ALBANY – The 2016 environmental scorecard, which grades state senators and assembly members, found that Hudson Valley Democrats scored very high while Republicans scored low.
In past years, there was more of a bipartisan approach to environmental issues, but there is a political divide now, said Peter Iwanowicz, the organization’s executive director.
“Over the last 10 years or so we have seen a dramatic shift away from people who are Republicans in the Senate and the Assembly sort of towing a more partisan or ideological line when it comes to core value issues like is the water going to be clean enough to drink, will we allow toxics in children’s toys, are we going to address the most pressing environmental issue of our time, climate change?” Iwanowicz asked.
In the Assembly, area Democrats who scored a high 95 points included Thomas Abinanti, David Buchwald, Sandra Galef, Ellen Jaffee, Steve Otis, Amy Paulin, James Skoufis, and Kenneth Zebrowski. Republican Kieran Michael Lalor scored a 30 and Peter Lopez scored 70 points.
In the Senate, Democrats with a high score of 92 points included David Carlucci and Andrea Stewart-Cousins. Republican senators George Amedore, John Bonacic, William Larkin, and Susan Serino each had a low score of 57 points.
