CTLCV Releases 2010 Environmental Scorecard

Legislators’ Grades Slip in Tough Budget Year

The scores are in.  And state legislators let their environmental grades slip in the 2010 legislative session, according to the 2010 Annual Environmental Scorecard released on August 5 by the bipartisan Connecticut League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV).  Citizens who want a sense of how their state legislators performed on environmental issues this year should take a look at their rankings.   

In the face of record-setting budget deficits, many legislators and business leaders seemed inclined to blame the economic downturn on the Department of Environmental Protection, in particular, and environmental regulations, in general.  In the first months of the session, the state's most important protections for air, water, and land appeared at risk of dissolution.

“This year was especially trying.  Lobbyists that have fought every year to weaken environmental laws and regulations for the benefit of a few industries found an opportunity for their false claims that protecting the environment was somehow an obstacle to Connecticut’s future,” said CTLCV’s Executive Director, Lori Brown.  “History has always shown the opposite.  A clean environment makes for a good economy.”

"Clean water, clean air, and protected open spaces are among the qualities that make Connecticut such a desirable place to live and work.  These precious environmental resources need to be protected, even during hard economic times, not needlessly squandered in short-sighted and harmful policy changes, said  Martha Phillips, CTLCV Co-Chair.

Scorecard Grades Lawmakers on their Environmental Voting Records

CTLCV grades all state senators and representatives on a 0% to 100% scale based on their votes on important environmental legislation.  The 2010 Environmental Scorecard grades legislators on their votes on nine major environmental bills, including bills on energy, recycling, green jobs, toxics, and environmental rollback.

Number of Legislators with Good Grades Drops by 15%

In 2009, 82% of the legislature earned A’s or B’s on their environmental voting records.  This year, however, the percentage of legislators scoring A’s or B’s dropped to 67%.  Fifty-one legislators scored a perfect 100% by casting pro-environment votes on each of the bills that CTLCV scored.  Another 33 legislators earned A’s on their environmental voting records.  CTLCV applauds those individuals for standing firm in their support for a clean, healthy environment.

In contrast, the number of legislators who scored C’s, D’s, or F’s increased this year, from a total of 33 (18%) in 2009 to a total of 61 (33%) in 2010.

Although the outlook for the environment was grim at the start of the 2010 legislative session, CTLCV worked with other environmental advocacy groups to stop or at least minimize anti-environment efforts.  In the end, the General Assembly adjourned without doing serious damage to environmental protection laws, and even extended them in some cases.

“We managed to thwart the worst of the rollbacks this year.  But I have no doubt the anti-environmental forces will be back in 2011.  That is why we should be very selective about who we elect this November.  The people we elect will be making those key policy decisions and we want them on our side,” said Brown.

Download the Full Scorecard at www.ctlcv.org/scorecard

For Senate scores, House scores, explanations of the environmental bills analyzed for the scorecard, a rundown on the 2010 legislative session and other analyses, please visit www.ctlcv.org/scorecard. 

- Posted by Kelly Kennedy, CTLCV Communications Director

This Week at the Capitol: Talking Toxics, with Sarah Uhl

We spoke with Sarah Uhl, the Environmental Health Coordinator for the Connecticut Chapter of Clean Water Action, the national group that helped pass the federal Clean Water Act.

In Connecticut, Clean Water Action focuses primarily on energy and toxics, and as part of her role, Sarah coordinates the Coalition for A Safe and Healthy Connecticut.

We talked with Sarah about what her work entails and about two big accomplishments for the legislative session that just ended --- a bill to create a Chemical Innovations Institute to research safer alternatives to the toxic chemicals we use everyday, and a bill that bans cadmium in children’s jewelry.

Listen to the conversation.

To learn more about the Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut and its work visit www.safehealthyct.org.

This Week at the Capitol, with Susan Merrow

For our second entry of “This Week at the Capitol” we talked with Susan Merrow. She’s on the board of directors of CTLCV and 1000 Friends of Connecticut. Sue also has a long history with the Sierra Club, serving as the president at the national level in the 1990s.

We talked with Sue Merrow at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford recently about what’s going on at this point in the legislative session.

We talked about the state’s budget deficit, some promising bills addressing toxic chemicals, green jobs bills, and some misguided bills that would undermine environmental protection.

Click the image to listen to Sue’s update on what’s going on at Connecticut’s legislature now.

This Week at the Capitol

So! You care about the environment, you care about what our legislators our doing at the capitol, and you tune in to the news, but maybe you still just don’t feel like you know what’s really going on this legislative session.

The Connecticut League of Conservation Voters will try to help. We’ll be running interviews with folks who care about the environment and are on the front lines at the Legislative Office Building.

This week we talked with David Bingham of Salem, co-chair of the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters. He’s also on the boards of the Sierra Club, Rivers Alliance, and the Nature Conservancy.

Click here or the image at left to hear our conversation.

As David wrote in his March 21^st op-ed for the New London Day,

“In a crisis, even a budget crisis, there is opportunity - for doing things better, or making them worse.”

