ANN ARBOR – The Michigan League of Conservation Voters unveiled its 2013 – 2014 Michigan Environmental Scorecard Wednesday, and overall, state legislators earned a score of incomplete.
Michigan LCV established legislative priorities at the start of the 2013 – 2014 legislative session: advancing clean energy, stronger water protections against fracking, and protecting public land. The state legislature has met those priorities with inaction. The 2013 – 2014 Michigan Environmental Scorecard shows that Michigan legislators? job performance does not reflect the critical importance of Michigan?s natural resources to our environment and our economy.
?At the beginning of this legislative session, Michigan LCV and many other partners laid out our environmental priorities to state legislators, and since then, we have seen progress stalled, roadblocked and rolled back,? said Jack Schmitt, Deputy Director for Michigan LCV. ?A few leaders stand out as advocates for land, air and water, but without more of our state legislators prioritizing our natural resources, those efforts gain little ground. In the Great Lakes state, Michiganders deserve stronger leadership and more progress on the issues that impact our environment and our economy.?
The 2013 – 2014 Michigan Environmental Scorecard reports the performance of Michigan legislators on conservation issues during the 2013 – 2014 legislative session. It scores 26 bill introductions that address Michigan LCV?s priority issues, as well as votes on six bills in the House and Senate on legislation that deeply impacts Michigan?s environment. Michigan LCV?s Scorecard recognizes a bipartisan group of advocates who took the lead on Michigan LCV?s priority issues, and it calls out adversaries who introduced bills that jeopardize of the future of Michigan?s natural resources economy, the health of our communities and our environment.
Advocates:
On fracking: State Representatives Frank Foster (R -107) and Sarah Roberts (D -18) introduced and sponsored legislation that would safeguard our lakes, rivers, and streams from over-extraction and contamination associated with fracking.
On clean energy: State Representative Joe Haveman (R – 90), State Representative Sam Singh (D – 69), and State Senator Hoon-Yung Hopgood (D – 8) introduced bills that would advance Michigan?s use of renewable energy and energy efficiency.
On public land: State Representative Wayne Schmidt (R – 104) introduced legislation that would remove the arbitrary cap on the amount of public land the state can own.
Adversaries:
On clean energy: State Representative Aric Nesbitt (R – 66) introduced legislation that would allow burning hazardous waste and petroleum coke to classify as renewable energy.
On public land: State Senator Tom Casperson (R – 38) introduced legislation that would prohibit the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) from managing public land to promote biodiversity.
?Michigan?s land, air and water are essential to our way of life and they are drivers of our economy. Conservation issues are common ground amongst Michiganders who count on the health of our natural resources for their livelihoods and to enjoy the amazing outdoor opportunities our state has to offer. They should be common ground amongst our representatives in office as well,? Schmitt said. ?State legislators have their work cut out for them through the end of the year, and we look forward to reporting back on their significant progress on clean energy, clean water and protected public land.?
UPDATED LINK to the 2013 – 2014 Michigan Environmental Scorecard can be found
