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published on October 30, 2017 - 10:52 AM
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The Sierra Club published its legislative report card for 2017, rating assemblymembers and senators for the California Congress on their voting record concerning environmental legislation, and Central Valley legislators did not fare well.

The Sierra Club, an environmental lobbying organization, ranked the ratings based on 11 bills that it supported and one bill it opposed.

Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno) scored the highest of all assemblymembers in Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Madera counties with 67 percent of his votes aligning with that of the Sierra Club’s.

Devon Mathis (R-Visalia) and Jim Patterson (R-Fresno) both scored 17 percent, Rudy Salas Jr. (D-Hanford) scored 58 percent and Frank Bigelow (R-Madera) scored 0 percent.

In the senate, Tom Berryhill (R-District 8) was evaluated at 18 percent, Anthony Cannella (R-District 12) scored 25 percent, Jean Fuller (R-District 16) scored 0 percent and Andy Vidak (R-District 14) scored 9 percent.

Some bills of note include:

—AB 262 will shift the focus on supplies used for state projects toward supplies that have less impact on the environment, according to The bill passed on Oct. 15.

—AB 523 establishes the Public Utilities Commission, which would have a certain amount of control over all of the public utilities in California and would fund research and development for renewable energy. The bill passed.

—SB 231 allows water agencies to collect fees to offset the costs of stormwater cleanup and capture projects.

—AB 313, which the organization opposed, would have reorganized water management and distribution. All of the assembly members and senators in the 4-county area voted for it, except Sen. Berryhill, who was not present for the vote. The bill was vetoed by the governor.

A complete list of the bills the Sierra Club either supported or opposed can be found at their website.


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