FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:         Rick Joslyn

                       203 858 4999

 

 

SIERRA CLUB ENDORSES REP. LAVIELLE FOR REELECTION

 

WILTON, October 22, 2018 — The Sierra Club, the largest and oldest environmental grassroots group in the country, has endorsed State Representative Gail Lavielle for reelection to the 143rd House district, which includes parts of Norwalk, Westport, and Wilton.

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“Our endorsement sends a message of your strong support for the environment and your proven track record in environmental issues,” wrote Ann Gadwah, Political Chair of the Sierra Club’s Connecticut Chapter, in a letter to Rep. Lavielle dated October 20. “The Sierra Club wholeheartedly extends our support for your campaign.”

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“Protecting our environment is vitally important for preserving the unique character of our beautiful state, and for public health and safety,” said Rep. Lavielle. “I will continue to fight for initiatives that protect our open space, conserve precious natural resources, and keep our air and water clean and safe. As always, I will be attentive to ensuring that these initiatives are undertaken within a framework of sound fiscal discipline. I thank the Sierra Club for its many years of service to the environment, and I am honored to have received its endorsement.”

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During the 2017 and 2018 legislative sessions, Rep. Lavielle fought to protect state-owned conservation land and open space; ban the transport, disposal, and storage of fracking waste in Connecticut; preserve the state’s water supply and designate water as a public trust; allow direct manufacturer sales of electric vehicles; provide better, more timely information to address sewage spills; and improve coastal zone resiliency.

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Rep. Lavielle’s endorsement by the Sierra Club comes just weeks after her endorsement by the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters, which has recognized her six times as an Environmental Champion.

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State Rep. Gail Lavielle serves as Assistant House Minority Leader. She is Ranking Member of the General Assembly’s Education Committee and a member of the Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee and the Transportation Committee. Before her election to the legislature, she worked for more than 25 years in finance, marketing, and communication, holding executive leadership positions with Fortune 500 corporations. She also served on the Wilton Board of Finance and the Wilton Energy Commission. She holds an MA in French from Yale, a BA in English from Cornell, and an MBA in finance from UConn, and is the author of a book on opera. She and her husband Jean-Pierre live in Wilton.

 

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