Committee Votes Green Champions for 2018 This year, did yoUR elected legislators: O 100% Score Nonprofit Org. O Fight back against the slashing of federal Governor’s BRF bill (House ENT, Senate EHEA) U.S. Postage O Lifetime scores since 2011 above 95% (Sponsors: Administration) PAID MARYLAND LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS regulations and vote to protect your health? HB 0361/SB 0314 Reduces septic pollution funding under O Primary sponsor for at least one Maryland LCV Annapolis, MD O Stand up to preserve our State’s most legislative priority in previous three years 30C West Street Permit No.1 the Bay Restoration Fund (BRF) through fee-exemptions, valuable forest land? fee-shifting, and potentially unlimited maintenance spending. O Not supporting legislation opposed by Maryland LCV Annapolis, MD 21401 2018 Environmental Scorecard on the hotlist during that awards legislative session 410–280–9855 The septic fund of the Bay Restoration Fund is fully allocated O Vote to advance Maryland’s public transit www.mdlcv.org every year and Maryland remains behind in obtaining state SENATE: Shirley Nathan-Pulliam, Paul G. Pinsky, infrasctructure and promote walkable goals for septic pollution reduction. Committees in both the Victor R. Ramirez communities? Annapolis House and Senate killed this bad bill. @MDLCV HOUSE: Luke Clippinger, David Fraser-Hidalgo, Styrofoam Ban (House ENT, Senate EHEA, Senate FIN) William Frick, Tawanna P. Gaines, Anne Healey, The 2018 Environmental Scorecard helps to answer these (Senator Kagan, Delegate Lierman) Stephen W. Lafferty, Clarence K. Lam, Robbyn Lewis, questions. For nearly 40 years, Maryland League of Conservation scores present only part of the story of the Session. We hope you Brooke E. Lierman, Shane Robinson HB 0538/SB 0651 Prohibits food service businesses and insti- Voters (Maryland LCV) has served as the political voice of the will look beyond the votes taken to the discussion of votes that tutions from serving food in Styrofoam packaging—cups, plates, Lowest Scores for 2017 environment. We work daily with our partners in Annapolis to the General Assembly never took. and to-go clamshells—or from selling these products in retail. fight for strong environmental legislation, and then we prepare In previous years, we listed the “Bill Graveyard” of bills that Offers a grace-period of enforcement for businesses to use up SENATE: Gail H. Bates, Johnny Ray Salling, this scorecard to help you to gauge how well your elected failed to receive sufficient votes, but this year we highlight the existing stock, as well as a one-year waiver if no affordable alter- Steve Waugh legislators have represented your conservation values. Your voice “Drawer Report” of bills that died without ever receiving a vote at is powerful and never more so than during an election year, all. Once a bill has had its public hearing, committee chairs can native packaging is available. Ensures agency outreach to busi- HOUSE: Jason C. Buckel, Barrie S. Ciliberti, Mark N. nesses to assist in compliance. This priority bill passed the Senate Fisher, Glen Glass, Trent Kittleman, Robert B. Long, where YOU decide who represents you in Annapolis. choose to leave a bill “in the drawer,” rather than let a bill pass or Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee, but Tony McConkey, Mike McKay, Ric Metzgar, Warren E. The 2018 Scorecard tells a somewhat complicated—yet fail in committee under the public eye. Maryland LCV strongly the House Environment and Transportation Committee refused Miller, Mathew Morgan, Neil Parrott, Deborah C. Rey, ultimately telling—story of the 2018 session of the Maryland believes it is important that they are called out and held account- TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE 2018 SESSION, VISIT HTTP://SCORECARD.MDLCV.ORG to consider it in subcommittee, and it was ultimately killed by April Rose, Sid Saab, William J. Wivell able for their positions on priority environmental legislation. the Economic Matters Committee in the House, followed by the Leaving bills “in the drawer” prevents this accountability, so Senate Finance Committee. was not put “in the drawer,” the primary committee never took this section allows you to hold committee leadership accountable Chlorpyrifos Ban (Senate EHEA) Drawer Report the bill up for consideration in subcommittee, and thus conduct for this inaction, which subverts the democratic process. Off-Shore Wind (House ECM) (Senator Nathan-Pulliam, Delegate Healey) HOUSE ENVIRONMENT AND TRANSPORTATION a public vote on the bill. That being said, you, the voter, can be proud of the work (Senator Hershey, Delegate Adams) HB 116/SB 500 Prohibits the use of chlorpyrifos—and other COMMITTEE that you did this year—pressing your legislative leaders to take HB 1135/SB1058 Requires that offshore wind projects be insecticides containing chlorpyrifos—in the state beginning on SENATE EDUCATION, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL bold actions on important issues. Now its up to all of us, as moved to at