2007 Montana Legislative Scorecard

Download a .pdf version of the 2007 Montana Legislative Scorecard.

Download maps that portray voting trends in 2007 statewide House and Senate districts.

Download graphs displaying conservation voting score trends from 1999-2007

The 60th Montana Legislative Session was another reminder that voters can make a difference in conservation and environmental policy. Citizens like you who called, wrote and visited legislators influenced the outcome of this session on behalf of the environment. After almost two decades of legislative attacks on Montana’s cornerstone environmental laws, this legislature, like the 2005 session, defeated all the bills opposed by the conservation community save one, which was vetoed by Governor Schweitzer.

Lest you think that stopping the bad stuff was our greatest accomplishment, there’s more to the story. This legislature passed good bills promoting energy conservation and renewables, protection of private property, new requirements for Public Service Commission-permitted energy facilities and responsible planning and growth. That’s the result of the coordinated efforts of the conservation group lobbyists in Helena and grassroots organizing to connect conservation voters to their legislators.

The legislature also saw conservation advocates and legislators push the envelope on the most critical issues ranging from global warming to public access of Montana’s tremendous water and land. And there were no rollbacks in Montana voting rights.

This all may come as a surprise, since the rancorous battles over the state’s projected budget surplus, and the antics of a few legislators, grabbed the vast majority of headlines. This is the first legislative session marked by a robust debate about what Montana needs to do to confront global warming pollution. People who care about keeping Montana a great place to live, work and raise a family recognize the threat global warming poses to our beautiful state, and that we need to do something about it. Lawmakers formed a global warming caucus to discuss its causes and solutions. Local officials, agricultural interests, small business and church groups came from across the state to testify in support of clean energy, energy efficiency and carbon capture.

Unfortunately, some of the best bills advanced by conservation groups failed to pass. The petroleum industry persuaded lawmakers to reject measures that would have helped grow a fledgling Montana biodiesel industry and ensure affordable, renewable fuel and a reduction in transportationrelated global warming pollution. Farmers and ranchers still face threats from irresponsible and poorly-regulated coal bed methane development. Landowners face more flooding and water quality degradation from the development pressures too close to Montana’s rivers and big streams. Bipartisan, proactive measures were defeated, mostly by Republican votes in House committees, or on party-line votes on the House floor.

MCV wishes to thank those legislators on both sides of the aisle that stood up for good bills and worked against attacks on clean air and water, public health and our right to participate in government. The conservation and environmental community has seen real legislative progress in Helena since MCV began in 1999, thanks to their leadership.

But it’s clear that a conservation majority is needed to achieve farther-reaching reforms.

That’s where you and this scorecard come in. Please read it to find out how your legislators voted. Thank those who stood up for the environment, and hold accountable those who consistently opposed Montanans’ commitment to clean air and water, affordable, renewable energy, and our shared outdoor values.

Theresa M. Keaveny
Montana Conservation Voters Executive Director