Clean Water Action Endorses Valentine for State Senate, Praises Bipartisan Leadership

LANSING – Clean Water Action today announced it is endorsing Mary Valentine for state senator, calling her a strong champion for her bipartisan leadership in creating West Michigan jobs and protecting Michigan’s Great Lakes and natural resources.

“Mary Valentine has earned Clean Water Action’s endorsement for state senator because she has led the charge to protect our Great Lakes while standing up for Main Street, Michigan values and working families,” said Clean Water Action-Michigan Director Cyndi Roper. “Mary Valentine truly understands West Michigan values, fighting every day for West Michigan jobs, West Michigan families and the health and preservation of Lake Michigan and all our Great Lakes. Mary Valentine’s bipartisan leadership can help move West Michigan forward, and Clean Water Action is proud to endorse her for state senator.”

Roper also noted that Valentine’s opponent, State Rep. Geoff Hansen, has a lengthy record of voting against the environment. Clean Water Action’s Legislative Scorecard showed Hansen voted in support of environmental legislation just 34 percent of the time in 2007-2008 and 40 percent in 2009-2010.

Valentine has been a leader in key issues affecting West Michigan and the Great Lakes, including:

• Standing up to Big Oil and leading the fight to ban drilling in our Great Lakes.
• Making sure West Michigan is leading the way in creating clean energy jobs.
• Fighting pollution and closing tax loopholes and giveaways for CEOs.

“Mary Valentine has shown time and time again that she puts West Michigan families ahead of BP, Big Oil, Big Polluters and corporate CEOs,” Roper said. “Mary Valentine understands that Michigan can add to the 109,000 clean energy jobs that are paving the way for Michigan to become a leader in the energy economy. Mary Valentine is the voice West Michigan needs in the Senate for our state to become a clean energy leader and attract jobs.”

Currently a state representative, Valentine is running for the state Senate seat in the 34th District. She was endorsed by Clean Water Action in 2006 and 2008.

Clean Water Action, with 250,000 Michigan members, is the state’s largest grassroots environmental organization and is dedicated to protecting Michigan’s Great Lakes waters, building healthy communities and making democracy work for all of us.