Carly Ferro, Carly.Ferro@sierraclub.org 908.415.4587
Salt Lake City, UT -- Today, the Sierra Club’s Utah Chapter released a comprehensive legislative scoring on conservation and environmental issues of the 2020 Utah State legislature. The scorecard reviewed twenty bills addressing a swath of environmental and governance issues-- and revealed failing averages for the House and the Senate. The scorecard release comes ahead of Utah's general elections, which include votes for Governor, the entire State House, and fifteen seats in the State Senate.
The scorecard reveals that though environmental champions realized successes for home energy programs, water banking, and legislation creating the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls Task Force, corporations, not people, were the real winners of the 2020 session. Overall, deregulation of the mining industry, tax breaks for refineries, and attacks on wildlife, triumphed over funds for energy research, supporting agency transparency, and a resolution to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day. ]
**View the scorecard here: bit.ly/UTScorecard**
In addition to the scorecard, Utah Chapter Director Carly Ferro released the following statement:
"It is disappointing that time and time again, the legislature misses the mark in upholding the values of environmental stewardship and community development-- priorities that are deeply-embedded in Utah and necessary for the health and safety of our communities.
Sierra Club’s scorecards reveal failing averages in the Utah House and Senate on environmental legislation and votes. These unsatisfactory records translate to poor public health and poor environmental quality for Utahns. We will continue to push for policies and political leadership that prioritize people and the planet -- which includes equitable access to clean water, clean air, and outdoor experiences. ”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.