[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

It was report card day at the State Capitol today, as the California League of Conservation Voters gave Governor Schwarzenegger and the California legislature 2007's environmental scorecard. 29 Assembly Democrats and 11 Senate Democrats -- including Speaker Fabian Nunez, Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero, and Assembly Majority Leader Karen Bass -- earned a perfect 100% this year, while no legislative Republican earned above a 50%. In fact, while Assembly and Senate Democrats averaged a commendable 94% and 89% respectively, Assembly and Senate Republicans averaged an embarrassingly low 5% and 9% respectively. Meanwhile, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger averaged 63%, his highest score yet. While the Governor still trails almost all legislative Democrats, he nonetheless is clearly much closer to mainstream California than his GOP party mates on the other side of the Capitol.

Where do the so-called moderates of the GOP stand? Senator Abel Maldonado takes top honors among legislative Republicans, clocking in at 43%. Maldonado is followed by Senator Tom Harman at 19%. Senator Jeff Denham, Assemblymember Bonnie Garcia, and Assemblymember Shirley Horton all scored 10%, revealing a voting record more aligned with the far-right of their party than with the consensus-minded image they like to present to their districts.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

• Schwarzenegger Scores Highest Rating of his Governorship – 63%
• Senate Republicans’ average 9% while Senate Democrats averaged 89%
• Assembly Democrats averaged 94% in stark contrast to Assembly Republicans at 5%

By Susan Smartt
Executive Director of the California League of Conservation Voters

As the Executive Director of the California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV) – the political arm of the environmental movement in America’s leading environmental state – I am happy to announce the release of its annual California Environmental Scorecard today, revealing highlights of the 2007 legislative session. Governor Schwarzenegger’s 63% represents the highest score of his tenure, and Assembly Democrats led the pack with 29 members earning perfect 100% scores. In a year when global warming was on everyone’s mind, the legislature approved several alternative energy measures but left the two most important greenhouse gas emission bills – SB 375 and SB 974 –to be decided in 2008.