2005 Environmental Scorecard for the Oregon Legislature

2005 ENVIRONMENTAL SCORECARD FOR THE OREGON LEGISLATURE OREGON LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS HONOR ROLL: DISHONOR ROLL: 100% RATED LEGISLATORS 0% RATED LEGISLATORS ON THE ENVIRONMENT ON THE ENVIRONMENT Senator Ginny Burdick Senator Roger Beyer (D-Portland) (R-Molalla) Representative Jackie Dingfelder Senator Ted Ferrioli (D-Portland) (R-John Day) Representative Mary Nolan Senator Charles Starr (D-Portland) (R-Hillsboro) Representative Diane Rosenbaum Representative Jerry Krummel (D-Portland) (R-Wilsonville) Representative Chip Shields Representative Kim Thatcher (D-Portland) (R-Keizer) Representative Carolyn Tomei (D-Milwaukie) You Didn’t Vote for More Sprawl and Pollution. DID YOUR LEGISLATORS? www.olcv.org KNOW THE SCORE A MESSAGE FROM OLCV’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS By using this Scorecard, you’ve taken the first step AND POLITICAL COMMITTEE towards protecting Oregon’ s environment: know- STEPHEN KAFOURY ing how your elected representatives voted. CHAIR Are they responsible stewards of the incredible DOUG MYERS resources we’re blessed with in Oregon? Or would TREASURER they destroy those resources for the benefit of MARY SCURLOCK a few? SECRETARY Do they hold polluters accountable for the toxic MATT BLEVINS MEEKY BLIZZARD messes they leave behind? Or do they shower those NICOLE CORDAN polluters with new tax breaks? KATY DAILY PETE FROST Do they focus on the legacy we leave our kids, willing to invest in long- WALT GORMAN term efforts to promote renewable energy and keep our neighborhoods NORMA GRIER great places to live? Or do they engage in short-term, me-first thinking at STEPHEN GRIFFITH the expense of future generations? CYLVIA HAYES FRED HEUTTE Too many legislators come down on the wrong side of these questions. GRATTAN KERANS Their votes show a clear and consistent pattern of siding with polluters, ERIC LEMELSON developers, and timber companies and against ordinary citizens. They LINDA PETERS would let more polluters off the hook and would despoil the legacy we SCOTT PRATT should be leaving our kids. AUDREY SIMMONS CLIFF TROW No other bill tells this story better than HB 3481, an effort by farmers and environmental groups to promote biodiesel as a renewable, locally grown, OLCV STAFF non-toxic alternative fuel. Oregon’s House Leadership killed the propos- al by demanding major new tax breaks for industrial polluters as “ran- JENNIFER DEMUTH som” for its passage, a ransom that would have created more pollution and FIELD ORGANIZER cost taxpayers dearly. KEVIN FINNEY POLITICAL DIRECTOR OLCV’s Scorecard is a tool with which you can fight back against this type of gamesmanship. At the detailed level, you can learn how your legislators CAROLINE FITCHETT TRAINING SPECIALIST voted on more than twenty specific environmental bills. Or, you can look at their overall score and learn what percentage of the votes they cast were JESSICA HAMILTON pro-environment. LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS DIRECTOR JOY KEEN And you can then take action. The Scorecard is the first step. Additional OFFICE MANAGER ideas are on page 22. KENDRA KIMBIRAUSKAS Individually, we may feel powerless to take action that dramatically improves PROGRAM AND COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Oregon’s Legislature. But together, we are strong. MOLLY BAER KRAMER Together, we can create a government that protects our health today and DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR promotes a better future for our children tomorrow. MAT MARR JACKSON COUNTY ORGANIZER ANNE PERNICK FIELD ORGANIZER JONATHAN POISNER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jonathan Poisner Executive Director CLAIRE SULLIVAN DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE 2005 ENVIRONMENTAL SCORECARD FOR THE OREGON LEGISLATURE 3 OVERVIEW OF THE 2005 SESSION: MISSED OPPORTUNITIES he 2005 Legislative Session majority of our priority bills out of Department of Forestry scientists was marked by many battles the Senate during the session. say is sustainable, and voted to sig- T over environmental issues. In nificantly cut funding for the the end, we saw a few bright points of ASSESSING THE HOUSE: Columbia River Gorge progress on environmental bills that JUST PLAIN OFFENSIVE Commission. were part of the Oregon Conservation A majority of Oregonians under- ■ In a series of votes, the House Network’s Common Agenda (see sepa- stand that a healthy environment is majority acted to dramatically rate sidebar). In addition, compared to the key to a healthy economy. Yet, increase sprawling, uncontrolled previous sessions, fewer bills passed House leaders continue to argue that development onto Oregon farm- both chambers that weaken existing our clean air, clean water, and other land. safeguards that protect our air, water, environmental safeguards must be land, and wildlife. weakened in order to improve the WHAT ABOUT THE Yet, these positives were out- economy. In the long term, the poli- GOVERNOR? weighed by the Session’s missed cies they push would harm Oregon’s opportunities. Oregon’s House economy and threaten our children’s Governor Ted Kulongoski did not Leadership, in particular, stands