COLUMBIA, SC - South Carolina Senator Nikki Setzler was honored with the Senate Conservation Leadership Award by the Conservation Voters of South Carolina on Wednesday at their much-anticipated 8th Annual Green Tie Luncheon in downtown Columbia. The yearly event recognizes public servants and conservation activist for their dedication to conserving South Carolina’s natural assets. "We recognized the efforts of Senator Setzler to champion continued funding for the South Carolina Conservation Bank as well as his work to protect citizens from illegal pollution," said Ann Timberlake, Executive Director of the CVSC. Senator Setzler has a lifetime conservation voting record score of 91% from the CVSC, including a 103% score for the 2015-16 legislative session. Earlier this week, he was endorsed by the Midlands’ Sierra Club John Bachman Group and Larger South Carolina Sierra Club for his history of conservation and environmental protection. “Senator Setzler has been a major supporter of the Edisto River and has fought illegal wastewater discharges along the Lower Saluda river,” SC Sierra Club Chapter Chair Chris Hall said in endorsing Senator Setzler. “Just this year the Senator stood up for our property rights by co-authoring legislation and voting to ensure eminent domain cannot be abused in our state.” Republican Senator John Courson was also endorsed by the Sierra Club. Others honored at the Green Tie Luncheon included Republican State Reps. Weston Newton and Doug Brannon, along with activists Frank Holleman and Rudy Mancke. In response to the award and endorsement, Senator Setzler issued the following statement: "South Carolina is my home. I was born and raised here. My wife Ada Jane and I chose to raise our children here and they are raising their children here. So it is absolutely critical to me that we preserve the beauty and natural resources of our great state. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to leave South Carolina a better place than we found it. And we owe it to each other to find ways to protect our environment together."
