Celebrate CT’s elected officials that have led the way in protecting our environment and public health!
CCE is excited to announce our 2021 Connecticut Environmental Champions! We take pride in recognizing legislators who have demonstrated a real commitment to protecting our precious natural resources and our health. This year, we are proud to announce four legislative champions who have led the fight for clean air, clean water and environmental justice in Connecticut:
State Senator Christine Cohen (12th Senate Dist.) is the Senate Chair of the Environment Committee and the lead advocate for progressive environmental policy in the Senate. She led the fight on several important victories in Connecticut in 2021, including modernizing the CT Bottle Bill, restricting toxic PFAS in food packaging, and passing critical updates to CCE’s signature “Sewage Overflow Right-to-Know” law.
State Senator Matthew Lesser (9th Senate Dist.) is a long-time supporter of strong environmental protections and has helped advance multiple CCE priorities, including a bill to ban toxic fracking waste coming into Connecticut. In 2021, Sen. Lesser spearheaded the effort to pass first-in-the-nation legislation to combat climate change by divesting Connecticut’s insurance accounts from firms that insure the fossil fuel industry. This makes Connecticut a national leader in efforts to reduce climate emissions, discourage investment in dirty fossil fuels and promote clean energy technology.
State Representative Brandon McGee (5th House Dist.) is a lifelong community advocate, fighting for the rights of low- and moderate-income families across Connecticut. He understands the intersection of environmental justice issues and health inequities that impact our most vulnerable populations. In 2021, he facilitated community conversations on important environmental justice issues, was an outspoken supporter of the Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI), and he established an Equity Commission to study the impacts of racism on public health.
State Representative Jonathan Steinberg (136th House Dist.) is the House Chair of the Public Health Committee. Rep. Steinberg has been a strong supporter of Connecticut’s environment through the years, having led the fight to pass a comprehensive State Water Plan for Connecticut in 2019. As chair of Public Health, Rep. Steinberg was the first to introduce legislation restricting toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” in food packaging and prohibiting the use of PFAS-treated firefighting foams that contaminate our water and threaten our health.
Protecting our environment is a full-time job. These legislators have proven themselves to be steadfast advocates for their communities and our shared environment. CCE applauds these lawmakers for their efforts to safeguard our state’s air and water resources, address health inequities, and promote good environmental policy in Connecticut.
These legislators are true leaders in our state, and we are proud to present them with our 2021 Connecticut Environmental Champion Award!
Thank you for taking a moment to recognize our champions. Together, we make a difference!
Sincerely,
Your friends at CCE