Community Corner

Baltimore County Republicans vs. Democrats on the Environment: Who Wins?

Some get A's, others get F's.

By Bryan P. Sears

The grades are in on environmental votes cast by 29 state senators and delegates from Baltimore County.

The grades are part of an environmental scorecard of the 2013 Maryland General Assembly session released Monday by the League of Conservation Voters.

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Four legislators from Baltimore County received a 100 percent score from the environmental group—Sen. Jim Brochin and Dels. Jon CardinDan Morhaim and Shirely Nathan-Pulliam. All four are Democrats.

Conversely, two legislators who represent the county received grades of 0 percent—Sen. Joseph Getty and Del. Joseph Boteler. Both legislators are Republicans.

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The scores are based on votes cast in committee and on the floor by legislators on eight environmental bills in the Senate and nine environmental bills in the House tracked by the League of Conservation voters.

Among the tracked legislation were bills increasing the state gas tax, a proposal to add a 5-cent tax on plastic grocery bags, banning the burning of paper products for energy and the creation of electricity generating windmills off the coast of Ocean City and a two-year delay in the implementation of the state’s controversial stormwater management fee, sometimes called the rain tax. The League of Conservation voters supported the first four bills and opposed the proposed delay of the stormwater management fee.

The bills tracked by the environmental group represent a small portion of the more than 2,600 bills introduced in the House and Senate earlier this year.

On average, Senate Democrats received a 70 percent score compared to 12 percent for their Republican counterparts.

In the House, Democrats received an average score of 81 percent compared to 26 percent by Republicans.

Senate

  • Sen. Joseph Getty, Republican, 5th District  0 percent
  • Sen. Norman Stone, Democrat, 6th Disrict 40 percent               
  • Sen. JB Jennings, Republican, 7th District 14 percent                
  • Sen. Kathy Klausmeier, Democrat, 8th District  50 percent       
  • Sen. Delores Kelley, Democrat, 10 th District  40 percent           
  • Sen. Bobby Zirkin, Democrat, 11th District  60 percent 
  • Sen. Ed Kasemeyer, Democrat, 12th District  50 percent          
  • Sen. Jim Brochin, Democrat, 42nd District  100 percent

House of Delegates

  • Del. Wade Kach, Republican, District 5B  50 percent      
  • Del. Joseph “Sonny” Minnick, Democrat, 6th District  33            percent
  • Del. John Olszewski Jr., Democrat, 6th District  71 percent
  • Del. Mike Weir, Democrat, 6th District  71 percent
  • Del. Rick Impallaria, Republican, 7th District  17 percent
  • Del. Pat McDonough, Republican, 7th District  33 percent
  • Del. Kathy Szeliga, Republican, 7th District  25 percent
  • Del. Joseph Boteler, Republican, 8th District  0 percent 
  • Del. Eric Bromwell, Democrat, 8th District  50 percent  
  • Del. John Cluster, Republican, 8th District  25 percent
  • Del. Emmett Burns, Democrat, 10th District  67 percent
  • Del. Adrienne Jones, Democrat, 10th District  75 percent
  • Del. Shirley Nathan-Pulliam, Democrat, 11th District  100 percent
  • Del. Jon Cardin, Democrat, 11th District  100 percent
  • Del. Dan Morhaim, Democrat, 11th District  100 percent
  • Del. Dana Stein, Democrat, 11th District  86 percent     
  • Del. Jim Malone, Democrat, District 12A  86 percent       
  • Del. Steve DeBoy, Democrat, District 12A  75 percent
  • Del. Susan Aumann, Republican, 42nd District  25 percent
  • Del. Bill Frank, , Republican, 42nd District  50 percent
  • Del. Steve Lafferty, Democrat, 42nd District  86 percent           


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