2005 Legislator Thank Yous
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The Scorecard is an objective portrayal of how legislators
vote on the House and Senate Floor on environmental issues.
However, the
Scorecard does not tell the entire story.
For the first time in this publication, we have chosen to highlight legislators who showed clear leadership on behalf of Oregon’s environment in ways other than casting floor votes.
We applaud the following five Senators and three Representatives, who are listed within each chamber in alphabetical order.
SENATE
Bridge Builder of the Year
Senator David Nelson (R-Pendleton)
Debates over forest issues have historically been among the
most controversial in the Legislature.
This year, the timber industry had a
desire to pass legislation to use small trees as a biofuel, while thinning
overcrowded forests.
Rather than simply introducing the legislation as the
timber industry would want, Senator Nelson invited environmental groups to the
table in the initial stages of drafting the bill and throughout the development
of the final proposal (SB 1072).
In the end, the bill was viewed by
environmental groups as neither particularly good nor bad, so it is not rated
in the Scorecard.
Nonetheless, we were very pleased with the time and energy Senator Nelson put into working with the conservation community and look forward to similar efforts in future Sessions.
Environmental Defender of the Year
Senator Charlie Ringo (D-Beaverton)
If you asked Senators which colleague prioritized the environment
over all other issues during the 2005 session, they would answer unanimously:
Senator Ringo.
As Chair of the Senate Environment and Land Use Committee,
Senator Ringo prevented many anti-environmental bills from moving to the Senate
floor for a vote.
It was largely because of his efforts that fewer
environmental rollbacks made it to Governor Kulongoski’s desk this session.
We thank Senator Ringo for standing up for clean water, clean air, and a healthy future for our children.
Land Use Protector of the Year
Senator Kurt Schrader (D-Canby)
In a session plagued by attacks on Oregon’s system of using
land use zoning to protect farmland, forestland, and neighborhoods, one Senator
clearly stood out for his effort to preserve it.
As Chairman of the Senate
Budget Committee, Senator Schrader championed funding for involving thousands
of citizens in charting the future of our land use system (SB 82) and played a
key role in securing funding for the Columbia River Gorge Commission (SB 5587).
Both efforts demonstrate his commitment to building better neighborhoods in our
urban areas, while protecting farm and forestland for future generations.
We
applaud Senator Schrader’s commitment to preserving the Oregon we all know and
love.
Most Consistent Environmental Voice
Senator Frank Shields (D-Portland)
Much of the action on legislation takes place long before a
bill makes it to the Senate floor, either behind the scenes or in committee
meetings.
As a member of the Environment and Land Use Committee, Senator Shields
would consistently ask probing questions of people who testified before the
Committee on critical environmental issues, raising points that may have been
overlooked during committee debates.
We thank Senator Shields for being a reliable resource for the conservation community and his Senate colleagues, due to his knowledge and passion for protecting Oregon’s environment.
Best Consensus Builder
When Common Agenda items such as banning toxic mixing zones
in Oregon rivers and promoting
biofuels were brought to his attention, as well
as a bill to promote the use of solar energy in Oregon,
Senator Westlund helped environmental lobbyists strategize ways to revise the
legislation so that they would be more likely to pass both chambers.
While the
Legislature, in the end, failed to pass the two Common Agenda items, Westlund
made a valiant effort to think outside the box, and find common senses solutions on behalf of Oregon’s
environment.
HOUSE
Teddy Roosevelt Award
Representative Scott Bruun (R-West Linn)
Our 26th President was known for his foresight - a
willingness to make decisions for the long-term.
In two particular instances
this session, Representative Bruun stood out for bucking his caucus Leadership
while voting to put our long-term future ahead of short-term expediency.
He
voted against the proposal (HR 3) that would have prevented state agencies from
being able to adopt tighter controls on greenhouse gas emissions and he voted
against the DEQ budget (HB 5135) that would have forbidden the Governor from
adopting “clean car” emission standards.
Representative Bruun recognizes the
time to act is today to deal with the long-term threat posed by global warming.
We applaud Representative Bruun’s thoughtfulness on this critical issue.
Environmental Quarterback of the Year
Representative Jackie Dingfelder (D-Portland)
Long before the Session began, Representative Dingfelder was
hard at work building coalitions on behalf of environmental legislation.
She
was a lead sponsor of the biofuels package (HB 3481), the energy efficient
appliances package (HB 3363), and worked tirelessly to come up with solutions
to better recycle electronic waste.
Whether it’s with the media, her House
colleagues, or her constituents, Representative Dingfelder is the first to
explain why protecting Oregon’s unique quality of life is a top priority.
Her
deep knowledge of environmental issues makes her the go-to Representative that
other legislators turn to for advice on environmental bills.
We sincerely thank Representative Dingfelder for making our issues a priority during the 2005 Session.
Best Environmental Committee Work
Representative Mary Nolan (D-Portland)
Representative Mary Nolan was always one step
ahead of not only her colleagues on environmental issues, but frequently the
conservation groups themselves.
As a member of the House Environment Committee
as well as the House Land Use Committee, she was in a key position to flush out
the details of various proposals and discover their true impacts on Oregon’s
environment.
Whenever a bill was moved from her committee to the House floor,
she was always willing to sponsor floor letters explaining either the benefits
or the negative impacts that the proposal would have on our state.
We greatly appreciate Representative Nolan’s leadership on our issues during the 2005 Session.
