
- Wethersfield
HARTFORD, CT – Today, the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) announced state Senator Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) has recorded a perfect score of 100 percent on their annual Environmental Scorecard, reflecting the senator’s effectiveness in leading passage of, and voting for, pro-environment legislation affecting Connecticut and it’s 3.5 million citizens.
“I’m committed to doing whatever I can to protect open space and the environment. I am grateful to the League of Conservation Voters for this vote of confidence and a recognition that some of the most important environmental battles happen in the State Senate,” said Sen. Lesser. “The Connecticut River flows through the heart of the 9th Senate District and I look forward to continuing to steward our water, our air and our other natural resources.”
The CTLCV notes in the introduction to its report that democratic majorities in the House and Senate had a major impact on passing pro-environment legislation and on killing anti-environmental bills.
Per the report: “The 2019 Legislative Session delivered many wins for the environment, including significant investment in offshore wind, the electrification of the state fleet, the passage of the State Water Plan, and much more. Because of our work during the last elections, we broke the split in the State Senate and sent a new pro-environment majority into Hartford.
These new and returning champions were largely able to kill bad environmental bills like rollbacks to the Environmental Protection Act, automatic permits from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) after 90 days, and the revocation of DEEP’s enforcement tools. Many of these anti-environment proposals never even saw a vote. As a result, the vast majority of bills we scored were pro-environment proposals. This led to higher scores overall, evidence for the strong support for the environment within our legislature.”
The CTLCV grading scale ranges from 0-to-100 percent, and is based on how legislators vote on key environmental bills during the committee period of session and on the House and Senate floor.
The final score is an average of their votes on specific pro-environment bills the CTLCV has picked. Absences and abstentions are not factored into the CTLCV’s grading system.
The average Senate Democrat score this year was 97.5; the average Senate Republican score was 78.4. IN the House, 40% of House Republican members scored a 50 or below
The legislative priorities included in CTLCV’s scorecard covers a wide, diverse range of environmental concerns. The CTLCV seeks the counsel of other environmental groups, advocates and stakeholders to determine their priorities. CTLCV’s legislative victories this session includes:
And much more you can read in the report here.