News from Environmental Advocates of New York

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Green Watchdog Applauds NYS Lawmakers for Protecting State’s Natural Resources

Environmental Advocates of New York Recognizes Members of State Assembly & Senate for Supporting Priority Super Bills

ALBANY, NY (07/22/2008; 1000)(readMedia)-- Environmental Advocates of New York, the state's government watchdog in Albany, today released the names of members of the New York State Legislature who supported all four of the environmental community's priority "Super Bills." The organization also recognized those legislators who distinguished themselves by taking leadership positions on specific legislative actions.

"Environmental Advocates of New York is proud to congratulate the many state lawmakers who stepped up and made protecting our precious natural resources a priority during the 2008 State Legislative Session," said Robert Moore, Executive Director of Environmental Advocates of New York. "On the issue of climate change many state lawmakers stepped up to fill the void created by federal government inaction. Thanks to the leadership of the Assembly's Environmental Conservation Committee Chair Bob Sweeney, the Global Warming Pollution Cap passed the Assembly by wide margins. The Cap also made significant headway in the State Senate thanks to Senator Tom Morahan, and co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle, including Senators Frank Padavan, Dean Skelos, Antoine Thompson and Eric Schneiderman, all of whom worked right up to the very end of the Legislative Session to pass climate legislation."

The 2008 Super Bills include:

The Wetlands Protection Act would close a gaping loophole in wetlands protections across the state.

The Bigger Better Bottle Bill would update New York's most successful recycling plan to fit the drinking habits of today's consumers, and earmark unclaimed deposits for the state's Environmental Protection Fund.

The Global Warming Pollution Cap would set limits to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions from all sources-cars, homes, factories, schools and more-80 percent by 2050.

Two Net Metering Reform Bills will expand net metering eligibility to non-residential customer classes, as well as significantly increase the size of renewable energy systems that can be installed. This is the only Super Bill that will become law this year.

The Super Bills were selected by the Green Panel, a group made up of representatives from New York's leading environmental organizations.

"Environmental Advocates of New York thanks those legislators who supported these priority measures and would like to especially recognize the 98 members of the State Senate and Assembly who supported all four of the Super Bills," said Moore.

In the Senate, three Republicans and 15 Democrats requested to sponsor three Super Bills and voted for the fourth. In the Assembly, where all four of the Super Bills passed, nine Republicans and 71 Democrats voted in their favor.

Note to Reporters and Editors:

The attached list names all members of the Assembly and Senate who went "four for four" on the 2008 Super Bills. Because all of the bills were voted on in the Assembly, the list reflects actual votes in favor on these bills. However, in the Senate the list includes Republicans who co-sponsored three bills and voted for the fourth, as well as Democrats who officially requested to be listed as co-sponsors on three bills and also voted for the fourth.

NYS Assembly Supporters

Name Party District

Marc Alessi D 1

Tom Alfano R 21

Jeffrion L. Aubry D 35

Bob Barra R 14

Michael Benedetto D 82

Michael Benjamin D 79

Jonathan L.Bing D 73

Philip Boyle R 8

Adam Bradley D 89

James F.Brennan D 44

Richard L. Brodsky D 92

Alec Brook-Krasny D 46

Kevin A.Cahill D 101

Karim Camara D 43

Ron Canestrari D 106

Joan K. Christensen D 119

Barbara M.Clark D 33

William Colton D 47

James D. Conte R 10

Vivian E. Cook D 32

Michael Cusick D 63

Steven Cymbrowitz D 45

RoAnn M.Destito D 116

Luis Diaz D 86

Ruben Diaz, Jr. D 85

Jeffrey Dinowitz D 81

Steve Englebright D 4

Herman D. Farrell, Jr. D 71

Ginny Fields D 5

Sandy Galef D 90

Michael N. Gianaris D 36

Deborah J. Glick D 66

Richard N. Gottfried D 75

Carl E. Heastie D 83

Andrew Hevesi D 28

Earlene Hooper D 18

Sam Hoyt D 144

D. Janele Hyer-Spencer D 60

Ellen Jaffee D 95

Hakeem Jeffries D 57

Susan V.John D 131

Brian P. Kavanagh D 74

Micah Z Kellner D 65

Ivan C.Lafayette D 34

Rory Lancman D 25

George S. Latimer D 91

Charles D. Lavine D 13

Joseph R. Lentol D 50

Barbara Lifton D 125

Donna Lupardo D 126

William B. Magnarelli D 120

Alan Maisel D 59

Margaret M. Markey D 30

David G. McDonough R 19

John J. McEneny D 104

Tom McKevitt R 17

Joan L. Millman D 52

Marcus Molinaro R 103

Daniel J.O'Donnell D 69

Felix Ortiz D 51

Amy Paulin D 88

Crystal D. Peoples D 141

N. Nick Perry D 58

Audry I. Pheffer D 23

J. Gary Pretlow D 87

Phil Ramos D 6

Linda Rosenthal D 67

Michelle Schimel D 16

Mark J. F. Schroeder D 145

Mike Spano D 93

Robert K. Sweeney D 11

Fred W. Thiele, Jr. R 2

Michele R. Titus D 31

Robert Walker R 15

Helene E. Weinstein D 41

Harvey Weisenberg D 20

Mark Weprin D 24

Ellen Young D 22

Kennneth Zebrowski D 94

Sheldon Silver D 64

NYS Senate Supporters

Name Party District

Neil D. Breslin D 46

Martin Connor D 25

Ruben Diaz, Sr. D 32

Thomas K. Duane D 29

Kemp Hannon R 6

Craig M. Johnson D 7

Liz Krueger D 26

Kenneth P. LaValle R 1

Velmanette Montgomery D 18

George Onorato D 12

Suzi Oppenheimer D 37

Frank Padavan R 11

Kevin S. Parker D 21

Bill Perkins D 30

Eric T. Schneiderman D 31

Jose M. Serrano D 28

Andrea Stewart-Cousins D 35

Antoine Thompson D 60

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Environmental Advocates of New York is the state's government watchdog, holding lawmakers and agencies accountable for implementing policy that protects natural resources and safeguards public health. Environmental Advocates works alone and in coalitions, and has more than 7,000 individual and 130 organizational members. We are a 501(c) (3) is also the New York affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation.