2012 Scorecard l Media Release l Methodology l Session in Review l Senate Scores l House Scores l Scored Bills l Tracked Bills
Session in Review
Good Team Effort The environmental community began the 2010 and 2011 sessions embattled with a growing number of anti-environmental initiatives. The 2012 session opened with new efforts to undo environmental regulations as a way to address our ongoing economic crisis. We gathered our forces and fought back to stop all of these attacks, and even made considerable pro-environment progress.
CTLCV hired its first full time political director and took a more active approach to legislation on our Scorecard “watchlist” of key bills. The watchlist tracked pending legislation and was a precursor to the Scorecard. All bills on the watchlist had the potential to be scored as they progressed through the legislative committees, House and Senate. We convened regular meetings at the Capitol with environmental leaders and their lobbyists, which helped us tackle issues as soon as they came up. We relied on our colleagues as experts on their specific bills. CTLCV devoted its resources to advancing their initiatives with lawmakers, and maintained a united front of advocates at the Capitol. CTLCV also met several times with leaders of the Malloy Administration to discuss environmental issues and keep the door open to continue talks beyond the 2012 session. |
"The League continues to be a watchdog and activist leader at the Capitol advocating for Connecticut’s most important assets: the air we breathe, the water we drink and the landscapes we treasure and require. While the economy was the most urgent issue during this past legislative session, the League reminded state leaders that our environment cannot be sacrificed. We won important battles and lost a few. Our Scorecard will ensure that the Connecticut electorate is mindful of how their legislators voted on environmental issues that will have long-term consequences for Connecticut."
-G. Kenneth Bernhard, CTLCV Co-Chair -David Bingham, CTLCV Co-Chair |
The Legislature Showed Greater Commitment to the Environment in 2012
Legislators were more responsive to the concerns of
environmental advocates this year than they were during the previous two legislative sessions. In the 2012 Session of the General Assembly, environmental concerns were prominent and often enjoyed bi-partisan support in committees where our bills were debated. CTLCV timed the distribution of alerts to specific legislative committees right before votes were taken. As a result, we had very positive votes and feedback from legislators on the Environment, Commerce, Judiciary, Public Health and Planning and Development committees. The alerts made clear CTLCV’s position and informed legislators of the environmental impact of pending legislation. Meetings with top leadership in the House and Senate were essential in keeping environmental bills among their priorities. |
Legislative ResultsBy the end of session on May 9, four significant pro-environment bills were passed (three for water, one for open space). Opponents held up four pro-environment bills, and four more were caught in a legislative standoff between chambers when the clock ran out. We expect the unfinished business will be on our watchlist in 2013.
Twice as many anti-environment initiatives were proposed this year compared to previous years, but fortunately they were all defeated. Most notable were efforts to roll back current pesticide bans, weaken the Connecticut Environmental Protection Act, and reverse hard fought recreational liability protections. Unexpected attacks involved tree cutting by eminent domain, automatic permit approvals by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), and elimination of regulations based on cost/benefit analysis. |
Funding and Resources Remain the Biggest Obstacles to Progress
It is hard to make progress beyond regulatory reform and good policies without the money to implement those policies. Funding is the true test of commitment to our environment, and is an important focus for all environmental efforts in Connecticut. From an economic standpoint, there is a big return on investment in parks and open space: $1 invested returns $38 to state coffers (study by Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis ). If our state leaders do not invest in our environment, we could just as easily lose the gains we have made. We applaud the legislature and administration for maintaining funding levels for the Clean Water Fund and the Community Investment Act, and for restoring $65,000 to the Connecticut Greenway Council.
By contrast, we again saw cuts to the DEEP budget for the 2012-2013 fiscal years—a consistent trend over the last two decades. This year, another $500,000 was taken from DEEP’s Environmental Conservation budget, with a total of $8 million taken from the agency’s bottom line. Furthermore, there were efforts to remove conservation functions and money from DEEP and move them to the Department of Agriculture, an agency with a very different mission regarding natural resources. Legislators transferred $90,000 for invasive plants programs and $100,000 for lobster restoration away from DEEP this year. This money shell game does not address the serious shortfall of conservation funding in our state.
By contrast, we again saw cuts to the DEEP budget for the 2012-2013 fiscal years—a consistent trend over the last two decades. This year, another $500,000 was taken from DEEP’s Environmental Conservation budget, with a total of $8 million taken from the agency’s bottom line. Furthermore, there were efforts to remove conservation functions and money from DEEP and move them to the Department of Agriculture, an agency with a very different mission regarding natural resources. Legislators transferred $90,000 for invasive plants programs and $100,000 for lobster restoration away from DEEP this year. This money shell game does not address the serious shortfall of conservation funding in our state.
Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP)
DEEP had to devote significant attention to getting a third, new energy branch of the department geared up, and the effort has been rocky. Clean energy made some progress this year during a Special Sesssion held on June 12. Several key energy initiatives that failed during the regular session were passed as part of an omnibus budget implementer bill. The new law will 1) expand energy efficiency audit programs to customers using oil heat, 2) create a new Property Assessed Clean Energy program (PACE) to incentivize commercial property owners to invest in efficiency and renewable energy improvements, and 3) allow the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority to issue $50 million in new bonds to fund energy programs.
Many felt that attention to energy detracted from support for the Environmental Conservation and Environmental Quality branches of DEEP. One significant exception was the phosphorus bill, where DEEP and advocates worked closely together to ensure a good negotiated result with the regulated community.
The Malloy Administration and the legislature are heavily into agency “transformation.” This typically means outsourcing regulatory oversight and authorizing consultants hired by private people to certify compliance with the law. Most of these legislative recommendations were deferred to 2013.
It is important that the enforcement of environmental regulations be undertaken by neutral, competent government personnel, and not by hand-picked contractors paid by the regulated entities.
Many felt that attention to energy detracted from support for the Environmental Conservation and Environmental Quality branches of DEEP. One significant exception was the phosphorus bill, where DEEP and advocates worked closely together to ensure a good negotiated result with the regulated community.
The Malloy Administration and the legislature are heavily into agency “transformation.” This typically means outsourcing regulatory oversight and authorizing consultants hired by private people to certify compliance with the law. Most of these legislative recommendations were deferred to 2013.
It is important that the enforcement of environmental regulations be undertaken by neutral, competent government personnel, and not by hand-picked contractors paid by the regulated entities.
