Toni Boucher

Antonietta "Toni" Boucher (born December 4, 1949)[1] is a United States politician in Connecticut. She was a Republican member of the Connecticut Senate representing the 26th District and previously served in the Connecticut House of Representatives representing the 143rd District.

Toni Boucher
Member of the Connecticut Senate from the 26th district
In office January 7, 2009 – January 7, 2019
Preceded by	Judith Freedman
Succeeded by	Will Haskell
Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from the 143rd district
In office January 1997 – January 2009
Preceded by	Leslie Young
Succeeded by	Peggy Reeves
Personal details
Born	Italy
Political party	Republican
Alma mater	American University University of South Dakota University of Connecticut, Storrs
Website	Government website

Biography

Boucher was born in Italy and when she was five, she and her family immigrated to Naugatuck, Connecticut.[2] She is a Roman Catholic.[1]

Political career

Boucher served as a member of the Connecticut State Board of Education, where she was chair of the state’s policy and long-range planning committees.[3]

Boucher served on the Wilton Board of Selectmen and the town of Wilton’s Council on Public Facilities and Insurance Committees. She was also active in the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. In the past, she has served as an advisory board member of the New Canaan Nature Center and as a member of the Our Lady of Fatima Fundraising Steering Committee, Greystone Estates Association Board of Directors, Advisory Board of New Canaan Cares, Wilton League of Women Voters, Wilton Historical Society, Board of Directors of the Wilton Chapter of the AFS, and Friends of the Wilton Library.

From 1986 to 1994, she also served on the Wilton Board of Education, during which time she served as both the board’s chair and secretary. She also served on the Board of Directors of the Wilton Education Foundation and five school/community based planning teams; the Quality and Integrated Education Local Planning Committee and the Foreign Language Task Force (1978–92). She was active in the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education and the National Association of State Boards of Education; Wilton YMCA Expansion Fund; Board of the Wilton Youth Council's Project 94, 96 and 2000; Technology Task Force (1993–present); Gifted Task Force (1988–90); and the Wilton Parent-Teacher Associations. Early in her career, she worked as a translator and secondary education language teacher.

From 1996 to 2008, Boucher served six terms in the Connecticut House of Representatives. She was first elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives in November 1996 from the 143rd District, which included the eastern portion of Norwalk and most of Wilton. The district also previously included New Canaan.

In the 2002 election, Boucher lost approximately 200 uncounted votes when a mechanical voting machine broke down.[4]

In 2003, Boucher supported mass transit improvements.[5] Boucher has continued to work on transportation-related issues,[6] supporting the need to replenish the Highway Trust Fund.[7]

Boucher won against Democrat, Paul Burnham, in the 2004 election, taking 61% of the votes.[8]

In the 2008 election, Boucher won the senatorial 26th district seat following her six terms in Connecticut House of Representatives.

In 2010, Boucher promoted a new law in Connecticut that would allow pet owners to leave a trust to their pets in order to care for the animals in case of their owner's death.[9]

Boucher is a critic of marijuana law reform.[10] She serves as a director for Human Services Council, an organization financially supported by Purdue Pharma.[11][12][13]

In 2013, Boucher addressed the United Nations regarding Senate resolutions on Tibet.[14]

Boucher won in the 2014 election over Democrat, Phil Sharlach.[6]

Boucher serves as a deputy minority leader of the State Senate. She is a ranking member of the state legislature's Education Committee and Higher Education Committee.[15] She has been critical of the state's education record and recommended removing state education mandates and rewarding advanced students with scholarships.[15] She has also been critical of Governor Malloy's vetoes of education-related bills, one of which would have required applicants for state commissioner of education to have education-related experience and higher-learning degrees.[16][17]

She also serves as a member of the General Assembly’s Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committee, where she is ranking member of the subcommittee for Transportation Bonding.

On June 1, 2017 Senator Boucher announced that she was exploring a run for Governor.[18] After exploring the possibility for more than 10 months, Boucher made the "not easy" decision to withdraw from the race. This was the second time she unsuccessfully "explored" running for governor only to withdraw; she made the same decision in 2014.[19] Boucher claimed that her decision to run for re-election to the senate was motivated by the possibility that "We … could actually take over the state Senate in a big way." On November 6, 2018, however, she was defeated by the 22 year-old, first-time candidate, Will Haskell, one of several Democrats who helped solidify a majority control of both houses of the legislature.[20]

Awards

• 2006: Art Advocate of the Year Award, Connecticut Art Teachers Association
• 2006: The Business Council of Fairfield County (SACIA) Community Leader Award
• 2007-2008: UNCONN Advocate Award
• 2008: Connecticut Arts Advocate Award, Ct Arts Educators Association
• 2008: Music Education Advocate Award, CMEA
• 2009: Environmental Champion, Connecticut League of Conservation Voters
• 2009: Woman of the Year, Fairfield County Homebuilders Association
• 2009, 2012, 2013 & 2014: Children’s Champion, Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance
• 2009-2010: General Assembly Voting & Attendance Record - 100%
• 2010: Ambassador Award, Council of Italian American Organizations (CIAO)
• 2010: Tip of the Hat Award, Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (ConnCAN)

References

1. "Toni Boucher's Biography". Vote Smart. Project Vote Smart. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
2. Kiernan, Matt (19 January 2014). "Potential Gubernatorial Candidate, Boucher, Encouraged by her Committee's Financing". The Hour. Retrieved 20 July 2015 – via Newspaper Source - EBSCO.
3. Rabinovitz, Jonathan (5 May 1995). "Rowland Faces a Battle on 5 School Board Nominees, None Black or Puerto Rican". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
4. Flinn, R.S. (17 August 2003). "Voters Are Plugged In for Trial Run". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
5. Stowe, Stacey (19 January 2003). "So Many Bills to Consider, So Little Money". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
6. "Toni Boucher Wins in Ridgefield and the Rest of Her District". The Ridgefield Press. 5 November 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
7. Cummings, Bill (20 July 2015). "Highway Fund Driving at Deadline - And Breakdown". CT Post. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
8. "The Local Races in Connecticut". The New York Times. 9 November 2004. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
9. Soule, Alexander (18 January 2010). "In Dog We Trust". Fairfield County Business Journal. Vol. 49 no. 3. p. 1. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
10. Boucher, Toni. "'Fake Pot' -- A New Threat to Children and Parents", New Canaan Patch, New York, 22 January 2011. Retrieved on 2011-01-23.
11. Human Services Council Highlights Summer/Fall 2008 Retrieved on 2012-09-18.
12. "OxyContin A Gateway For Young Users In Eastie". WBUR. Retrieved 2010-08-01.
13. "Alabama sues OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma over opioid epidemic". Reuters. Retrieved 2018-04-14.
14. Butler, Julie (30 January 2013). "New Canaan Resident, Local Legislators Start Pro-Tebet Resolution in Senate". NC Advertiser. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
15. "Wake-Up Call on Education". Fairfield County Business Journal. 50 (23): 4. 9 June 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
16. Boucher, Toni (3 July 2015). "Boucher: Why Is Governor Malloy Undermining Teachers Again?". The Ridgefield Press. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
17. "Boucher and Lavielle Critical of Education Bill Veto". Wilton Bulletin. 2 July 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
18. "Boucher for CT". Boucher for CT.
19. Altimari, Daniela (April 18, 2018). "Not An Easy Decision: Toni Boucher Opts to Run for Reelection to the State Senate". Connecticut Courant. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
20. Thomas, Jacqueline Rabe (November 6, 2018). "Democrats make solid gains in General Assembly". Connecticut Mirror. Retrieved November 6, 2018.