2021-2022 Environmental Scorecard for the Oregon Legislature

2021's Notable Leaders

Environmental Leader of the Year

Rep. Pam Marsh (D-Ashland)

At the start of session, Rep. Marsh suddenly became the chair of the House Energy and Environment Committee, a post she had not anticipated yet she rose to the occasion and helped pass some of our biggest priorities in the 2021 session. She played a crucial role in getting 100% Clean Energy legislation through her committee by shepherding it through a complicated and often fraught amendment process, and she ultimately carried the historic bill to the floor.

Perseverance Award

Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-Lake Oswego) and
Sen. Jeff Golden (D-Ashland)

Passing large comprehensive pieces of legislation is hard––few know this as well as Senator Jeff Golden, who worked tirelessly to pass comprehensive wildfire legislation requiring the state to be better prepared and more resilient in future wildfire seasons.Transformative legislation that takes on powerful special interests is tough to pass, but that didn't prevent Rep. Salinas from pushing her bill the reform the Oregon Forest Resources Institute forward. The bill initially set out to eliminate the agency, then was reduced to reformation. Unfortunately, despite her strong leadership, HB 2357 didn't pass in the Senate. We thank both of them for their leadership and perseverance on transformative legislation.

Unsung Heroes

Rep. Dan Rayfield (D-Corvallis) and
Sen. Kathleen Taylor (D-Portland)

A lot goes on behind the scenes to make sure that important bills get through, and to ensure that key programs get funding in the state’s budget at the end of the day. This challenging work within the powerful Ways and Means committee often goes unnoticed or unappreciated. This year we want to honor Rep. Dan Rayfield and Senator Kathleen Taylor for their incredible work that led to historically strong funding for the state’s natural resources agencies.

Most Valuable Player

Rep. Khanh Pham (D-Portland)

In her first term, Rep. Pham showed up for our Oregon Forest Resources Institute Reform bill (HB 2357) and 100% Clean Energy to ensure the bills moved to the floor of the House. While OFRI didn’t make it through the Senate, Rep. Pham’s leadership definitely helped it succeed in the House. Her efforts on a variety of environmental bills made it clear that she will always step up to the plate for the environment.

Rising Stars

Reps. Dacia Grayber (D-Tigard) and
Andrea Valderrama (D-Portland)

This year had an incredible lineup of freshman legislators, two that stood out on our environmental priorities were Reps. Dacia Grayber and Andrea Valderrama. Rep. Grayber brought her expertise on wildfire to the intense and ultimately victorious effort to pass a comprehensive wildfire bill. Rep. Valderrama hit the ground running after getting appointed to the legislature mid session. She got up to speed fast and helped 100% Clean and OFRI get through a key committee. Both representatives earned a 100% score on the OLCV scorecard.

Honor Roll

Check out our scorecard to see the 24 Representatives and 11 Senators who earned 100% scores for the 2021 full session.

 
 

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.