VOTERS’ GUIDE the insider’s2008 guide to the environmental records of New York State lawmakers TABLE OF CONTENTS EPL/Environmental Advocates is one of the first organizations in the nation formed to advocate for the future of a state’s 01 HOW TO READ THE SCORECARD environment and the health of its citizens. Through lobbying, advocacy, coalition build- LEGISLATIVE WRAP-UP ing, citizen education and policy development, 02 EPL/Environmental Advocates has been New York’s environmental conscience for almost 03 BY THE NUMBERS 40 years. We work to ensure environmental laws are enforced, tough new measures are 04 AWARDS enacted, and the public is informed of, and participates in, important policy debates. EPL/Environmental Advocates is a nonprofit 05 BILL SUMMARIES corporation tax exempt under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code. 09 ASSEMBLY SCORES EPL/Environmental Advocates 353 Hamilton Street 15 SENATE SCORES Albany, NY 12210 (518) 462-5526 16 HOW SCORES ARE CALCULATED www.eplvotersguide.org 17 WHAT YOU CAN DO Cover photo courtesy of Jake Fink. Printed with soy ink on 100% PCW recycled paper manufactured with wind power. HOW TO READ THE SCORECARD Lawmakers’ scores are calculated as follows: Total points earned (including bonus points) / Total points possible for each individual. Please note: Because bonus points were awarded Brownfield Tax Credit Reform this year, several lawmakers received scores in excess of 100. See pageClimate 16Change for Pollution more Cap information. reen Building Construction esidential Building Grants Energy EfficientClimate AppliancesChange Task Force Clean Energy Tax Credits Ocean Sludge Dumping Plastic Bag Recycling Bigger Better BottleNet Bill Metering Reforms reat Lakes Compact Landlord Disclosure PF Program Reform Wetlands Protection Research Program Governor’sAEM Air Pollution Action: S-Signed Solar Tax Credits Cancer Mapping Green E-Z Pass 2008 Score into Law, V-Vetoed Northeast CPF 2007 Score Name (Party - District) 1 2 3 4 7 12 17 20 21 22 25 26 30 31 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 Governor David Paterson (D) S S S S S S S Eric L. Adams (D-20/Brooklyn) 82 79L -LN N Party See pages and James S. Alesi (R-55/Fairport) 70 71- - - N 5-8 for bill district Darrel J. Aubertine (D-118/Watertown) 70 n/a- - - N John J. Bonacic (R-42/New Paltz) 70 68- - - summaries Neil D. Breslin (D-46/Albany) 92 90LL L Joseph L. Bruno (R-43/Saratoga Springs) 72 70 --- Martin Connor (D-25/New York City) 94 96 L LL John A. DeFrancisco (R-50/Syracuse) 72 70 --- Ruben Diaz, Sr. (D-32/Bronx) 85 81 LLL Incorrect environmental vote Martin Malave Dilan (D-17/Brooklyn) 83 77--L N Not in office/excused Thomas K. DuaneNot (D-29/Newa Super York City) LLLCorrect environmental vote 94absence~not96 counted Hugh T. FarleyBill Sponsor (R-44/Amsterdam) 72 70- - - Find out who represents you. Visit www.assembly.state.ny.us and www.senate.state.ny.us or call the New York State Senate at (518) 455-2800 and the New York State Assembly at (518) 455-4100. 2008 LEGISLATIVE WRAP-UP THE MORE THINGS CHANGE THE MORE THINGS STAY THE SAME Two-thousand-and-eight was a tumultuous year for Additional legislative victories in 2008 include green the New York State Capital. From the national scandal residential building grants and tax credits for solar that abruptly ended Eliot Spitzer’s tenure as Governor energy installations in New York City. to the retirement of long-time Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, two of Albany’s “three men in a room” The other notable achievement is a fix for tax credits made dramatic exits this year. under the Brownfield Cleanup Program; efforts to reform the tax credits were spearheaded by the Governor David Paterson and Senate Majority Leader Governor based on the projected hit to the state Dean Skelos stepped out from behind the curtain to treasury. The program fix will incentivize cleaner join Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver in the spotlight. cleanups and limit outlays of state cash for projects that probably would have been redeveloped without The State Senate is where New Yorkers are now the added incentive. focusing their attention, as the margin between the Republican majority and Democratic minority has The Road Ahead dropped to 31-29. A single seat changing hands could In the months and years ahead, it’s hard to predict put the Senate into a tie, with no Lieutenant Governor where the environment will rank on the agendas in place to break it. of Albany’s new leaders. Speaker Silver and the Assembly have consistently supported most pro- As the margin of control narrows in the Senate, environment measures. the environment has become a higher priority. Lawmakers’ scores in our last few green scorecards With storm clouds gathering for New York State attest to this trend. finances, the Paterson Administration may head down the path taken by Governor George Pataki—and well- In 2006, the Senate Democrats’ average score intended cost