Adversaries: 0% Scores, Corrupt Commission
Out of all the 170 elected officials in the General Assembly, 50 scored a whopping 0% – 21 House members and 29 Senators, all of them Republicans. Two legislators really stood out.
Flip-Flop Cotham
Representative Tricia Cotham won her seat in the NC House by running as a Democrat; but without warning, she announced she was switching parties. While she wasn’t the strongest vote for the environment before doing a complete 180 on her constituents, flip-flop Cotham’s vote gave pro-polluters a supermajority in the NCGA. This change in vote allowed them to override the Governor’s vetoes and pass dangerous laws threatening our environment, freedoms, and democracy.
New House Speaker Rep. Destin Hall
Representative Destin Hall wasted little time establishing himself as an anti-environmental leader in the House. As speaker, he does not vote on every bill, but still, it’s hard to get a 0. We also have seen the types of anti-conservation bills he allows the House to pass, which easily makes him an adversary on issues we care about.
Environmental Management Commission
As its name suggests, the Environmental Management Commission (EMC) “is responsible for adopting rules for the protection, preservation, and enhancement of the state’s air and water resources.” Yet when widely supported regulations for clean water came before the Commission, they decided to delay the implementation of these regulations. Their reasoning? It would be too expensive for companies to install filter systems. But these businesses have knowingly dumped these chemicals into our water sources for decades. They’ve profited from polluting. Failure to require these businesses to pay for their pollution passes the financial impact on to local governments, communities, and us, the ratepayers.
This decision ignores the desperate calls from advocates, families, and communities poisoned by these forever chemicals for decades. It fails to provide them with clean, drinkable water.
Allies: Fight for People and the Environment
2024 Rising Stars
Each year, NCLCV honors up-and-coming legislators who have already demonstrated their commitment to protecting the environment and North Carolinian communities. This year, NCLCV honored the following Representatives and Senator:
Rep. Eric Ager, Rep. Gloristine Brown, Rep. Kanika Brown, Rep. Allen Buansi, Rep. Laura Budd, Rep. Maria Cervania, Rep. Frances Jackson, PhD, Rep. Ya Liu, Rep. Tim Longest, Rep. Lindsey Prather, Rep. Renée A. Price, Rep. Caleb Rudow, Rep. Charles Smith, Rep. Diamond Staton-Williams, and Sen. Lisa Grafstein
100% Scores
We congratulate the following Representatives and Senators for scoring 100% for this last session:
Representatives Eric Ager, Vernetta Alston, Vernetta Alston, John Autry, Mary Belk, Kanika Brown, Allen Buansi, Laura Budd, Maria Cervania, Sarah Crawford, Pricey Harrison, Carolyn Logan, Tim Longest, Lindsey Prather, Renée Price, and Julie von Haefen.
Senators Gale Adcock, Val Applewhite, Sydney Batch, Mary Wills Bode, Jay Chaudhuri, Michael Garret, Lisa Grafstein, Rachel Hunt, Julie Mayfield, Graig Meyer, Mujtaba Mohammed, Natalie Murdock, Gladys Robinson, DeAndrea Salvador, and Mike Woodard
Legislators with 100% Lifetime Score
We would also like to congratulate the legislators who have maintained a perfect score throughout their time in office. These environmental champions have demonstrated a firm commitment to protecting our air, water, renewable energy future, and our freedom.
Thank you to Representatives Eric Ager, Vernetta Alston, John Autry, Mary Belk, Kanika Brown, Allen Buansi, Laura Budd, Maria Cervania, Sarah Crawford, Pricey Harrison, Carolyn Logan, Tim Longest, Lindsey Prather, and Julie von Haefen.
Thank you to Senators Val Applewhite, Sydney Batch, Jay Chaudhuri, Lisa Grafstein, Mujtaba Mohammed, and Natalie Murdock.
Know the Score: See the 2024 Scorecard
To see how your legislators scored, and to learn more about the 2024 bills and votes, see the full 2024 Scorecard.
