Despite a flip-flop in the 2007 Legislature that angered environmentalists, state Rep. Joni Gutierrez, D-Las Cruces, is one of seven legislators to receive a perfect score this year from the Conservation Voters of New Mexico.
The other lawmakers to receive perfect ratings in the group’s 2007 Legislative Scorecard were Democratic representatives Antonio Lujan of Las Cruces, Miguel Garcia, Rick Miera and Mimi Stewart of Albuquerque, Elias Barela of Belen and Peter Wirth of Santa Fe. No senators received a perfect score.
The lowest scores went to Rep. James Strickler, R-Farmington, who was given a 0 percent rating, and Sen. Mark Boitano, R-Albuquerque, who was given a 10 percent rating.
The conservation group analyzes a number of environmentally related bills – including this year’s Surface Owners Protection Act and renewable energy legislation – and examines how each lawmaker voted to come up with the scores.
Gutierrez voted with fellow Democrats early in the session to shelve a bill that would have given an $85-million tax break for a coal-fired power plant on the Navajo Nation, a plant that would have pumped 10.5 million tons of carbon dioxide into the air each year. Under pressure, she later broke with fellow Democrats and made a motion to bring the bill back, and voted with Republicans on the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee to put it back on the table.
Under extreme pressure, she later switched sides again, voting with Democrats to permanently shelve the bill.
“In the end, she did the right thing by voting the table the bill again (which is the vote we scored), and so she retains her 100 percent score,” the group’s political director, Leanne Leith, wrote in an e-mail.
The average conservation voters’ score among House Democrats was 78 percent; among House Republicans, it was 23 percent. Among Senate Democrats, the average score was 52 percent, and it was 29 percent among Senate Republicans.
Gov. Bill Richardson was given a grade of “A” by the group for his renewable energy push and for vetoing several bills the group opposed.
“In addition to increasing the renewable energy standard, an impressive package of clean energy policies was enacted – a result of the importance that Gov. Richardson places on making New Mexico the clean energy state,” Sandy Buffett, executive director of conservation voters and a Richardson appointee to the state Game Commission, said in a news release.
“We have worked closely with all those who seek to conserve our water, air and public lands and establish