Young, Goodell Receive Low EPL/Environmental Advocates Scores

ALBANY – The two lawmakers who represent Chautauqua County in Albany are getting poor grades when it comes to supporting environmental legislation.

Each year, EPL/Environmental Advocates tracks the environmental voting records of the New York State Legislature on bills that it says could help or harm air, land, and water and publishes the voting record in its annual scorecard, known as the Environmental Scorecard.

YOUNG SCORES BELOW SENATE AVERAGE

In the State Senate, Cathy Young (R-Olean) was one of 21 senators to receive a score of 57 out of 100 – among the lowest environmental scores in the Senate. In fact, only two Senators scored lower than 57. The average score of all 61 senators graded in the report was 71.14.

Young received a low environmental score for supporting 5 of 30 pieces of legislation that the EPL/Environmental Advocates say would’ve had a negative environmental impact. Specifically, Young:

Senator Catherine Young (R-Olean)

• Supported a bill that would prohibit local governments from charging any tax, fee, or surcharge for plastic bag usage (S.7336);
• Supported the Red Tape Production Act (S.6724B) – legislation that would increase legislative oversight over the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA);
• Supported legislation that stalls the state’s Clean Energy Initiative (S.5131);
• Supported legislation that reduced pesticide fees levied by the DEC (S.5477);
• and supported legislation that makes it easier to ship petroleum across the state (S.6233A).

In addition, Young’s grade is reflective of her not signing on as sponsor of two key environmental super bills:

• the Child Safe Products Act (S.5995) – which had 26 sponsors;
• and Closing the Hazardous Waste Loophoole (S.884) – which had 32 sponsors.

Even with a low score of 57, Senator Young still did better than last year, when she scored a 44.

GOODELL ALSO SCORES LOW

In the State Assembly, Republican Andy Goodell Also Scored a 57. Of the 25 environmental bills on the report card, he was against four of them. They were:

• 

  Assemblyman Andy Goodell (R-Chautauqua)
  

  The Children’s Safe Products Act (A.56125-A), which relates to the regulation of toxic chemicals in children’s products (1 of 29 “no” votes);

• The New York State Climate and Community Protection Act (A.10342) (1 of 43 “no” votes);
• The Hoosick’s Health Act (A.9568-A), which eases the litigation process for victims who’ve been exposed to toxic chemicals or other harmful substances in a super fund site (1 of 7 “no” votes);
• and a bill that calls for pesticide free summer camps for children (A.129) (1 of 24 “no” votes).

Goodells Score in 2015 was 35.

The complete environmental scorecard for all state lawmakers can be found here [PDF].

EPL/Environmental Advocates was formed in 1969 as one of the first organizations in the nation to advocate for the future of a state’s environment and the health of its citizens.