PENNSYLVANIA ENVIRONMENTAL 2017/2018 SCORECARD 2017/2018 PENNSYLVANIA ENVIRONMENTAL SCORECARD 3 THE PENNSYLVANIA ENVIRONMENTAL For the first time this year our organizations included innocent-seeming phrase that can cover a multitude SCORECARD IS A JOINT PROJECT a lifetime score for each legislator. This score reflects of bad actions. The 2018 regulatory reform legislative PENNSYLVANIA OF CONSERVATION VOTERS OF PA, their pro-environment votes going back to the package included several bills designed to completely PENNENVIRONMENT, SIERRA CLUB 2007/2008 legislative session. While this may only disrupt the ability of the Department of Environmental FIND YOUR LEGISLATOR: PENNSYLVANIA CHAPTER, AND CLEAN reflect a portion of the careers of long-standing Protection to do its job protecting the residents of the ConservationPA.org/Legislator ENVIRONMENTAL WATER ACTION. legislators and will be less relevant for recently Commonwealth. elected lawmakers, the lifetime score will help give VIEW PAST SCORECARDS: The 2017/2018 session also included bills designed to Our organizations believe that democracy works best context to each legislator’s position on environmental 2017/2018 ConservationPA.org/PastScorecards roll back environmental protections around oil and SCORECARD when the public is informed about crucial decisions issues over time. that affect them and our environment—and can use that gas drilling to where they were in 1984. It included information to engage their elected leaders and hold It should be noted that a number of Republican bills designed to interfere with the current ban on them accountable. legislators earned especially high scores this cycle. fracking in the Delaware River Basin, from which 15 Conservation and environmentalism began as and million Pennsylvanians get their drinking water, and to PARTICIPATING Towards these goals, our organizations collaborate continue to be bipartisan areas of concern. rewrite the rules for coal companies so they can destroy ORGANIZATIONS regularly on a Pennsylvania Environmental Scorecard In Pennsylvania, the greatest divide is not between streams without penalty. which compiles a list of the most crucial environmental parties, but between regions, with most eastern Due to the lack of legislative leadership, what we votes that have taken place in the Pennsylvania legislators scoring significantly higher than their should remember about this session is the legislation General Assembly during the current session. Our western counterparts. That divide makes sense on its CONSERVATION VOTERS SIERRA CLUB that was left on the table and never brought up for organizations reached out to other environmental face, given it is ground zero for natural gas drilling OF PENNSYLVANIA PENNSYLVANIA CHAPTER a vote: bills that would’ve improved air and water advocates and non-profit leaders to make sure we are and the historic, if diminishing, role of coal and steel reviewing and scoring the most important and highly- quality, moved us towards clean energy, and protected ConservationPA.org Pennsylvania.SierraClub.org production in the region. Still, one would hope that watched environmental votes. public health. Bills that leadership buried included Facebook.com/ConservationPA Facebook.com/PASierraClub legislators from Western Pennsylvania, where pollution efforts to put Pennsylvania on track to getting 100% Twitter.com/ConservationPA Twitter.com/SierraClubPA continues to shorten the lives of tens of thousands of As this scorecard shows, many of our elected officials of its energy from renewable sources, to test 215.564.3350 717.232.0101 residents, would be at the forefront of efforts to reduce in Harrisburg received higher than usual scores, but far schools for lead hazards, and to protect our children Josh McNeil, Executive Director Joanne Kilgour, Director some of the nation’s worst air pollution and clean up too many continue to pursue efforts to pass legislation from lead poisoning. some of the world’s most polluted water. Molly Parzen, Assistant Director that is largely anti-environmental. Too many of our legislators cast their votes with polluters and their Among the votes scored, only two pieces of well-heeled lobbyists instead of protecting our health legislation made positive improvements to our and environment. The ongoing influence of unlimited CLEAN WATER ACTION PENNENVIRONMENT environment — the creation of a Commercial Property campaign contributions from the fossil fuel industry and Assessed Clean Energy program to spur investment CleanWaterAction.org/PA PennEnvironment.org other anti-environmental interests continues to threaten in clean energy, and a bill to make it harder to seize Facebook.com/CleanWaterAction Facebook.com/PennEnvironment existing environmental protections and to stymie conserved land by eminent domain. Twitter.com/CleanH20PA Twitter.com/PennEnvironment positive efforts to make Pennsylvania a healthier place. 