Pennsylvania’s commitment to environmental protection is enshrined in our state’s Constitution, and while those words exist only on paper, the past two years have proven that the environmental majority in the state House of Representatives can put those principles into practice.
As the newly released 2023-2024 Pennsylvania Environmental Scorecard demonstrates, the House of Representatives has passed several exciting proposals that will help put Pennsylvania on the path to a clean energy future.
The Environmental Scorecard, compiled by Pennsylvania Conservation Voters, Clean Water Action, the Pennsylvania chapter of the Sierra Club and the Clean Air Action Fund, compiles key environmental votes taken by the Pennsylvania General Assembly during the most recent legislative session and grades each lawmaker based on how well they performed for or against the environment.
In the state legislature, our coalition rated six bills, including Solar in Schools and Community Solar Legislation, both of which have passed and will help strengthen our energy infrastructure by expanding access to solar energy in our school districts and the broader community.
The House also approved legislation that would enable Pennsylvania to tap into offshore wind power on Lake Erie; bill that would help fund clean energy projects and raise efficiency standards for the machines we use in our daily lives; legislation that would increase the use of electric vehicles while enabling Pennsylvania to compete for hundreds of millions of dollars in clean energy funding provided by President Biden’s landmark climate legislation.
Together, these bills help move our economy away from fossil fuels while combating climate change and creating union jobs.
However, with the exception of the school solar bill, many other environmental measures passed by the House have stalled in the Senate.
read: It’s time for Pennsylvania to adopt a bold, new clean energy plan
Nearly half of the state House of Representatives (101 members) received a perfect score—6 out of 6 in favor of all of the above bills. Meanwhile, only six senators received a perfect 100%, and across the legislature, 71 lawmakers received a shocking 0% approval rating, voting against environmental protections every chance they got.
In Bucks County, our legislators have performed well across the board. For example, State Senator Jarrett Coleman (R-16) received a paltry 10% of the vote and opposed nearly every environmental bill that came up for a vote, including one that would limit exposure to PFAS chemicals, a major health concern for Bucks County families.
On the other hand, we have legislators like State Senator Steve Santarcillo (D-10) and State Rep. Tim Brennan (D-29), who both have approval ratings over 90% and vote consistently for the environment. Their voting records show that they support a clean energy future while opposing legislation that seeks to weaken key environmental protections.
Check out the scorecard for yourself to see how your representatives and senators are doing on environmental bills.
‘Road discharge’ resurfaces: How Pennsylvania’s oil industry quietly dumps waste across the state | Discharging fracking wastewater is prohibited. Oil and gas companies reportedly do it anyway @JakeBolster2 for @grist. https://t.co/xT2Clh4rk1 — BucksCountyBeacon (@BucksCoBeacon) July 25, 2024
We publish this scorecard every legislative session because we believe democracy works best when voters understand legislation that affects our homes, our air, our water, and our health, and use that information to engage their elected officials and hold those leaders accountable.
You play an important role in this work, and we encourage you to take action. The upcoming fall legislative session is your legislators’ next opportunity to show they can be the champions we need for a cleaner, safer Pennsylvania. We hope you’ll use our scorecard to guide your conversations with elected officials. Encourage your legislators to vote for pro-environmental policies, and call on candidates running in your district this year to support a pro-environmental agenda if elected.
Our state’s future depends on your vote of support for climate action today.