Environmental group gives Gov. Doug Ducey, Legislature bad grades for 2016 session
May 24, 2016, 1:47 PM
(Instagram Photo/@beckster107)
(Instagram Photo/@beckster107)
PHOENIX — An environmental group has given the Arizona Legislature and Gov. Doug Ducey some bad grades for the 2016 legislative session.
In a press release, the Sierra Club said the 52nd Arizona Legislature seemed set on not protecting some of Arizona’s natural wonders.
“The Arizona Legislature is determined to allow harm to what makes Arizona special: Unique and threatened rivers, such as the San Pedro, endangered Mexican gray wolves, public lands around Grand Canyon,” Sandy Bahr, chapter director for Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon (Arizona) Chapter, said in a press release.
The group was critical of several proposed bills, but really took issue with those affecting solar power in the state.
“Rather than taking advantage of our 300-plus days of sunshine and growing solar industry and the jobs its provides, legislators passed a bill to hinder installations and even considered proposed constitutional amendments that would have likely destroyed the rooftop solar industry in Arizona,” Bahr said.
The Sierra Club said, in addition to proposing what the group perceived as anti-green measures, the Legislature did not introduce any bills to advance conservation in the state.
In response, the group gave all but three Republicans in the Legislature a failing grade on their 2016 performance. The Sierra Club did not include grades for Democrats in the release.
Ducey did not fare much better. Thought the group praised his decision to veto two water usage bills, it was critical of his decision to sign several others the group disagreed with.
The Sierra Club gave the governor a D+.
The group gave five legislators an A+ rating — State Reps. Randall Friese, Matt Kopec, Stefanie Mach and Eric Meyer and state Sen. Debbie McCune Davis. All are Democrats.
