MINNESOTA LEGISLATIVE SCORECARD CLEAN WATER ACTION’S 2015 Minnesota Legislative Scorecard
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– 2015 – MINNESOTA LEGISLATIVE SCORECARD CLEAN WATER ACTION’S 2015 Minnesota Legislative Scorecard Clean Water Action’s goal is to protect and restore our lakes, rivers and streams now and for future generations. We work to protect Minnesota’s health and water by making systemic change. We educate the public, develop grassroots citizen leaders and mobilize our members to get involved in policy decisions. This is a comprehensive scorecard for the 2015 legislative session and the special session that was held in June. Clean Water Action’s Legislative Scorecard provides a permanent record that scores every Minnesota state legislator on their votes that affect the issues of clean, renewable energy, water quality, and toxics in our environment. These were the primary areas of focus for Clean Water Action this year. To find out who your legislators are, visit http://www.gis.leg.mn/OpenLayers/districts/ HOW LEGISLATORS WERE SCORED: The Clean Water Action Legislative Scorecard provides objective, factual information about the environmental + = A pro-environment vote voting records of members of the Minnesota Legislature. – = An anti-environment vote The votes included in this scorecard took place during the 2015 legislative session and focus heavily, although not NA = The legislator did not vote exclusively, on votes that would seriously affect the issues of clean, renewable energy, water quality, and toxics in our environment. The votes that are included are recorded votes in which the entire body of either the Senate or House, had the opportunity to participate. Senate legislators were scored on 5 votes on important environmental issues acted on in 2015, with House legislators being scored on 7. In computing the scores, each vote was weighted equally, and missed votes were excluded. A pro-environment vote is indicated by a “+”, an anti-environment vote by a “–” and a missed vote by an “NA”. WHAT THE SCORECARD SHOWS: Clean Water Action State Director, Deanna White, explains that, “These scores are an important tool for constituents to understand where their legislators stand when it comes to protecting the environment. Minnesotans value environmental protections and want to know whether their elected representatives are voting to protect our water and health or not.” The 2015 scorecard reveals both, disappointingly low environmental scores and notable scores earned by environmental champions. Analysis of scorecard averages exposes that despite having a Democratically controlled Senate, they on average earned a failing score of 52.1%, with the House of Representatives not far behind with an average score of 49.8%. “When control of the legislature is split between the two major political parties, expectations are lowered and results OVERALL AVERAGE SCORES are harder to come by. That was certainly the case this past session,” says Clean Water Action Minnesota Board Member, Average Legislature Score (%) Vic Moore. Entire Legislature 50.4 Further review of caucus averages verifies that Senate Minnesota State Senate 52.1 Democrats (74.5%) on average scored higher than Senate Republicans (19.5%) while House Democrats (92.6%) Minnesota House of Representatives 49.8 significantly outperformed the House Republicans (14.5%) on environmental and public health issues. On an individual basis, 14 members of the Senate and 49 members of the House of Representatives earned perfect scores. Despite the appeal of perfect scores, on an individual basis, legislators also scored shockingly low, with 63 House Republicans scoring below 15% and both the Speaker of the House, Kurt Daudt (31A, R) and Majority Leader, Joyce Peppin scoring an abysmal 0%. Clean Water Action | 2015 MN Legislative Scorecard 2 Overall, the report found: On an individual legislator basis, • The scores earned by the legislature are the report highlights: reflective that the 2015 legislative session was • 65 members of the House of Representatives replete with missed opportunities to pass scored below 20%. solutions to address critical environmental and • 21 members of the Senate scored below 20% public health issues. During the 2015 legislative session, the Minnesota • The legislature as a whole has failed to pass legislature flagrantly put the needs of special interests practical solutions on critical issues such as over protecting Minnesota’s natural resources and children’s health, microbead pollution, and public health. It is imperative this is remedied. The clean energy policy advancement. scorecard concludes with corrective actions the • On most legislative initiatives, the anti- Minnesota Legislature needs to address: environment position won, with select Democrats aligning with Republicans to pass • Reinstate the MPCA’s Citizen’s Board bad bills — most notably — SF 5, Omnibus • Ensure protection of Minnesota’s wetlands Environment and Natural Resources bill and • Advance clean energy policies by: HF 843, Omnibus Employment, Economic Development and Energy bill. > Increasing the Renewable Energy Standard to 40% by 2030 • To our dismay, over half (57.2%) of our Minnesota legislature received a failing > Increasing the efficiency goal for utilities from environmental score for the 2015 legislative 1.5 to 2% session. > Enacting tax credit for rural renewable energy • 53.7% of the Democratic controlled Senate investments received a failing grade and 58.9% of the • Act favorably on stalled legislation, including: Republican controlled House received a failing > The Synthetic Microbead Ban grade, leading to environmental and public > The Toxic Free Kids Act health setbacks. > Advanced Biofuels • Only 31% of the state legislature received a perfect score while just under half (43%) of the Currently, our legislature is failing to get the job state legislature received a score below 20%. done. Legislative Program Coordinator, Jenna Grove states that, “Fortunately, it’s not too late to change the course we’re currently on. When the legislative session convenes in 2016, it is imperative that we as constituents call for immediate corrective action and voice our concerns to our elected officials. As election season approaches, we need to work to elect pro-environment candidates who will stand up, take initiative, and put the legislature’s best foot forward when it comes to passing environmental policies that will benefit Minnesota for generations to come.” TAKE ACTION! Tell your legislator how you feel about their score: www.cleanwater.org/MNscorecardaction. Let them know that Minnesota won’t stand for low scores on protecting our natural resources and public health. It is time the legislature does a better job at defending and safeguarding our natural resources. Encourage your legislator to support vital legislation when it comes to sustaining the health of our environment and the health of our community. Help Clean Water Action continue to fight against the anti-environmental agenda and for clean, safe water and sustainable communities by donating today! www.cleanwater.org/MNdonate Interested in further involvement with the organization? Contact [email protected] for volunteer opportunities! Clean Water Action | 2015 MN Legislative Scorecard 3 ENVIRONMENTAL HEROES (scoring a perfect 100%) SENATE Party/Dist SENATE Party/Dist Senate President Sandra Pappas D FL- 65 Barb Goodwin D FL- 41 Assistant Majority Leader Katie Sieben D FL-5 4 Ron Latz D FL- 4 6 Majority Whip Chris Eaton D FL- 45 John Marty D FL- 6 6 President Pro Tem Ann Rest D FL- 45 Bev Scalze D FL- 42 Jim Carlson D FL-5 1 Patricia Torres Ray D FL- 6 3 Greg Clausen D FL-57 Charles Wiger D FL- 43 Melisa Franzen D FL- 49 Melissa Wiklund DFL-50 HOUSE Party/Dist HOUSE Party/Dist Deputy Minority Leader Erin Murphy D FL- 6 4A Tina Liebling DFL-26A Deputy Minority Leader Melissa Hortman DFL-36B Leon Lillie D FL- 43 B Susan Allen D FL- 62 B Diane Loeffler D FL- 6 0A Jon Applebaum DFL-44B Tim Mahoney D FL- 67A Joe Atkins D FL-52 B Carlos Mariani D FL- 65 B Connie Berardy D FL- 41 A Sandra Masin D FL-5 1 A David Bly D FL-20 B Rena Moran D FL- 65A Lyndon Carlson Sr. DFL-45A Joe Mullery D FL-59A Karen Clark D FL- 62 A Mary Murphy D FL- 03 B John Considine Jr. D FL-1 9 B Michael Nelson D FL- 4 0A Jim Davnie D FL- 6 3A Jerry Newton D FL-3 7A Raymond Dehn D FL-59 B John Persell D FL- 0 5A Mike Freiberg DFL-45B Dave Pinto D FL- 6 4 B Laurie Halverson D FL-5 1 B Paul Rosenthal D FL- 49 B Rick Hansen D FL-52 A Yvonne Selcer DFL-48A Alice Hausman D FL- 6 6A Dan Schoen D FL-5 4A Debra Hilstrom D FL- 4 0 B Jennifer Shultz D FL- 07A Frank Hornstein D FL- 6 1 A Erik Simonson D FL- 07B Jason Isaacson D FL- 42 B Linda Slocum DFL-50A Clark Johnson D FL-1 9A Jean Wagenius D FL- 6 3 B Sheldon Johnson D FL- 67B JoAnn Ward D FL-5 3A Phyllis Kahn D FL- 6 0 B Ryan Winkler D FL- 4 6A Carolyn Laine D FL- 41 B Barb Yarusso D FL- 42 A Ann Lenczewski DFL-50B Cheryl Youakim D FL- 4 6 B John Lesch D FL- 6 6 B ENVIRONMENTAL ZEROS (scoring 0%) SENATE Party/Dist SENATE Party/Dist Assistant Minority Leader Gary Dahms R-16 David Brown R-15 Assistant Minority Leader Paul Gazelka R-09 Julie Rosen R-23 Assistant Minority Leader Bill Ingebritsen R-8 Dave Thompson R-58 Minority Whip David Osmek R-33 Bill Weber R-22 Bruce Anderson R-29 HOUSE Party/Dist HOUSE Party/Dist Speaker of the House Kurt Daudt R-31A Kelly Fenton R-53B Majority Leader Joyce Peppin R-34A Tom Hackbarth R-31B Steve Drazkowski R-21B Jerry Hertaus R-33A Sondra Erickson R-15A Clean Water Action | 2015 MN Legislative Scorecard 4 SENATE SUMMARY HOUSE SUMMARY Average Average Senate Score (%) House of Representatives