N.Y. Senate leads Assembly on voting on environmental bills

New York’s environmental watchdog is sounding off on how legislative leaders voted on bills that will impact the environment this past legislative session.

Environmental Advocates NY just released its 2026 Legislative Scorecard following what it calls a “disastrous rollback” of the state’s 2019 climate law. The scorecard gives an annual account of how every New York lawmaker voted, sponsored, and spoke out on environmental bills and issues.

“The central story of the year for us and the scorecard is one step forward, two steps back,” said Vanessa Fajans-Turner, executive director of Environmental Advocates NY.  

Rollbacks to the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act in the budget are a source of tension which are expected to delay the state’s transition away from natural gas.

The CLCPA was expected to cut greenhouse gases by 40% by 2030. The new target is 60% by 2040.

Ken Lovett, senior communications advisor on energy and environment for Gov. Kathy Hochul, tells Spectrum News 1: “Governor Hochul has made clear her top priority is keeping the lights on and costs down for all New Yorkers. While reckless policies coming out of Washington D.C. continue to bring unprecedented challenges, the commonsense reforms Governor Hochul fought for in this year’s budget protect New York’s status as a climate leader, while prioritizing affordability for New Yorkers. Governor Hochul remains committed to building on the state’s robust and nation-leading record of climate and clean energy successes.”

Advocates say as part of their scorecard, they tracked who publicly spoke up about the climate law.

“The climate law was part of a complex budget bill, and because lawmakers weren’t just voting on the climate law rollbacks as part of the budget, we did score for the first time what, if lawmakers said anything publicly using their public platforms as public figures about their concerns,” said Fajans-Turner.

Some key findings from the scorecard include:

The state Senate scoring significantly higher with a score of 75 compared to the Assembly’s score of 59.

“I am proud that the members of the Senate Democratic Majority Conference and I were the top-scoring legislators on this year’s EANY Environmental Scorecard, “said Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. “Since taking the Senate Majority, we have supported landmark environmental efforts, including The Environmental Bond Act, The Environmental Protection Fund, and The Climate Superfund Program. This year’s budget includes historic investments into the Environmental Protection Fund and Sustainable Futures Fund to strengthen climate resilience and support the state’s transition to green energy. The Senate Majority remains committed to protecting our environment.” 

When it comes to regions, the scores ranged with Manhattan taking the highest at 83 and the North Country taking the lowest at 31.

Advocates tell Spectrum News 1, there were four environmental superbills including the Lead Pipe Replacement Act, Beauty Justice Act, Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act and a Ban on PFAS in Consumer Products they wanted to see passed.

They’re hopeful lawmakers will take these initiatives up in the future.