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November 15, 2006
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Paige Schoknecht at (650) 688-6384
ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS GIVE SIMITIAN 100% SCORE
SACRAMENTO – The Sierra Club and the California League of Conservation Voters have recognized State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) for his 100% voting record on environmental issues in 2006.
Both the Sierra Club and the California League of Conservation Voters released their annual legislative scorecards this fall, and Simitian received scores of 100% on both organizations’ scorecards.
Two of Simitian’s bills were used to grade legislators on CLCV’s scorecard. The first, SB 107, accelerates the requirement for California to achieve a 20% renewable electricity portfolio by 2010 rather than 2017. SB 107 was signed by Governor Schwarzenegger in September. The second of Simitian’s bills used by CLCV, SB 426, would have established a comprehensive process for California to evaluate, rank, and permit proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals. SB 426 was held in the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce.
“I’m gratified by the recognition from both of these groups,” said Simitian. “We’ve made important headway on environmental issues in the past year. I plan to continue to legislate to protect our environment and our quality of life.”
Simitian added, “It’s important that we measure our quality of life not only by good schools and safe neighborhoods, but also by clean air, water, and open space.”
In 2006, Simitian introduced a wide-ranging package of environmental bills addressing coastal protection, energy, and hazardous materials.
Earlier this year, the Governor signed Simitian’s SB 201, a measure to establish the nation’s strictest standards for finfish aquaculture, also known as “fish farming.” The standards set forth in SB 201 are designed not only to protect California’s coast, but also the coastal economy and the public health, from this fast-growing industry.
The Governor also signed Simitian’s SB 497, which establishes the toughest standards in the nation for ballast water discharge by the shipping industry. The discharge of ballast water introduces invasive species, which have polluted coastal waterways at great environmental and economic expense. “As a coastal legislator,” said Simitian, “coastal protection will remain one of my highest priorities.”
Simitian is the chair of the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality and the Select Committee on Coastal Protection and Watershed Conservation. He is also a member of two other committees that affect environmental policy: Energy, Utilities, and Communications, and Transportation and Housing.
To view these scorecards, please visit http://www.sierraclubcalifornia.org and http://www.ecovote.org.
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