Press Release: Retiring legislators honored for remarkable work on behalf of environment

DATE: 12/07/22

CONTACT: Sarah Horner, MCEA, shornermncenter.org, 612-868-3024

The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy honored 11 retiring Minnesota legislators for their incredible and transformative commitment to protecting the health of our environment and the people who depend on it during a ceremony in the Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda Tuesday afternoon. 

Minnesota State House Representatives Ami Wazlawik, Steve Sandell, Todd Lippert, Jim Davnie, Alice Hausman, Carrie Ruud, and Senators David Senjem, Chris Eaton, Chuck Wiger, Patricia Torres-Ray and Ann Johnson-Stewart were all celebrated at the annual MCEA event. Senators Eaton, Torres-Ray, Ruud and Representatives Wazlawik, Lippert, and Hausman attended. 

In keeping with tradition, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy’s (MCEA) legislative director, Andrea Lovoll, handed out engraved wooden paddles to the honorees in attendance after describing some of their individual impact over the years. Here are just a few of the accomplishments mentioned: 

• Senator Eaton’s leadership on the Environment Committee and work to remove the conflict of interest inherent in the the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources previous duties to simultaneously  promote and regulate the mining industry
• Senator Torres-Ray’s transformative work on behalf of environmental justice as the first Latina woman to serve in the state senate, as well as her role in creating the first statewide map of all parks and trails. 
• Rep. Lippert’s efforts to let the concerns of youth inform his work, as well as his hard earned reputation as the “healthy soil guy.” 
• Rep. Wazlawik’s leadership authoring a law that made Minnesota the first state to ban the toxic chemical TCE (trichloroethylene) as well as strengthen protections from  “forever chemicals” (PFAS) pollution.
• Rep. Hausman’s over 30 years of service in protecting Minnesota’s environment, including her push for the Renewable Development Fund as part of legislation addressing dry cask storage of nuclear waste. 
• Senator Ruud’s long-standing leadership to create and protect dedicated environmental funds and her work to reduce chloride pollution in our lakes, rivers and streams from oversalting our roads and sidewalks in the winter

“Thank you to all of you for being defenders of Minnesota - its environment and health of its people. We are honored to have had the privilege to work with you and to build a friendship with you over the years,” Lovoll told the group of legislators and supporters present at Tuesday’s event. 

A few of the honorees urged legislators they are leaving behind to keep the environment and the accelerating climate crisis in the forefront as they make upcoming decisions about resources and policy. 

“The planet will be here, the question is will the human race be,” Eaton said. “I’m retiring, so it’s up to the new folks coming in to take up the work.” 

Lovoll also provided a short preview at the event of the work to come during the next Legislative Session, which starts January 3rd. MCEA’s legislative priorities include: adopting policies and laws to address the climate crisis, environmental justice, spending a portion of the $17.6 billion surplus on preserving Minnesota’s environment, and cleaning up pervasive toxic chemicals like PFAS.  

“Our attention is rightly focused on the climate crisis, and reducing our emissions across every community in every sector.  But as we approach this session, we can’t let ourselves ignore the equally devastating environmental harms in addition to climate change,” Lovoll said. 

Please reach out with any additional questions about the honorees or the ceremony. 

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