Art Handy is from Cranston, Rhode Island. He ran and won his seat in the House of Representatives in 2002 in a three-way primary and a three-way general election. He owed this win both to the strong support of the environmental and civil rights movements in the state and to the hard work he put in door knocking all the way through his district.
As a Representative, Art Handy has worked primarily on civil rights, public health, environmental ,and anti-poverty issues. He also has worked to find cross cutting issues particularly in environmental justice such as working on energy efficiency and affordable housing. Representative Handy has found a new way to put his environmental expertise and advocacy to work as the Chair of the House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources a post he achieved in 2010.
Art Handy has worked for and with non-profit organizations since 1990. He started as a canvasser with Clean Water Action working for two years going door to door across Rhode Island building support for strong environmental policy. Since then he has continued to work on environmental issues and has also worked to improve public health and fight poverty in Rhode Island.
I have always felt a strong connection to the outdoors. While, I grew up in a more urban environment, I was fortunate to have many opportunities to spend time in the mountains of North Carolina and waters near the Chesapeake Bay. This gave me a strong appreciation for what we are already losing in many places around the country. Many of these important places and the breeding grounds, the nesting areas and the feeding areas for endangered species and a host of other important animals and plants. This includes important commercial and recreational animals. I grew up crabbing near the Chesapeake – the opportunity to do that recreationally is is mostly gone. The ESA helps so many places survive for all of us to use and to enjoy, protecting both endangered species and their neighbors as well. Funding and strong protection for this Act is critical for Rhode Island and the rest of our country!
