2015 Virginia General Assembly Conservation VIRGINIA LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS valcv.org Scorecard Conservation Scorecard 2014 | 2 Table of Contents P2 A Letter from the Virginia LCV Executive Director, Michael Town P4 2015 Legislative Leadership Awards P5 Conservation’s Political Voice P6 Getting the Score P7 Legislative Heroes and Leaders in the House of Delegates P8 Legislative Heroes and Leaders in the Virginia Senate P10 Transparency in the General Assembly P12 The Legislation: In and Behind the Spotlight P17 Where Conservation Victories Begin P18 House of Delegates Scorecard P21 Virginia Senate Scorecard 2015 Scorecard Acknowledgements Content: Michael Town, Executive Director; Greta Bagwell, Deputy Director; Travis Blankenship, Government Affairs Manager; Lee Francis, Communications Manager; Hunter Ross, Legislative Intern, University of Richmond Graphic Design: Michael Harl Graphic Design Front Cover Photo: Sunset at Philpott by Rocky Wall of Axton Courtesy of Scenic Virginia, ScenicVirginia.org Board of Directors John B. Jaske, Chairman Carey Whitehead, Vice Chair Sam Bleicher Leslie Cheek, III John Grant Roy Hoagland Dana Krauskopf Lori Keenan McGuinness Christopher G. Miller George L. Ohrstrom, II Jean Perin Dick Raines Fast-Paced, Short Session Returns Significant Achievements Now that the 2015 General Assembly our impact on climate change. With a spectrum. Additionally, the 2015 scorecard session is behind us, the Virginia League subcommittee composed to stage this highlights a growing tendency of lacking of Conservation Voters is proud to report political posturing, Virginia LCV led a transparency in how many bills introduced that significant steps were made with successful campaign to defeat multiple at the General Assembly are killed. respect to clean energy, transportation, bills that would have derailed any serious As November quickly approaches, securing vital Chesapeake Bay funding and effort for Virginia to comply with this Virginia LCV is focused on electing a solid protecting against the worst of attacks on proposed rule. However, what was conservation majority. All 140 seats of land conservation. In just a short forty- not anticipated were the seized-upon the legislature will be on the ballot – and six days, the Virginia Senate and House opportunities that arose to offensively with notable retirements in key swing of Delegates took up hundreds of bills secure important achievements in solar districts – control for the Virginia Senate and passed a budget on time and in a and energy efficiency. is again up for grabs after changing party noteworthy bipartisan fashion. You will find in the 2015 Conservation control twice since 2013. We will work Without the intense focus on Medicaid Scorecard that much of the story to be hard to find out where candidates stand Expansion this session, legislators’ told from this session lies behind the on conservation issues and work to make attention turned to addressing a projected spotlight of recorded votes. Our ability conservation a priority in their races. $2.4 billion budget shortfall and passing to make bad bills bearable and to obtain On behalf of the Virginia League of comprehensive ethics reform – passing key amendments to legislation was a Conservation Voters, thank you for your both nearly unanimously. In an important huge part of our success. Conservation continued support and commitment election year that will decide the make-up leaders in both the House and the Senate to conservation values in the of both the House and Senate, it is not are responsible for and deserve credit for Commonwealth. Without you, our work surprising the amount of gridlock was kept many of these conservation victories and would not be possible. at a minimum. are recognized throughout, respectively. From a conservation perspective, One important note about this Virginia LCV heavily anticipated the year’s scorecard is the unusual level of hostile and hyperbolic attacks on the party unity that was displayed on both Environmental Protection Agency’s sides of the aisle. While this may seem by Al Warfield of North Chesterfield | Courtesy of Scenic Virginia of North Chesterfield | Courtesy Scenic by Al Warfield proposed Clean Power Plan – which abnormal, both parties are typically more Mike Town provides a great tool for Virginia to unified in important election years and Executive Director Beginnings : create jobs in clean energy and reduce this trend can be seen across any issue Virginia League of Conservation Voters CREDIT PHOTO Conservation Scorecard 2015 | 2 3 | Virginia League of Conservation Voters 2015 Legislative Leadership Awards Delegate Michael Webert Senator John Watkins Senator Emmett Hanger Senator Watkins is recognized for his Delegate Michael