TEXAS LEAGUE OF

CONSERVATION VOTERS

2005 SCORECARD

BEST & WORST of 2005

Best (100%)

Allen, Alma

Alonzo, Roberto

Anchia, Rafael

Burnam, Lon

Castro, Joaquin

Coleman, Garnet F.

Dukes, Dawnna

Dunnam, Jim

Farrar, Jessica

Gonzales, Veronica

Herrero, Abel

Jones, Jesse

Leibowitz, David McQuade

Martinez Fischer, Trey

Martinez, Armando

Moreno, Joe

Moreno, Paul

Naishtat, Elliott

Noriega, Melissa

Olivo, Dora

Rodriguez, Eddie

Solis, Jim

Uresti, Carlos

Veasey, Marc

Worst (0%)

Branch, Dan

Crownover, Myra

Driver, Joe

Geren, Charlie

Hamric, Peggy

Howard, Charlie F.

Kuempel, Edmund

Smith, Wayne

Talton, Robert E.

West, G. E. "Buddy"

Woolley, Beverly

Honorable Mention

Toby Goodman—for achieving
the highest Republican score: 62%.

Dishonorable Mention

Speaker Tom Craddick—for not allowing the bipartisan, coalition supported water bill, SB3, to come to the floor for a vote.  Thereby killing this critical legislation.

KEY TO HOUSE VOTES, 79^th LEGISLATIVE SESSION

HB 2833 by Cook
(takings)

1.        Vote on HB 2833.  The bill would have decimated existing water quality protections by making local governments vulnerable to unlimited developer lawsuits simply for protecting health, safety, and quality of life. (vote against the bill is correct vote)

2.        Rep. Burnam's amendment would have protected local governments from lawsuits when they act to protect against real and substantial public health and safety threats. (vote against motion to table is the correct vote)

3.        Rep. Burnam's amendment would have required that any “takings” payment to a developer be offset by any government caused increase in property value. (vote against motion to table is the correct vote)

4.        Rep. Rodriguez's amendment would have ensured local governments could protect the quality of public drinking water, wells, rivers and lakes. (vote against motion to table is the correct vote)

SB 848 by Shapiro
(local government permits)

5.        Rep. Leibowitz's amendment would have ensured local government can safeguard the public's drinking water supply by preventing developers from using grandfathering exceptions in permitting development of land.  (vote against motion to table is the correct vote)

HB 86 by Smith, W. 
(pollution violation history)

6.        This bill would relax penalties for a company's pollution violations.  For repeat violator penalties, TCEQ would only be able to consider violations at the same sit e; not violations at all the company’s locations.  (vote against the bill is correct vote.)

HB 1900 by Bonnen
(toxic air emissions)

7.        Rep. Herrero's amendment would have addressed
toxic air emission problems highlighted by the  Houston Chronicle series “In Harm’s Way”, and required facilities to install monitoring equipment to measure unauthorized air pollution. (vote against motion to table is the correct vote)

8.        Rep. Herrero's amendment would have fined facilities for unauthorized air emissions. (vote against motion to table is the correct vote)

9.        Rep. Goodman's amendment would have strengthened standards for the health effects of toxic air emissions and penalized violators. (vote against motion to table is the correct vote)

HB 1429 by Kuempel
(concrete plant permits)

10.     Rep. Rodriguez's amendment toughened penalties against rock crusher facilities operating without required permits.  (vote against motion to table is the correct vote)

11.     Rep. Burnam's amendment protected the health and safety of the public by authorizing TCEQ to close rock crusher facilities operating without required permits.  (vote against motion to table is the correct vote)

SB 712 by Carona
(energy)

12.     Rep. P. King's amendment prevents renewable energy producers from being penalized by transmission companies in ERCOT.  (vote for the amendment is the correct vote)

SB 743 by Fraser
(energy)

13.     Rep. Swinford's amendment would have required the competitive renewable energy zones and transmission capacity necessary to deliver nearly 7% of Texas' electricity from renewable energy resources in a cost-effective manner.  (vote for the amendment is the correct vote)