Grade on green
Presenting the Sierra Club’s 2007 legislative report card on environmental issues, Sandy Bahr says the Arizona Legislature had a mixed record.

The Arizona League of Conservation Voters and the Grand Canyon Chapter of the Sierra Club issued their annual report cards on the governor and state lawmakers on July 12, assessing their records on the environmental bills of the 2007 legislative session.
The two organizations held a press conference commending and condemning lawmakers on their actions toward environmental bills and outlined several pieces of legislation vital to their cause.
“The 2007 legislative session was neither the best of times nor the worst of times, but it sure was better than what we’ve seen recently,” Sandy Bahr, conservation outreach director for the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon chapter, said.
The Sierra Club is America’s oldest grassroots environmental organization and has more than 14,000 members in Arizona.
This year the Sierra Club evaluated legislators based on 14 votes in the House, 13 votes in the Senate and graded Gov. Janet Napolitano on her response to11 bills.
Bills that served as the basis for scoring focused on water, air quality, renewable energy and energy efficiency.
If a legislator receives an “A+” it means he or she voted 100 percent “pro-environment” and indicates that they placed a vote on all those that were scored. Lesser scores reflect whether a legislator missed a vote or voted against the “pro-environment” sentiment.
In the Senate, the Sierra Club did not hand out a single “A+,” but did distribute nine to the House. However, House members received 20 failing grades also, while the Senate collected five. Half of each house earned a “C” or better and Napolitano received a “B.”
“Overall, from the report card perspective, environmental protection was a bit brighter this session,” Bahr said.
The Arizona League of Conservation Voters also weighed in on lawmakers. But the statewide preservation organization issues a slightly different scale. Their scale does not penalize legislators for excused absences and gives “extra-credit” to members who sponsor “positive” bills.
The league based its scores on 15 votes in the Senate and 14 in the House that dealt with land, air, water and “quality of life”.
There were 17 representatives and one senator who received 100 percent. The league handed out 6 “bottom scores” to lawmakers with scores less than 29 percent.
“We still have a long way to go in protecting air, water and natural environment,” Kate Whalen, Arizona League of Conservation Voters government relations liaison, said. “This session was a good start.”
The league also commended this year’s 17 freshmen and acknowledged Senate President Tim Bee, R-30, with its annual Statesman Award, due to his bi-partisanship and willingness to work across the aisle.
The two organizations also expressed their satisfaction in a number of bills that had passed, among them: the S1552 air quality program, S1254 regarding HOA solar panel regulations, H2496 to encourage energy efficient schools, and H2300 to help protect the San Pedro River.