Vermont Alliance of Conservation Voters: VACV Scorecards

VACV SCORECARDS

Since 1982, VACV has been keeping score for the environment.

After each session of the Vermont Legislature, VACV publishes a legislative scorecard to highlight legislators’ voting records on issues that impact the environment. These scorecards help provide voters with a clear record of who supports the environment, and who doesn’t.

VACV encourages voters to get in touch with their elected representatives and talk with them about these scorecard votes. Vermont’s citizen legislature works best when voters keep their legislators accountable.

How We Score

VACV scorecards are based on the legislative priorities of a broad range of conservation and environmental protection organizations. At the start of each new biennium VACV hosts a legislative breakfast where we present the Environment and Conservation Platform for the current legislative session to the legislature. At the end of the session, the scorecard rates each legislator on these priorities and key issues set forth by the state’s environmental community.

Only votes where the roll was called are scored. Voice votes are not reflected in this report.

It is important to recognize that this scorecard is just one test of a legislator’s environmental record and reflects only one component of a legislator’s overall commitment. Factors such as leadership and vision, behind-the-scenes activity or inactivity, or political party pressure are not easily quantifiable on a chart.

Calculating scores

The scores were calculated by dividing the number of pro-environment votes made by number of votes the legislator had the opportunity to cast.

Absences were counted as a negative vote.
Votes during which the speaker of the house or the president pro tem of the senate presided over their respective bodies were counted as a positive vote.
Legislators who served only one year of the biennium were scored only for the year they served.

In instances where there was more than one roll call vote on a particular bill or issue, VACV included the vote that provides the most important information about a legislator's position on the matter. In some cases, to fairly reflect each legislator's view, more than one vote may be presented. Factors that were considered include whether the vote was substantive or procedural in nature and which vote had the most significant effect on the outcome.

Please contact us with questions or for more information.

Gubernatorial Report Cards

The Governor’s office has enormous influence on the future of Vermont’s environment, natural resources, and public health. Through both words and actions, the Governor sets the tone and pace of environmental protection in the state.

Because Vermont voters count environmental issues as a top priority, the Gubernatorial report card takes a close look at the Governor and the actions of his administration -- or lack of actions -- to protect our air, water, and lands.

The purpose of the Report Card is to educate the public about the Governor’s record on environmental issues.