Idaho Senators Get Lowest Possible Rating on Environmental Scorecard
Suzanne Potter, Producer
Thursday, February 25, 2016
BOISE, Idaho - Nada. Zip. Zero percent. That's the score received by Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and James Risch on the annual Environmental Scorecard released Wednesday by the League of Conservation Voters.
Representative Raúl Labrador cast pro-environmental votes just 3 percent of the time and Representative Mike Simpson - 6 percent.
Kate Thorpe, deputy director with Conservation Voters for Idaho, disagrees with their votes on issues such as clean air, clean water, climate change and public lands.
"The scorecard released by the League of Conservation Voters reveals the most anti-environmental Congress in our history," says Thorpe. "Despite last year being the hottest year on record globally and Idaho experiencing another record fire year, Idaho delegates put the polluters' agenda ahead of the health of Idahoans."
The scorecard took Simpson to task for sponsoring a bill that would slash funds for renewable energy and energy efficiency and up funding for fossil fuels.
Thorpe says one bright spot was the vote to protect the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. She adds there's a big gulf between the views of Idaho's leaders on conservation and the public opinion polls.
"If you ask the average Idahoan how they feel on this issue, they are supporters of our public lands," she says. "They are supporters of clean air and clean water, and it represents a big area of improvement for our congressmen."
Thorpe says she hopes voters take note of how their leaders have voted. Crapo and both of Idaho's congressmen are up for re-election in November. Risch faces voters again in 2020.
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