Environmentalists Give Darien Reps Good Grades

Update 6:17 p.m.:

State Sen. Bob Duff and state Rep. Terri Wood on Monday reacted to the League of Conservation Voters rating announcement in a joint news release. Here's what they said:

“Environmental stewardship is about protecting our state’s natural resources for future generations,” Duff said. “That means clean air, unpolluted waterways and plenty of open space for residents to reconnect with nature. I am grateful for the League of Conservation Voters’ favorable rating of my voting record and I applaud the organization’s efforts to raise awareness about environmental issues.”

“My public service started with preserving open space with The Darien Land Trust and The Trust for Public Land, and promoting environmental awareness and issues with the Darien Environmental Group," Wood said. "I am pleased to continue this bipartisan work at the state level with the many good organizations such as CTCLV."

Original article:

Legislators representing Darien voted in favor of the environment more often than in previous sessions, according to one advocacy group.

The environmental scorecard issued by the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters for the 2012 legislative session shows improvements throughout the state. 

To rank the legislators, the League tracked the outcome of 21 bills during the 2012 legislative session. Eight were deemed hostile to the environment, and 13 were favorable. The lawmakers were assigned points if they voted for what the League deemed as pro-environment.

According to the League, environmental priorities, which had trended downward in 2010 and 2011, changed course in 2012. The average score for all legislators in 2011 was 76 percent versus the average score of 91 percent for 2012.  This year 53 more legislators earned 80 percent or higher than they did in 2011. 

“Constituents expect their elected leaders to protect clean air, clean water and open spaces,” said Lori Brown, executive director of the CTLCV.   The poor scores legislators earned last year voting against environment really hit home.  This year, lawmakers were more receptive to environmental concerns and more cautious in opposition.”

The full report is attached to this article and can also be found on the CTLCV website.