2019 Environmental Scorecard for the Oregon Legislature

ABOUT THE OREGON CONSERVATION NETWORK AND OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

FOR OVER TWENTY YEARS, the Oregon Conservation Network (OCN) has brought together our state’s environmental organizations to protect Oregon’s natural legacy and ensure a better Oregon for our kids. Together, we determine and support shared Priorities for a Healthy Oregon. We also identify and fight Major Threats to a Healthy Oregon. OCN is coordinated by the OLCV Education Fund and powered by the hundreds of thousands of Oregonians who belong to its member organizations.

We began the 2019 legislative session with five priorities:

Clean Energy Jobs.

It’s simple. Policies that limit and price climate pollution are needed in Oregon and everywhere on Planet Earth. More information can be found on pages 3—5. Ditching Dirty Diesel. Oregon has a diesel problem, with the Portland Metro area experiencing some of the worst air quality in the nation. It’s been a years-long effort now to get dirty diesel engines out of Oregon’s trucks and other equipment and this bill starts that process.

Oil Train Spill Response.

In recent years, a sudden influx of oil trains rolling through Oregon’s riversides and neighborhoods has created a need for a comprehensive plan to prevent and respond to spills. The Mosier derailment in 2016 made that crystal clear. Legislators responded by supporting a bill that ensures the rail industry is on the hook if disaster strikes again.

Pesticide Protections.

The science is clear: some pesticides can negatively impact human health, water quality, aquatic species, pollinators, and the biodiversity upon which we all depend. This priority aimed to restrict neonicotinoid use and to ban chlorpyrifos, while also improving the state’s Pesticide Use Reporting System.

Funding Conservation, Climate, and Clean Energy Agencies.

The Oregon Conservation Network supports budget items across agencies that we wanted to see prioritized in the 2019-2021 budget. Under the current federal administration, our state must account for the instability of the most fundamental environmental and human health protections. This session, we were pleased with monies for Cleaner Air Oregon, but disappointed by extra funding for lethal wildlife management, among other issues in the state’s budget.

 
 

About OLCV

The Oregon League of Conservation Voters is a non-partisan organization with a simple mission: to pass laws that protect Oregon's environmental legacy, elect pro-environment candidates to office, and hold all of our elected officials accountable.

For more information about OLCV, visit our website at olcv.org.

About the Scorecard

For more than 40 years, OLCV has protected Oregon's natural legacy. An essential part of our work is holding our elected officials accountable. The OLCV Environmental Scorecard is not only one of our most important accountability tools, but also a tradition. The first scorecard was published in 1973.

By sharing how each member of the Legislature voted on the most critical conservation bills, we help Oregonians understand whether legislators listened to their constituents, or if they listened to special interest groups instead. It also serves as a summary of environmental bills and includes special recognition of the legislative champions.