in the future. take an active role in supporting the way of any meaningful effort to better Among the lowlights from the full set of conservation priorities for- protect Oregon’s environment. Due to House: warded by the Oregon Conservation the House Leadership’s hostility, much Network. However, he did show of our energy this Session was focused ■ The House failed to pass a biofuels leadership on several of the individ- on fighting their efforts to eliminate bill jointly backed by farmers and ual proposals. For instance, the funding for key clean air and clean environmental groups. It was a Governor included funding for two water safeguards and roll back the laws win-win solution that would pro- priorities, Conservation Investments that protect our natural resources for tect our air and help grow the and the Pesticide Use Reporting future generations. economy. Yet, House leaders held System, in his budget. He took The 2005 OLCV Scorecard it ransom, refusing to pass it unless administrative action to help estab- includes 17 House votes and 12 Senate it contained massive taxpayer sub- lish marine reserves to restore ocean votes on a range of issues, including a sidies to major polluters, a ransom fish populations, and he lobbied on few of the proactive bills we promoted that Senate leaders and the behalf of the biofuels bill. The as a part of the Common Agenda. Governor rightly rejected. Governor also vetoed a line in the ■ DEQ budget that would have pre- ASSESSING THE SENATE: House leaders tried to prevent the vented Oregon from adopting new Department of Environmental DECENT DEFENSE, WEAK “clean car” standards to protect our Quality (DEQ) from taking mean- OFFENSE air and combat global warming pol- ingful action to protect Oregon’s lution. The Oregon Senate deserves cred- air and water. The House-passed Counterbalancing these positive it for stopping anti-environmental DEQ budget would have eliminat- steps, the Governor supported a legislation that had passed the House ed funding for the Governor’s sweeping and dangerous land use bill - especially during the first five Willamette River cleanup and (Senate Bill 1037) that would have months of the session. Because many would have prevented DEQ from significantly expanded the scope of of these bills never passed out of adopting new tailpipe emission Ballot Measure 37, further threaten- Senate committees, there is no objec- standards that would require ing the state’s ability to prevent out- tive way to factor the Senate’s leader- automakers to cut harmful emis- of-control sprawl and protect farm- ship into the vote chart or their sions that pollute our air and con- land. The Governor’s failure to scores. tribute to global warming. endorse a bill to eliminate dangerous Unfortunately, the Senate made ■ House leaders also assaulted our levels of toxic pollutants from being some disappointing concessions on forests and natural treasures. A dumped into Oregon’s rivers also environmental issues during the final House majority voted to require helped prevent it from passing. And budget negotiations in late July. In logging levels beyond those that as described below, the Governor addition, the Senate failed to pass a 4 OREGON LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS signed three bills that roll back pro- ■ HB 3502 transfers the debt-ridden But as in 2003, the overall record tections for Oregon’s parks, rivers, Oregon State Fair to the Oregon is one of failure. The Legislature also and farmland, and let a fourth Parks Department, effectively continues to exhibit serious partisan become law without his signature. shifting lottery funds designated by battles on environmental issues, with Measure 66 for Parks into the few Republicans willing to buck their THE FINAL RESULTS: State Fair instead. party Leadership and vote pro-envi- WHAT ACTUALLY ■ ronment. Of 45 Republican legisla- HB 3494 allows for excessive tors, just one scored better than 40%. CHANGED groundwater withdrawals that will The outcome of the OCN In contrast, of 45 Democrats, only 8 threaten the health of the scored worse than 60%. Common Agenda is described on Deschutes River in central page 6. What else happened? Oregon. LOOKING TOWARDS 2007 There were a couple of bright ■ spots worth noting. Passage of Senate HB 2458 will lead to inappropriate The 2005 Legislative Session had Bill 82 will lead to a broad process to industrial development outside of some clear bright points and a higher engage citizens in determining the urban areas, leading to uncon- overall score. The coordinated effort future of land use planning and farm- trolled sprawl, unplanned develop- by the Oregon Conservation land protection in Oregon. In addi- ment, and higher taxes to support Network on common priorities, and tion, minimum energy efficiency infrastructure located far from a new lobbying presence by OLCV, standards will now be set for eleven population centers. helped. We hope the Common products not already covered by fed- Agenda also provides a new vehicle eral law. By 2020, this action is IMPROVED AVERAGE SCORE by which citizens can evaluate their expected to save as much electricity Bottom line, the 2005 Legislature legislators.

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