Webert Senator Emmett Hanger Delegate Webert & Senator Hanger are steadfast leadership and service in the recognized for their Legislative Lead- Virginia Senate. In his last session, Sena- ership in securing cost-share funding tor Watkins displayed great responsive- for farmers in the Commonwealth to ness to his constituents’ support of the implement best management practices, Clean Power Plan and made sure their helping protect the quality of our rivers, interests were well represented. streams and Chesapeake Bay. Delegate Chris Jones Delegate Ron Villanueva Delegate Jones is recognized for his Senator Donald McEachin Legislative Leadership in patroning trans- Delegate Ron Villanueva Senator Donald McEachin Delegate Villanueva & Senator McEachin portation legislation to improve Virginia’s are recognized for their Legislative Lead- funding formulas and Public Private ership in patroning legislation to create a Transportation Act. Both of these bills market-based system to lower the Com- took great steps forward to improving an monwealth’s greenhouse gas emissions, issue that is so important to the Com- while creating funding to assist localities monwealth’s communities, economy, and as they are faced with the realities of way of life. climate change. Delegate Alfonso Lopez Senator Dick Saslaw Delegate Lopez is recognized for his Senator Dick Saslaw Senator John Watkins Senator Saslaw is recognized for his Legislative Leadership in establishing unwavering leadership in the Virginia the “Virginia Environment & Renewable Senate during the 2015 session. Com- Energy Caucus.” This bipartisan caucus mitted to recognizing the interests of was established to bring clean energy all parties involved, Senator Saslaw led and other conservation issues to the by aura S. Dent of Callao | Courtesy Scenic Virginia efforts to convene stakeholder consen- forefront of conversations at the General sus on significant achievements in clean Assembly and to make meaningful prog- energy and energy efficiency. ress in our legislative efforts. Little Bay/Foxwells : Delegate Chris Jones Delegate Alfonso Lopez CREDIT PHOTO Conservation Scorecard 2015 | 4 Virginia LCV: Conservation's Political Voice The Virginia League of Conservation Vot- in Richmond. As a constituent and a voter, essential to guaranteeing legislators are ers is the political voice of conservation in it is important for you to let your elected best educated on the importance and value the Commonwealth. We work tirelessly officials know you saw their scores. Thank of protecting our natural resources and to protect all of Virginia’s treasured natural those who helped protect Virginia’s natural safeguarding our clean air, clean water and resources – clean air and water, thriving resources and let others who did not know open spaces. The more they hear from communities and rural landscapes, produc- they can do better. us, and especially from you, the more tive farms and forests, historic battlefields Conservation Endorsements victorious we will be. and Main Streets, and ample public lands As conservation’s political voice in the Join Our Team and open spaces. Commonwealth, Virginia LCV proudly Check in at valcv.org to keep updated on To do this, we advocate for and secure endorses and seeks to elect and re- what’s happening with conservation issues strong public policy at the state level, elect candidates to office who prioritize in Virginia. There you can take important hold elected officials accountable for their conservation. In addition to using the conservation actions, get updated on positions on conservation issues, and Conservation Scorecard, we issue an Virginia LCV news, and follow our positions endorse conservation-minded candidates inclusive candidate questionnaire, research on critical legislation during the General to state office. Of Virginia’s conservation the dynamics of races, and lead candidate Assembly session. community, Virginia LCV is unique in that interviews to determine which candidates we provide the political power of bringing deserve our “conservation seal of approval.” Like the Virginia LCV at legislators’ records on conservation issues Virginia LCV’s endorsed candidates facebook.com/VirginiaLCV to the forefront of their campaigns and the receive our guidance on how to make minds of their voters. conservation issues a priority in their races, Follow us on Twitter @VirginiaLCV Conservation Accountability our financial support, and our outreach Virginia LCV’s annual Conservation efforts to ensure conservation voters in Scorecard provides the only comprehensive their districts know of our endorsement. look at how legislators voted on the year’s All of these factors are important to most important conservation issues. From seeing our candidates win and to seeing a