For the 2012 short session, an advocacy group has given Rowan County’s three state legislators its lowest possible score on environmental issues.
N.C. League of Conservation Voters released its conservation scorecard Monday. The scorecard gives each state legislator a score of zero to 100 based on his or her votes on key environmental bills in the recent session of the General Assembly.
Since 1999, the league has handed out only four zero percent scores on the Legislative Scorecard, the last in 2001. During the 2012 short session, 44 legislators earned zeros.
Those include N.C. Rep. Harry Warren (whose lifetime score is 9 percent), N.C. Rep. Fred Steen (lifetime score of 41 percent) and N.C. Sen. Andrew Brock (lifetime score of 42 percent).
Among the legislation the league says it considered are bills to explore hydraulic fracturing or “fracking,” cut funding for the Clean Water Management Fund, roll back rules to clean up key drinking water supplies and prohibit certain policies regarding sea level rise.
The average score in the House for the 2011-12 session was 42 percent, down from 67 percent for the 2009-10 average. The Senate average was 31 percent, compared to 69 percent in 2009-10.
The complete scorecard, can be viewed online at nclcv.org/scorecard.gU.S. Rep. Larry Kissell visited with second and third graders at Fred L. Wilson Elementary School in Kannapolis last week and he discussed the importance of education and learning.
According to a press release from his office, Kissell answered questions and offered insight into his role as their local representative in Congress.
Erin Andrews, curriculum coordinator for Fred L. Wilson Elementary, said the students enjoyed the visit.
“The third graders have been learning about government, and for them to meet Congressman Kissell made what they’ve been learning very real for them,” she said in the press release. “He spoke to them at their level, making things easy for them to understand. They in turn were so engaged, asking him question after question.”gU.S. Senator Kay Hagan was honored last week at the Marine Corps League Grand Banquet in Arlington, Va., for her work to support the U.S. Marine Corps.
Hagan received the 2012 Dickey Chapelle Award, one of the Marine Corps League’s highest awards, given each year to a woman who has contributed substantially to the morale, welfare and well being of Marines and the Marine Corps.
“I am truly honored to receive the Dickey Chapelle Award – named for a woman who put her life on the line to tell the story of our courageous Marines,” Hagan said. “The Marine Corps and the entire military are close to my heart and I am proud to work for our servicemen and women, veterans and their families every day in the U.S. Senate.”
Hagan has been on the Senate Armed Services Committee since coming to the U.S. Senate and chairs the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities.
“We have no better friend than Sen. Kay Hagan,” said Commandant of the Marine Corps James Amos. “On behalf of all marines, our families, thank you for the work you do for our wounded. Thank you for the work you do for our families.”
Hagan’s father-in-law was a two-star general in the Marine Corps; her husband, father and brother all served in the Navy; and she has two nephews on active duty who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.