Senator Sanders Earns Perfect Score on NYLCV's 2023 Environmental Scorecard

New York, NY – January 3rd, 2024 – The New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV)  released its 2023 New York State Environmental Scorecard, and Senator James Sanders Jr. earned a perfect score of 100%. This prestigious distinction places the Senator among a select group of lawmakers who have consistently prioritized the protection and preservation of New York's environment.

Senator James Sanders has been a champion for our environment throughout their career, and this perfect score is a testament to their unwavering dedication. His leadership on critical issues like clean energy, climate change, and environmental justice has been instrumental in advancing vital legislation and protecting our state's natural resources for future generations.

The NYLCV's annual scorecard is a trusted resource for voters, providing an easy-to-understand evaluation of legislators' environmental voting records. It evaluates the voting records of all New York State legislators based on their support for 14 key environmental bills during the 2023 legislative session. These bills covered a wide range of crucial issues, including:

• Lead Pipe Right To Know Act A. 6115/S. 5512 This legislation will make information about the number and location of lead pipes easily accessible to the public and decision-makers, so that state and federal resources can be secured and efficiently disbursed to local efforts to get the lead out of New York’s drinking water by removing all lead pipes. 

   

• Complete Streets A. 1280/S. 2714 This legislation would amend the highway law, in relation to enabling safe access to public roads for all users by utilizing complete street design principles.

   

• New Offshore Wind Generation Targets A. 7407/S. 6327-A This Legislation would increase the state's offshore wind electricity generation target for 2035 established by the CLCPA and establish new ambitious targets for 2040, 2045, and 2050 

   

• Just Energy Transition Act A. 4866-C/S. 2935-C This legislation would direct NYSERDA to develop a study of competitive options for phasing out and redeveloping New York State’s most-polluting fossil fuel facilities by 2030 while still ensuring resource adequacy and grid reliability.

   

• Rechargeable Battery Recycling Law A. 7339-B/S. 643-D This legislation would maximize the removal of unwanted rechargeable batteries from the solid waste stream and help reduce the amount of waste being shipped to landfills. 

   

• Geothermal Regulatory Relief A. 6949/S.6604 This legislation would exempt certain geothermal boreholes at depths beyond five hundred feet from certain requirements.

   

• Clean Fuel Standard A. 964/S. 1292 A clean or low-carbon fuel standard would require transportation fuel providers to reduce their emissions by at least 20% by 2031 and incentivize fleets and fuel providers to move away from carbon-intensive fuels like diesel and gasoline toward low- or zero-carbon fuels like electric, biofuels, and hydrogen.

   

Senator James Sanders voted in favor of all 14 bills, demonstrating a clear commitment to protecting the environment and ensuring a healthy future for New Yorkers. Their leadership on these critical issues sends a strong message that environmental protection is a top priority for the state.

You can view the scorecard here.