Conservation Voters New Mexico Winter 2015 Newsletter
CVNM’s 2015 Conservation Scorecard:
Know the Score, Take Action!
At Conservation Voters New Mexico (CVNM), we have a full-time presence in the state capitol during New Mexico’s legislative session. We hold a strong line of defense from the onslaught of anti-conservation legislation that the environmental community has come to expect since Governor Martinez took office. This year, together with our allies, we successfully defeated 100% of anti-environmental legislation for the 11th year in a row.
Through all of our legislative work, we track every single legislator’s vote on these issues for our annual Conservation Scorecard. Published annually since 2005, the Scorecard is a cornerstone of our work; it provides the information you need to determine whether your legislators are voting in line with your conservation values.
With the dynamics of the new anti-conservation leadership in the House and strong conservation alliances in both chambers, we saw some interesting new Scorecard trends. This year, 37 legislators earned a 100% score — more than any year in Scorecard history. Read more about how this year’s scores compare to past years on the “2015 By the Numbers” page.
Unfortunately, there is also a record number of legislators (9) who earned a 0% percent score in the House in 2015. That means they did not cast a single pro-conservation vote. Nine 0% scores in one year nearly doubles the only other time any representatives earned 0%. Read more about historical scores on the “2005-2015 By the Numbers” page.
In 2015, the majority of representatives earned either above a 75% score or below a 25% score. The same trend is seen in the representatives’ Lifetime scores.
In the Senate, the majority of senators earned above a 75% and also Lifetime scores over 75%, but nearly the same amount earned scores between 25% and 50%.
We hope that you will dive deeper into the Scorecard to see how useful this powerful tool is in helping to hold our elected leaders accountable for the conservation values most important to you — and all New Mexicans.
With your support we can realize our vision for a New Mexico where decision-makers and public policies represent the strong conservation values of our people. Together we can remain steadfast in the fight to protect the air we breathe, the water we drink and the health of our communities.
Take Action: Help us keep the pressure on to hold our lawmakers accountable. Tell your legislators that you “know the score.” If they have a strong conservation score, call or email to thank them. If they have a low score, express your concern as a constituent and Conservation Voter. Contact information for your legislators is available on each legislator’s page at CVNM.org/Scorecard.
Read the rest of our 2015 Winter Newsletter:
- Director’s Message
- Martinez Administration State Energy Plan Takes New Mexico Backwards
- Board Member Spotlight: Larry McDaniel
- Western NM Communities Seek Data on Health Impacts from Nearby Uranium Legacy Waste Sites
- YES: CVNMEF Program Juntos engages Albuquerque youth to become leaders in their community
- Conservation Community Sets Priorities for 2016 Session
- Campaign update: Copper Rule to receive scrutiny of Supreme Court