ecovote.org > scorecard > 2006 California Environmental Scorecard

2006 California Environmental Scorecard

Year In Review

<< | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | >>

CLCV Leads Improved Environmental Lobbying

One of the most important Sacramento environmental stories of 2006 occurred behind the scenes: the unprecedented collaboration and coordination of environmental lobbying organizations to improve our own effectiveness. This year CLCV convened a process by which the environmental community identified priority bills and marshaled our resources behind those bills, pioneered new ways of working together, and developed new tactics to build political power and legislative relationships—and we have been delighted with the results.

Never before have California’s environmental advocates come together in a collaborative process to identify policy priorities to legislative leadership as a community and work in partnership with legislative allies to pass those priorities. The results show that our efforts paid off in spades. In fact, 20 of the 28 bills we identified as priorities in the final days of session made it to the governor’s desk.

This process began only a year ago, when CLCV convened a summit attended by representatives from a broad range of environmental and environmental justice groups from across the state to discuss ways to improve communications, prioritize legislative efforts, and communicate those priorities clearly and effectively to legislators. Several legislators attended, provided valuable unvarnished observations of our strengths and weaknesses, and made helpful suggestions for our community to consider in our future work.

Based on the outcome of that discussion, CLCV again took up its longstanding role as the convener of regular meetings of environmental lobbyists and spearheaded a new process which led to a much more focused and efficient environmental legislative effort.

We made incredible strides in coordination and effectiveness this year, and can only see a continually more collaborative, well-integrated environmental lobby community in our future as the process and effort matures. Thanks go out to ALL of the groups that participated in developing what will surely be a long-term process toward building our political and legislative power as a community and protecting California’s environment for years to come.

Next page: "A Better Year"
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | "Improved Environmental Lobbying" | 7 | 8

© 2008 California League of Conservation Voters. Contact us.