You can read David’s op-ed here: http://www.theday.com/article/20100321/OP05/303219975.

Caution Urged on Expedited Permitting Proposal: A CTLCV Audio Interview

We’re in the midst of the 2010 legislative session, so important bills are starting to move through the legislative process.

We talked with Roger Reynolds, a senior attorney with the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, about an important bill in the Planning & Development Committee.  The bill is expected to be taken up by that committee on Monday afternoon, March 22.

It’s House Bill 5208, entitled “An Act Concerning Expedited Permitting for Economic Development.”

On the surface, it may sound like a good idea, but Roger points out its serious consequences for undermining longstanding environmental protection measures.

Click on the icon to listen in on our conversation.*

Care to call the Planning & Development Committee leaders?  Your opinion will have the most impact if you call before 1pm March 22.  You can reach them here:

• Co-Chair: Brendan Sharkey:
  Brendan.Sharkey@cga.ct.gov ; 860.240.8585
• Co-Chair: Eric D. Coleman:
  Eric.Coleman@cga.ct.gov ; 860-240-5302
• Vice Chair Jonathan Harris:
  Harris@senatedems.ct.gov ; 860-240-0567
• Vice Chair Thomas Drew:
  Thomas.Drew@cga.ct.gov; 860.240.8500
• Ranking Member Leonard A. Fasano:
  Len.fasano@cga.ct.gov; 800. 842-1421
• Ranking Member William Aman:
  Bill.Aman@cga.ct.gov; 860-240-8700

*We’re new at this so our audio quality is a work in progress.  Thanks for your patience!

Feb 11 Press Release: CTLCV Gears Up for Next Environmental Scorecard

Early Assault on Environment is Duly Noted

Connecticut is only one week into its 2010 legislative session, and already its environment is under attack.

No Shortage of Bad Ideas
Short-sighted and ill-conceived legislative proposals have emerged that would:

• Sell off state land without following rules requiring public disclosure and public comment;

• Rob clean energy and energy efficiency accounts in order to pay the costs of borrowing money to plug our current $1.3 billion budget gap;

• Allow a takeover of the Department of Environmental Protection by the Department of Community & Economic Development;  and

• Form a commission to expedite the environmental permitting process--without designating a single environmental specialist seat on the commission.

CTLCV will continue to fulfill its mission as a legislative watchdog and track these and other environmental issues closely throughout the session and report them on our online Watchlist (www.ctlcv.org/watchlist.htm). 

Wanted:  Green Jobs, Clean Energy and Transportation Alternatives
In addition to fending off destructive bills that would compromise Connecticut's land, air, water and wildlife, CTLCV will also be watching for constructive, proactive, pro-environment measures--especially those that can be implemented at low or no cost. 

CTLCV will be particularly attentive to bills that create jobs that are good for the air, water, land, wildlife, build a clean energy economy, reform muncipal revenue mechanisms, impair environmental funding, or support transportation alternatives.

Bipartisan, Environmental Champions Sought for 2010
CTLCV will look to last session's pro-environment freshman class and to the environmental champions from both parties that we highlighted in our 2009 Environmental Scorecard to continue to earn their titles.  To make real progress, we're also expecting them to demonstrate bipartisan leadership of the highest caliber.

We're Here to Help!
As always, CTLCV staff is available to field your questions on environmental legislation throughout the session. Please call on us at 860.236.5442 if we may be of assistance.

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About CTLCV
Formed in 2000, the bipartisan Connecticut League of Conservation Voters focuses on getting smart, sustainable environmental policies enacted in Connecticut. 

CTLCV works with Connecticut's environmental advocates to promote important bills that affect Connecticut's air, water, wildlife, open space, transportation, energy choices and health. CTLCV educates state legislators about these bills through Scorecard Alerts and urges them to cast a pro-environment vote.

In election years, CTLCV researches positions taken by political candidates and endorses those who demonstrate leadership and pledge to make the environment a high legislative priority. CTLCV's endorsements have become widely sought by candidates of all parties. These endorsements give environment-minded voters the information they need to make informed choices at election time.

Good News, Bad News on Connecticut Solar

By David Anderson, CTLCV Director

On the solar front we have bad news and good news.

On the final day of the legislative session a major bill that would have created 300 megawatts of solar power in the next ten years—and which had unanimous support in the House—died through inaction in the Senate. This dismal failure will receive full treatment in a subsequent post.

Now to the good news. As of July 1 the Clean Energy Fund is reinstating the rebate to homeowners for solar photovolaic installations. This program was so successful over the past several years that it ran out of money. It is funded by a small surcharge on utility electric bills.

In the original program the State contributed 50% of the cost. Under the new program, this has been slightly reduced, but this reduction is offset by changes in the federal tax incentives. (Details are available at www.ctcleanenergy.com.)

I took advantage of the original program in my own home. I have 36 solar panels, which cost $60,000+. But the State covered half that cost.

My solar panels generate 70% of the electricity I use at my house. This month my bill was $25, and in the summer I'll begenerating a big surplus sent back to the grid for a savings that will carry me through the winter months. Not bad.