Earns High Marks on CTLCV Scorecard
State Sen. Tony Hwang, (R-28, representing Fairfield, Southport, Bethel, Easton, and Newtown/Sandy Hook) continued his support of pro-environment policies in the 2023 legislative session.
Hwang, a long-time champion of environmental initiatives, cast pro-environment votes on 13 significant environmental bills during the 2023 legislative session, according to the 2023 Environmental Scorecard published by the CT League of Conservation Voters.
A chief deputy Republican leader serving a fifth term, Hwang, voted to provide grants to towns for PFAS testing and remediation to help improve drinking water quality. As a member of the House Finance Committee, Hwang voted in favor of the Carbon-Free Schools bill to provide cleaner, healthier schools for 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.
“Senator Hwang’s concern for the environment and his many years of leadership on difficult environmental issues such as clean water and coastal resiliency impacted by climate change are helping to educate colleagues on both sides of the aisle,” said CTLCV Executive Director Lori Brown. “His efforts are shaping policies that will benefit future generations.”
Hwang supported local municipalities to establish a climate change and coastal resiliency reserve fund to pay for property losses, capital projects, and studies related to climate change mitigation. Wildlife management was another legislative priority as evidenced by the passage of a bill to protect migrating birds from artificial night lights. Hwang joined bipartisan support for the Seabird and Shorebird Protection Program, which allows the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to designate and identify protected areas for sea and shore birds on state-owned public property within the state’s coastal area (i.e., the coastline along Long Island Sound).
CTLCV has praised Hwang from way back. He has been featured as an “Environmental Champion” on CTLCV’s annual Scorecard for many years. In 2017, he was named to the CTLCV Scorecard Hall of Fame for earning a perfect 100% score, and subsequently received the highest score of any legislator in the 2018 Environmental Scorecard.
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 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, and notes that Hwang also scored 100% in this category. These and other important initiatives were deliberated and voted on at the Connecticut General Assembly this year. For the full array of legislation that CTLCV tracked and included in the Scorecard, visit CTLCV.org.
About The Ct League of Conservation Voters
The Connecticut League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) is a non-partisan, statewide, nonprofit organization dedicated to giving our environment a voice at the CT State Capitol. CTLCV works to elect champions who will fight for the air we breathe, water we drink, and values we share. During the legislative session, we inform lawmakers and the public about key environmental priorities, track critical votes, and hold our leaders accountable.
