MLCV Releases 2013 Legislator Environmental Scorecard

The Maryland League of Conservation Voters released its 2013 environmental scorecard for state legislators on July 15.  From the accompanying press release:

Maryland LCV’s 2013 Environmental Scorecard, released today, tells voters the story of critical laws the Legislature passed to advance clean energy and transportation goals. However, it also exposes how these generational triumphs happened even as legislators sidestepped many critical issues when several environmental priorities were weakened or killed. Maryland LCV also launched an interactive map using social media. At www.mdlcv.org citizens can use an interactive map to compare their legislators’ scores to others across the state and click a button to share their legislators’ scores or send them an email.  …

Major Triumphs:

  • Offshore Wind Energy
  • Transportation Funding

Missed Opportunities and Unfinished Business:

  • Pesticides Reporting
  • Recycle for Real (Bottle Deposit)
  • Community Cleanup (Plastic Bags)
  • Fracking Moratorium
  • Black Liquor (Renewable Portfolio Standard)

A July 16  MarylandReporter.com article noted that even with the passage of the offshore wind bill, overall environmental ratings for state legislators slipped.

The Maryland League of Conservation Voters released its 2013  scorecard Monday, giving lawmakers an average score of 64% in the House of  Delegates and 55% in the Senate. Those scores are down slightly from last year’s  69% in the House and 63% in the Senate.

In the Senate, Republicans scored an average of 12% compared to  Democrats’ 70%, and Republicans scored 26% in the House compared to Democrats’  81%.

But environmental leaders in the General Assembly said the overall  lower ratings weren’t due to a bad year for environmentalists — it just wasn’t  as great as recent years.

“We had a few big years in a row,” said Sen. Brian Frosh, a  Montgomery County Democrat who sponsored two of the bills included in the  league’s scorecard and earned a 100% rating in 2013. “This General Assembly has  had a really good record overall.” …

Karla Raettig, executive director of the league, said the  organization is hopeful the decline in scores will be a wake-up call.  …

“We’re hopeful people will get the scorecard and let their  legislator know that they want them to come back in 2014 and make the  environment a priority,” Raettig said.

The article notes that even with the overall declining trend, nine Senators and 28 Delegates scored 100% ratings.

July 15 Baltimore Sun coverage