OLCV 2009 Environmental Scorecard released

For immediate release: September 22, 2009

Contact: Toby Van Fleet,
503-224-4011 x212, toby@olcv.org

OLCV 2009 Environmental Scorecard released, detailing votes and naming champions

Legislators score lower than in 2007 but still pass key bills to protect Oregon’s environmental legacy

Portland, OR—In the only thorough assessment of how Oregon legislators vote on the environment, the scores tell the story: most legislators backed stronger environmental stewardship a majority of the time.

The Oregon League of Conservation Voters’ 2009 Environmental Scorecard for the Oregon Legislature, released today, scores votes on 21 key bills addressing clean energy, water management, transportation, land use and public health. The average score in the House was 60 percent and in the Senate was 61 percent. These averages represent a nine-point and a 12-point drop respectively from 2007. Go to www.olcv.org/scorecard to see the scores.

“More times than not, legislators represented the will of the vast majority of Oregonians, voting to protect public health, preserve fish and wildlife habitat, and take responsibility for making sure we pass on Oregon’s natural legacy to our grandchildren,” says Evan Manvel, OLCV Legislative Affairs Director. “But despite significant progress, the science is clear that we’ve got much more work to do.”

Legislators made progress on four of the six legislative Priorities for a Healthy Oregon selected by the Oregon Conservation Network, a coalition of 40 conservation groups from around the state coordinated by OLCV. Check out the Priorities and the related bills at www.olcv.org.

Bills that passed with broad support included fighting costly invasive species outbreaks, creating marine reserves along Oregon’s coastline, and a landmark water management package shepherded to passage by an unlikely pair: longtime Rep. Bob Jenson (R-Pendleton) and freshman Rep. Jefferson Smith (D-Portland) (see Notable Leaders).

In 2009:
•    Of the 21 bills scored, “Yes” was the pro-environment vote on 18 of them, and 17 became law. Only one of the three anti-environment bills scored became law.
•    28 legislators – almost a third of the body – scored 90 percent or better.
•    Newcomers to both the House and Senate stood out as environmental champions.

But, Manvel says, legislators need to do more to move Oregon into a clean energy economy that could provide jobs for tens of thousands of Oregon families.

Legislators passed bills that will help reduce Oregon’s dependence on dirty fossil fuels. But the Scorecard also reveals some steps backward on environmental protection resulting from a locked up minority caucus and a Democratic majority with diverse, sometimes divergent views.  (Go to www.olcv.org to read about the bills behind the votes.)

In particular, some clean energy bills got by on squeaker votes only after serious weakening. And the bill to limit carbon pollution, once the heart of the governor’s climate package, was killed by deep-pocketed corporate polluters before it ever got a vote (see the Bill Graveyard.)

In 2009:
•    Eleven legislators’ scores fell at least 25 percent from the previous session.
•    Only one legislator scored 100 percent. In 2007, 12 did.
•    26 legislators scored 25% or less. In 2007, nine did.

Visit  www.olcv.org/scorecard to see the environmental score of every Oregon legislator (as well as 2007 and 2005 scores), plus bill descriptions, a summary of the session, the bill graveyard and more.

The Oregon League of Conservation Voters has published its Environmental Scorecard for the Oregon Legislature every two years since 1973.

The Oregon League of Conservation Voters works to protect Oregon’s natural legacy by passing pro-environment laws, electing environmental leaders to office, and holding all of our elected officials accountable.

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