Advocates criticize shifting $10M from Pa. environmental fund
News Article • • by Marie Cusick at Penn Live
A coalition of sixteen environmental groups sent an open letter to Gov. Tom Wolf and legislators Tuesday decrying the transfer of approximately $10 million out of Pennsylvania's Environmental Stewardship Fund in this year's state budget.
The fund was established nearly two decades ago to support environmental programs, including flooding and storm water management, Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts, and farmland preservation.
Grades on environmental, business scorecards differ for Congressional Democrats, Republicans
News Article • • by J.D. Prose at The Times
While congressional Democrats scored big while Republicans did poorly on a new environmental scorecard, the situation was reversed when it came to recent pro-business rankings.
The Conservation Voters of PA last week released the results of the League of Conservation Voters 2018 environmental scorecard and its executive director had flattering words for U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, who scored 93 percent, and some harsh ones for U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Lehigh County, who was given a score of zero.
Collett, Greenleaf Jr. square off for 12th District Senate seat
News Article • • by Dan Sokil at The Reporter
"I am proud to be endorsed by the Sierra Club and Conservation Voters of PA and will fight to stop gutting our DEP, expand DOH (Department of Health) resources for residents concerned about exposure, and pressure the federal government to act more swiftly and pay its fair share," said Maria Collett.
DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS ARE COMING TO HARRISBURG. WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES?
News Article • • by Reid Frazier at StateImpact PA
Executive director Josh McNeil says it’s not just because of their policies, but how they talk about them.
“They were campaigning on issues of environmental justice and environmental racism. Summer Lee was maybe the first candidate for state office that I’ve ever seen talk about the inherent racism in a lot of the way that environmental impacts are distributed in this country,” he said.
New report on shale industry spending is a clarion call for campaign finance reform
News Article • • by Editorial at Penn Live
The [Marcellus Money] report should serve as a clarion call for a serious push for campaign finance reform in Pennsylvania, where the sky's the limit on campaign contributions and the only direct corporate contributions are banned.
Killion Receives 100% Rating from Top Environmental Groups
News Article •
Senator Tom Killion (R-9) has received a 100% legislative scorecard rating from Pennsylvania’s leading environmental organizations. The perfect score is based on votes cast by Killion during the current 2017-2018 legislative session. The groups issuing the newly released rating include the Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, Sierra Club of Pennsylvania, Clean Water Action of Pennsylvania and PennEnvironment.
Dinniman Earns Perfect Score on 2017-2018 Pennsylvania Environmental Scorecard
News Article •
State Senator Andy Dinniman has once again attained a perfect environmental voting record, according to the 2017-2018 Environmental Scorecard recently released by the Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, Clean Water Action, PennEnvironment, and the Sierra Club Pennsylvania Chapter.
“On this year’s scorecard, as in most past years, I scored 100 percent,” Dinniman who serves on the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, said. “Chester County is a place that has a deep environmental ethic. I have done my best to reflect that ethic through my votes on environmental issues that come before the Senate.”
“I am proud to again be recognized in this way. Our natural resources are the property of all our citizens. We have a responsibility to safeguard our land, air, and water for our children and grandchildren.”
How did your PA legislator do on the Environmental Scorecard? See them all here.
News Article • • by Bill O'Toole at Next Pittsburgh
A consortium of environmental groups across the state released the annual Pennsylvania Environmental Scorecard.
Despite some positive trends since the first version of the scorecard was published in 2012, Clean Water Action PACampaigns Director Steve Hvozdovich said the 2018 report indicates that the state capital remains “dominated by anti-environmental legislation.”
“We have far too many legislators who are willing to cast their votes for polluters or their well-heeled lobbyists,” he said.
The report was authored by the Sierra Club, Clean Water Action, PennEnvironment and Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania.
Conservation Fund Awaiting Revenue
News Article • • by Josh McNeil and Gene Karpinski at The Times Tribune
Nearly $315 million of the Land and Water Conservation Fund has been invested in Pennsylvania’s outdoor spaces, including Ricketts Glen State Park in Luzerne County.
Sadly, Congress has failed to renew this program, which is scheduled to expire in September. That’s why Rep. Matt Cartwright, of Moosic, recently spoke out to protect this critical program, which protects places like Independence National Historical Park and Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Monroe County.
Arctic Refuge drilling: immoral, financially dishonest, and deeply unpopular
News Article • • by Josh McNeil & Jacquelyn Bonomo at The Philadelphia Inquirer
Buried in the tax bill is a shameful and economically irresponsible rider to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling. This pristine corner of Alaska has been protected for generations, but one senator is trying to hand over one of the last untouched places in our country to Big Oil.
Reps. Patrick Meehan, Ryan Costello, and Brian Fitzpatrick understand that this special place should remain protected, writing in a letter to Republican leadership that “the Arctic Refuge stands as a symbol of our nation’s strong and enduring natural legacy.” We appreciate their stance.
Now it’s time for our representatives to put their word into action. Drilling in the Arctic Refuge has no place in the tax bill and Meehan, Costello, and Fitzpatrick need to stand strong and vote against this shameful sellout to the oil and gas industry.