Press Release
February 26, 2019
CONTACT:
Andy Kelley – (510)844-0229
[email protected]
CLCV Scorecard shows Chevron investment paid off in electing Senator Ling Ling Chang
Analysis of 2018 legislative year shows Chang – who Chevron spent $500,000 to help elect – consistently sided with corporate polluters against environmental and health protections.
Brea, CA – The California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV) announced today the release of its annual California Environmental Scorecard. The Scorecard reveals how members of the state legislature and Governor Jerry Brown performed in 2018 on the most important environmental and public health bills.
Freshman Senator Ling Ling Chang (R – Brea) scored a disappointing 36% on this year’s California Environmental Scorecard, siding with corporate polluters and their lobbyists.
To better understand this score, we need to consider it in the recent history of the district. Elected in November 2016, then Senator Josh Newman (CLCV score 81%) came into confrontation with Chevron early in his time in office over his support of community-led efforts to preserve open spaces in the West Cyote Hills. Ultimately, Newman was successful in securing $15 million in state funding to make preservation possible, dampening plans by Chevron to build a commercial center and housing on the site.
Chevron then bankrolled a recall election to the tune of $500,000, electing Senator Chang, who succeeded in momentarily breaking Democrats’ 2/3 supermajority in Sacramento.
If this year’s vote totals are any indication, investment by Chevron and their allies is paying off.
In her first year in office, Senator Chang voted against efforts to prohibit expanded offshore oil drilling, despite recent polling finding a majority of voters in Orange County support the ban. Chang voted against legislation to disclose health impacts of industrial projects, and against California’s 100% renewable energy standard. She also voted with petrochemical companies against measures to reduce waste from plastic straws and takeout containers.
“When Chevron spent $500,000 to elect Senator Chang to office, they got exactly what they paid for,” said Mike Young, Political and Organizing Director of the California League of Conservation Voters. “Voters in SD 29 deserve a Senator who will fight for the health of our communities, not corporate polluters who can buy elections.”
A complete list of Senator Ling Ling Chang’s votes can be found here.
More about the California Environmental Scorecard
Members of the California legislature were graded for the 2018 scorecard on their responses to 19 pieces of key legislation, then given a percentage score for their pro-environmental actions. This year, 47 legislators, including 21 State Senators– the majority of the chamber — and 26 state Assembly members, received a perfect score of 100%. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon scored 100%, and Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins scored 100% as well. Governor Jerry Brown scored 80%.
To learn more about each legislators’ score and see how they voted on key environmental legislation, visit ecovote.org/scorecard.
ABOUT CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL VOTERS
California Environmental Voters (formerly the California League of Conservation Voters) believes the climate crisis is here and this moment requires transformative change. California has the policy solutions to stop climate change but lacks the political will to do it at the rate and scale that’s necessary. EnviroVoters exists to build the political power to solve the climate crisis, advance justice, and create a roadmap for global action. We organize voters, elect and train candidates, and hold lawmakers accountable for bold policy change. We won’t stop until we have resilient, healthy, thriving communities, and a democracy and economy that is just and sustainable for all. Join us at www.envirovoters.org and on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. See more press releases.