412.765.3053 215.732.5897 At the same time, political disagreements between the Sadly, the scorecard also includes more than a dozen Myron Arnowitt, State Director David Masur, Executive Director Senate and House chambers often prevented attacks on attacks on the government’s ability to protect people Steve Hvozdovich, Pennsylvania the environment from coming to fruition. from pollution. A common thread of those attacks Campaigns Director centered on the idea of “regulatory reform,” an 2017/2018 PENNSYLVANIA 4 FACTS & FIGURES HOUSE VOTES ENVIRONMENTAL SCORECARD 5 HOUSE AVERAGE SCORES: 94% DEMOCRATS 23% REPUBLICANS 52% ENTIRE STATE HOUSE BILL DESCRIPTIONS HOUSE BILL 2468 HOUSE BILL 2154 SENATE BILL 234 HOUSE ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMPIONS HOUSE ENVIRONMENTAL LOW SCORES Final Passage Final Passage Final Passage These legislators scored 100% These legislators scored 0% 6/19/2018 6/5/2018 5/23/2018 during the 2017/2018 legislative session during the 2017/2018 legislative session Passed in the Senate (37-12) Passed in the House (111-84) Passed in the Senate (42-8) Passed in the House (177-15) Awaiting action in the Senate Passed in the House (163-28) Kevin Boyle (D-172) Dan Deasy (D-27) Patty Kim (D-103) Adam Ravenstahl (D-20) Steve Bloom (R-199) Kathy Rapp (R-65) Signed by the Governor June 24, 2018 Signed into law by Governor Wolf as Act 30 Matt Bradford (D-70) Pam DeLissio (D-194) Stephen Kinsey (D-201) Harry Readshaw (D-36) Sheryl Delozier (R-88) Brad Roae (R-6) Rolls back protections for shallow oil Stops local governments from seizing land set and gas wells to 1980s standards Spurs development and jobs by opening Tim Briggs (D-149) Gene DiGirolamo (R-18) L. Krueger-Braneky (D-161) James Roebuck (D-188) Matt Gabler (R-75) Greg Rothman (R-87) aside for conservation without seeking better doors for more businesses to install their The Pro-Environment Vote is “No”. Vanessa Brown (D-190) Maria Donatucci (D-185) Maureen Madden (D-115) Steve Samuelson (D-135) Daryl Metcalfe (R-12) Tommy Sankey (R-73) alternatives. own renewable energy and energy Donna Bullock (D-195) Mike Driscoll (D-PA-173) Joe Markosek (D-25) Peter Schweyer (D-22) Dan Moul (R-91) Will Tallman (R-193) efficiency projects. The Pro-Environment vote is “Yes”. Tom Caltagirone (D-127) Carol Hill-Evans (D-95) Rob Matzie (D-16) Brian Sims (D-182) Eric Nelson (R-57) The Pro-Environment Vote is “Yes”. Morgan Cephas (D-192) Flo Fabrizio (D-2) Steve McCarter (D-154) Mike Sturla (D-96) Carolyn Comitta (D-156) Izzy Fitzgerald (D-203) Joanna McClinton (D-191) Helen Tai (D-178) HOUSE BILL 1960 HOUSE BILL 209 HOUSE BILL 1792 Scott Conklin (D-77) Dan Frankel (D-23) Jeanne McNeill (D-133) Curtis Thomas (D-181) Angel Cruz (D-180) Robert Freeman (D-136) Dan Miller (D-42) Emilio Vazquez (D-197) Final Passage Final Passage Final Passage Mary Daley (D-148) Ed Gainey (D-24) Jerry Mullery (D-119) Greg Vitali (D-166) 5/1/18 5/1/18 5/1/18 Margo Davidson (D-164) John Galloway (D-140) Ed Neilson (D-174) Perry Warren (D-31) Passed in the House (116-72) Passed in the House (108-83) Passed in the House (105-82) Austin Davis (D-35) Kevin Haggerty (D-112) Mike O’Brien (D-175) Jake Wheatley (D-19) Awaiting action in the Senate. Awaiting action in the Senate Awaiting action in the Senate Tina Davis (D-141) Jordan Harris (D-186) Eddie Pashinski (D-121) Rosita Youngblood (D-198) Lets polluters off the hook for violations Creates Office of the Repealer to decide which Weakens the permitting and rulemaking Jason Dawkins (D-179) Sid Kavulich (D-114) Marguerite Quinn (R-143) by appointing a compliance officer to establish protections for our air, water, and health authority of all agencies subject to the Madeleine Dean (D-153) William Keller (D-184) Chris Rabb (D-200) guidelines for waiving fines or penalties. should be removed. This bill has the potential Regulatory Review Act by prohibiting them to weaken protections for our health and from reissuing the same regulation or making The Pro-Environment Vote is “No”. environment a regulation that is similar. This bill interferes with these agencies’ abilities to protect our The Pro-Environment Vote is “No”. environment SENATE AVERAGE SCORES: 94% DEMOCRATS 29% REPUBLICANS 49% ENTIRE STATE SENATE The Pro-Environment Vote is “No”. HOUSE BILL 1959 HOUSE BILL 1237 SENATE ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMPIONS SENATE ENVIRONMENTAL LOW SCORES Final Passage Final Passage These legislators scored 100% These legislators scored 0% 5/1/18 5/1/18 during the 2017/2018 legislative session during the 2017/2018 legislative session Passed in the House (112-75) Passed in the House (101-89) Awaiting action in the Senate Awaiting action in the Senate John Blake (D-22) Stewart Greenleaf (R-12) Tom McGarrigle (R-26) Sharif Street (D-3) Ryan Aument (R-36) Scott Martin (R-13) Jay Costa (D-43) Art Haywood (D-4) Chuck McIlhinney (R-10) Tina Tartaglione (D-2) John DiSanto (R-15) Scott Wagner (R-28) Allows industry to pick their own third Gives each chamber an effective veto over new parties to review and approve their permits environmental protections, skewing the balance Andy Dinniman (D-19) Vincent Hughes (D-7) John Rafferty (R-44) Tommy Tomlinson (R-6) John Eichelberger (R-30) instead of DEP.