cutting could undermine the Department was 25 points higher than that of their Republican of Environmental Conservation’s ability to protect our counterparts. This year, the gap narrowed to 10 air, land and water. points. The historic green gap is closing thanks to the passage of several big-ticket environmental measures, Or the Governor may look more closely at the big including priority Super Bills. In the past two years picture and see how the issues of climate change, the Senate has passed three of these measures, as well energy policy and environmental protection can as two other “three-tree” bills, the only big-ticket help guide the state’s economic development. environmental legislation passed since 2003. See pages Given the projected impacts of rising seas for Long 5-8 for bill This year, the Senate and Assembly passed Island, Senate Majority Leader Skelos could choose summaries comprehensive net-metering reforms, policies that will to elevate reducing climate pollution to the New York credit consumers for the clean energy they produce State Senate’s priority list. themselves, and a late addition to the environmental community’s Super Bill list. The Great Lakes-St. Two-thousand-and-eight finds state lawmakers at a Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, a critical crossroads, and the direction that New York Incorrect environmental vote three-tree bill we’ve supported for the past three years, State takes from here is now squarely in the hands of was ratified and signed by the Governor early in the the voters. Legislative Session. 2 www.eplvotersguide.org BY THE NUMBERS A QUICK LOOK AT NYS LAWMAKERS’ ENVIRONMENTAL SCORES NYS Assembly NYS Senate Assembly Speaker Senate Sheldon Silver 85 Democrats Average Assembly 100 Majority Leader Ron Canestrari 80 Senate Average Assembly New Senate Democrats 98 76 Majority Leader Average Dean Skelos Assembly Senate Average 93 75 Republicans Average Assembly Republicans Senate Average 79 Minority Leader 72 Malcolm Smith Assembly Senate Minority Leader 76 Majority Leader James Tedisco Joseph Bruno 2008 Highlights 2008 Lowlights • NYS Assembly passes all four environmental • NYC’s congestion pricing plan to reduce Super Bills. pollution and traffic stalls in Albany. Neither Assembly nor Senate publicly debate the plan. • Governor squashes Broadwater liquefied natural gas terminal proposed for the Long • State budget process returns to politics Island Sound. as usual with closed-door meetings and little or no public participation. August’s “special • Comprehensive climate cap bill passes economic session” also behind closed doors. Assembly and collects 33 Senate sponsors, including new Majority Leader Skelos. • State sweeps $125 million from Environmental Protection Fund for general • State doubles investment in energy efficiency; budget relief. the money will help NYS reach “15 by 15” goal to reduce electricity use. • Governor supports Jamestown “clean coal” project. While funding for bigger and dirtier • Governor and Assembly Speaker Silver put Tonawanda project is denied, state commits brakes on proposed Gas Tax Holiday. $6 million to unnecessary Jamestown plant, if it meets certain conditions. 3 LEGISLATOR OF THE YEAR Net metering is the policy that cred- the Assemblyman has received its consumers for the clean energy nothing but top marks in our an- they generate. An updated policy nual green scorecard. will save consumers money, reduce stress on our aging transmission EPL/Environmental Advocates is lines, and protect New Yorkers from proud to name Kevin Cahill as our the pollution generated by tradition- 2008 Legislator of the Year. al power plants. “Energy is at the core of many In 2008 the Assemblyman intro- of the key issues our society is duced the green residential building facing, be it the economy, public grant program. This measure should health, air quality, environmental KEVIN CAHILL be signed into law before the year is justice or climate change. To meet (D-Kingston) out. He also introduced legislation these challenges we must focus to support a more sustainable energy New York’s energy policies on future for New York, including an Assemblyman Kevin Cahill was conservation, efficiency, renewable energy efficient building codes bill named Chair of the Assembly’s generation, tougher emissions and a measure to guide the state’s Energy Committee early in the standards and smart, sustainable energy planning. 2008 New York State Legislative development. Session. He acted quickly to steer Assemblyman Cahill has supported critical clean energy legislation I am proud to be EPL’s ‘Legisla- each and every one of the environ- through this committee, including tor of the Year’ and equally proud mental community’s priority Super the net metering reform package of my colleagues in the New York Bills and consistently championed that is the only environmental Su- State Legislature for their commit- initiatives to protect the health of per Bill to become law this year.