Legislators of the Year
2009 Legislator of the Year
Representative John McCoy (D-38)
Defending the Citizen’s Clean Energy Initiative
WCV’s highest environmental honor in 2009 went to Representative John McCoy for his leadership in promoting renewable energy and protecting the Clean Energy Initiative (I-937), which had been approved by voters in 2006. During the 2009 legislative session, the initiative came under attack from special interests seeking to undermine I-937’s requirements to ensure our clean energy future. With environmental community support, Representative McCoy prime sponsored a bill that was a reasonable compromise.
When it became clear that large power producers and business interests would attempt to hijack the legislation in order to gut the initiative, Representative McCoy took the unusual move to kill his own bill. The Senate later passed legislation that would have significantly weakened the initiative and he once again stood firm, leading to the Governor’s intervention and a compromise deal to which all the parties at that time could agree. Representative McCoy almost single-handedly stopped any legislation from moving forward that would have significantly hampered the initiative.
Representative McCoy’s efforts as Chair of the Technology, Energy & Communications Committee led to the passage of Efficiency First, the only Environmental Community Priority to pass during the 2009 session. This law gradually raises standards for new building construction while also improving energy efficiency in existing public buildings through insulation, better windows, and improved heating and cooling systems. In addition, he led the effort to preserve the tax credits for renewable energy development that will help ensure clean energy careers in Washington for years to come.
At a time when moving toward a clean energy future is critical for a strong economy and a sustainable environment, Representative McCoy is just the kind of leader we need. Washington Conservation Voters is proud to have recognized him as our 2009 Legislator of the Year.
2010 Legislator of the Year
Representative Sharon Nelson (D-34)
Leading the fight for a clean and healthy Puget Sound
Representative Sharon Nelson has a long personal history of working to protect the environment, especially Puget Sound. Since joining the Legislature in 2008, she has wasted little time in establishing herself as a strong and effective environmental champion in Olympia. In 2010, WCV is pleased to recognize her as our Legislator of the Year.
Representative Nelson played a key role on a number of critical environmental issues this year. As one of the strongest advocates in the House for cleaning up Puget Sound, she helped lead the fight to pass the environmental community’s legislation that would have increased the Hazardous Substance Tax to pay for addressing stormwater runoff, the state’s and Puget Sound’s number one water pollution problem.
She was also the key force behind the successful fight to secure $15 million of state funds for purchasing the Glacier Northwest gravel pit on Maury Island, thus ending the decades-long fight over the development of a mine that would have destroyed the surrounding environment, including a highly sensitive aquatic reserve in Puget Sound.
As one of the leaders in the House’s “Blue-Green Alliance,” Representative Nelson worked successfully with leadership and budget writers to ensure the restoration of more than $10 million of cuts in the final budget, one of the environmental community’s three Priorities for the session.
Sharon Nelson’s commitment to the environment is second to none, and she is as effective as they come. She collaborative and pragmatic, but is also tenacious and passionate. We are lucky to have her leadership in Olympia.
Representative Sharon Nelson has been a great partner in our fight to protect the environment. We look forward to many more great years as she enters the state Senate in 2011.
