Legislative Scorecard:

National LCV Releases 2009 Scorecard

A 2009 Congressional conservation scorecard shows Minnesota members were all over the map on key clean energy, clean water and land protection votes.

Minnesota U.S. House members’ scores on 13 votes ranged from 100% for Congressman Jim Oberstar to 0% for Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann and Congressman John Kline.  Sens. Amy Klobuchar (on 11 votes) and Al Franken (on 6 votes) each scored 100%. The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) and its Minnesota affiliate, the Conservation Minnesota Voter Center, released the scorecard. Click below for more information.

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“We know that the overwhelming majority of Minnesotans treasure our outdoors way of life, clean water and recreational land,” said Paul Austin, director of the Conservation Minnesota Voter Center, “so it’s great to see strong support for these values from so many of our state’s members of Congress.

“But it’s also disappointing that other members consistently turned their back on these priorities,” he added.
   
“The 2009 National Environmental Scorecard illustrates the extent to which the Obama administration and the 111th Congress began to move our nation towards a clean energy future that will create new jobs, make America more energy independent and curb global warming pollution,” said LCV President Gene Karpinski.   “However, it also makes clear that there is still much work to be done, first and foremost to finish the work started in the House by swiftly passing a comprehensive clean energy and climate bill in the Senate.”

The 2009 votes graded in the scorecard included public lands protection, clean energy funding, and climate change.

Minnesota House members’ scores were: Rep.Tim Walz, 93%;  Rep. John Kline, 0%;  Rep. Erik Paulsen, 21%;  Rep. Betty McCollum, 100%;  Rep. Keith Ellison, 93%;  Rep. Michelle Bachmann, 0%;  Rep. Colin Peterson, 79%;  Rep. Jim Oberstar, 100%.

Representatives Walz, McCollum, Ellison, Oberstar and Peterson voted for the landmark American Clean Energy and Security Act, which would help bring more than 30,000 clean energy jobs to Minnesota.

“We hope voters will keep in mind how their members of Congress voted on conservation in 2009,” said Austin.

For 30 years, the National Environmental Scorecard issued by LCV has been the nationally accepted yardstick used to rate members of Congress on environmental, public health and energy issues.