least 26 nautical miles off the coast of Maryland. January 1, 2019. Chlorpyrifos is a toxic, nerve agent pesticide Community Healthy Air Act AFFAIRS COMMITTEE conservation voters, to challenge candidates for office—whether This would undermine the ability to build the wind farms, proven to cause brain damage in children and known to harm the HB 0026 This legislation looked to create the framework of a they are incumbent, challengers, or campaigning for an open approved by the public service commission. Off-shore wind environment and wildlife. In 2015, after extensive study, the U.S. study to examine the possible health-effects of large-scale animal Community Healthy Air Act seat—to be the leaders that we need them to be during the next projects will bring thousands of jobs to Maryland, and Environmental Protection Agency recommended that the pesti- operations on neighboring communities. The bill received SB0133 As with its House crossfile, this bill was strongly four-year term. contribute to the State’s renewable energy sources. The House cide be banned for all uses. In 2017, the EPA Administrator over- strong opposition by members of the Eastern Shore Delegation opposed by some members of the Eastern Shore Delegation, Galesville Now, more than ever, Maryland needs your voice and your Economic Matters Committee swiftly moved to kill this bad bill. rode the recommendations of EPA scientists and reversed the in the House. Sponsors worked hard to find alternate language however there was significantly less controversy in the Senate vote to push for policies that support healthy communities and decision to ban the chemical. The Senate Education, Health, and to address these concerns, without success. than in the House. Committee leadership in the Senate chose Forest Conservation Act (Senate EHEA) a stronger Maryland. We are seeing and feeling the effects of Environmental Affairs Committee passed this strong legislation not to move on the legislation until after the House came to (Senator Young, Delegate Healey) Styrofoam Ban General Assembly. On the one hand, legislators invested in our climate change with record temperatures, unseasonable weather out of committee, but it failed to gain sufficient support on the some resolution and thus did not consider the bill. SB 0610/HB 0766 The Forest Conservation Act, passed HB 0538 This priority legislation was heard in its primary public transportation infrastructure to address climate change, patterns, and precedent-breaking fires on the West Coast. Senate floor and was sent back to Committee for reconsideration. in 1991, has the potential to be one of Maryland’s best tools committee on February 21. The vote by the secondary while working to prevent dangerous and unnecessary oil and gas Maryland, and the rest of the States, must meet the challenge for protecting our state’s forested land, but as it is currently Complete Streets (Senate EHEA) committee on March 8 killed the bill, eliminating the need drilling off our Atlantic coastline. Further, in multiple instances and seize the opportunity to pass strong legislation and step Maryland League of Conservation Voters written, the Act does not reflect the policies and priorities (Senator Guzzone, Delegate Lierman) for Environment and Transportation to take a vote. While the we saw the environment as a bipartisan concern, especially up where the Federal government is stepping back. We have (Maryland LCV) is a state–wide, nonpartisan recommended by a task force in 2011. This bill identifies and HB 0535/SB 0407 This bill would create a “Complete Streets House Economic Matters Committee vote is a matter of public in the State Senate, where 10 out of 14 Republicans voted in cause for hope: legislators increasingly recognize the urgency protects Maryland’s best forests by providing a clear definition Program” within the Maryland Department of Transportation to record, it is only available in the Committee bill-file, effectively organization that uses political action and support of our priority bills over 75 % of the time. of immediate action, and new blood and new leadership in the of ecologically important areas that should be considered a provide grants to local governments to encourage their adoption obfuscating the votes on this high-profile environmental education to protect our air, land, water, On the negative side, we also saw long-time elected General Assembly are committed to bold steps. We must capture priority for protection, and outlines partnerships and planning of complete streets policies. These policies seek to make walking legislation. While technically the bill did receive a vote, and so and communities. Maryland LCV endorses and environmental champions fail to support your priorities, in the moment. Your vote is your voice to make sure our leaders take criteria for forest retention. Senate Education, Health and and bicycling safer and more attractive which can benefit the elects pro–conservation candidates and holds many cases failing even to allow them to be voted on. these important actions.