Download Long Island Senators Steer to the Right on Environmental Records

For Immediate Release: August 25, 2016
Travis Proulx: 518-462-5526 x238
Long Island Senators Steer to the Right on Environmental Records,
Earn Among Lowest Scores in NY
Englebright Named Legislator of the Year in 2016 Environmental Scorecard
Long Island – EPL/Environmental Advocates released the 2016 Environmental
Scorecard today, the only report card that tracks all 213 state legislators’ voting records
on environmental legislation. The data shows that despite enormous challenges –
particularly due to climate change – Long Island’s senators earned many of the lowest
scores in the state.
By comparison, several Assemblymembers earned strong scores, with Steven Englebright
(D-East Setauket) being awarded the 2016 Legislator of the Year for his work on climate
action, protecting children from toxic chemicals, and much more.
The dubious Oil Slick Award was bestowed upon Senator Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn),
who sought passage of legislation that would have prevented communities statewide from
taking action to reduce plastic bag waste.
Senate
Just one of the nine senators representing Long Island – Senator Todd Kaminsky (DRockville Centre) – earned more than 70 points out of a possible 100. Senate Majority
Leader John Flanagan (R-Smithtown) continued one of the most extreme antienvironmental records in the Legislature, failing for the 8th time in a row with just 57
points. In addition to voting for bad legislation, Flanagan, who has questioned whether
climate change is real, followed the Dean Skelos playbook by siding with polluters and
blocking climate action legislation (S.8005) supported by a bipartisan majority of his
colleagues from ever receiving a vote.
First term Senator Tom Croci (R-Happauge) earned the second lowest score among all 63
colleagues with just 52 points, while Long Island’s other new senator, Michael Venditto
(R-Massapequa), also failed, earning just 57 points.
Peter Iwanowicz, executive director of EPL/Environmental Advocates said, “The antienvironmental and anti-climate rhetoric we see being driven by Donald Trump’s
presidential candidacy, unfortunately, has traction with many of Long Island’s own state
senators. It defies logic that a region so harmed by climate change is represented by
climate-deniers and those who continually place industry profit over public interest. 2017
has to be the year for climate action, and we need to start seeing some real leadership
from Long Island’s senators to make that happen.”
Assembly
Assemblyman Englebright set the bar in the Legislature, along with Assemblywoman
Michelle Schimel (D-Great Neck), earning the highest scores among all of their
colleagues with 95 points.
Iwanowicz said, “Steve Englebright took on big polluters and their legislative allies,
some of whom incredulously claimed that climate action would lead to ‘the end of
people,’ and worked with legislators in both houses and on both sides of the aisle to do
what is best for our state, which is to act. Long Islanders need more state legislators like
Steve Englebright.”
Michael Fitzpatrick (R-Smithtown) earned the lowest score in the region with just 30
points, significantly underperforming all of the other Republican assemblymembers from
Long Island. Anthony Palumbo (R-Riverhead) is the only member of the delegation to
earn an incomplete as the result of too many missed votes, while Joseph Saladino (RMassapequa Park), who was previously recognized by EPL/Environmental Advocates for
his environmental stewardship, saw his score drop to 76 points, in part due to flipflopping his vote to oppose climate action.
The EPL/Environmental Advocates 2016 Environmental Scorecard is the first and only
record of New York State lawmakers’ votes on legislation that will affect the
environment. The guide has been produced and distributed statewide for more than 40
years. For the complete Scorecard, visit www.eplscorecard.org.
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