The 2010 Conservation Community’s Scorecard will be released soon.  While we are preparing the new Scorecard, current legislators pages will be taken down for updating.  We apologize for the inconvenience.

On April 19th, Governor Ritter signed the Colorado Clean air/Clean Jobs Act into law. The bi-partisan supported law switches 900 Megawatts of power on the Front Range from coal to cleaner burning, locally available natural gas.  See CCV Executive Director Pete Maysmith’s thoughts in his blog.

On March 22nd, Governor Bill Ritter signed HB10-1001 into law.  Colorado now has a 30% Renewable Energy Standard by 2020 for investor-owned utilities.  This standard represents the second time the conservation majority in the CO legislature has raised the RES since voters initially voted for a 10% standard six years ago.

Here are highlights from the bill signing:

The Colorado Clean Air-Clean Jobs Act has passed in the House and Senate and awaits the Governor’s signature!  The Colorado Clean Air-Clean Jobs Act will require Xcel Energy to dramatically reduce pollution from its aging Front Range coal-burning power plants by replacing or updating those units with cleaner sources of energy by the end of 2017.

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Colorado Conservation Voters has launched another tool to keep you on top of Colorado environmental news with our new Twitter feed.  Check it out at http://twitter.com/ConservationCO and keep in touch!  ReTweet to spread the word about important issues that you and your friends care about.

The 30% Renewable Energy Standard is out of the legislature and headed to Governor Ritter’s desk.  Here is some video from the press conference to introduce the bill.

CCV Executive Director Pete Maysmith will be giving his perspective on the legislative session as it unfolds through his new blog, Keeping it Green in Colorado.  Check it out.

The 2010 Colorado legislative session is underway! The conservation community has set a priority agenda that includes:

• Growing the clean energy economy in Colorado;
• Increasing water efficiency to prepare for our state’s inevitable growth;
• Ensuring that the uranium boom happening in Colorado doesn’t leave a toxic legacy.

Follow these priorities and all of the environmental legislation that is proposed this year by clicking on Current Session Info.

We’re saddened to learn of Governor Ritter’s decision not to seek re-election.  The Governor’s leadership has been critical in making Colorado the national leader in the Clean Energy Economy, creating tens of thousands of new jobs and strengthening our economy, while helping to move the state towards energy independence.  The Governor’s leadership has also been instrumental in preserving our valued Coloradan way of life – protecting our drinking water, public health, communities and our natural resources for future generations. Link to Denver Post Story with Pete Maysmith quote

Well not exactly, but we are very proud of the three authors on our Board of Directors.

Beth Conover is the most recent addition to our Board and the editor of How the West Was Warmed, a collection of essays focusing on the effect of global warming on the Rocky Mountain region.

Auden Schendler gives a ground level view of moving a corporation towards sustainable business practices in Getting Green Done.

Gary Wockner has been involved with several books on the environment and mountain biking, most recently co-editing Pulse of the River: Colorado Writers Speak for the Endangered Cache la Poudre.

The Clean Energy Works campaign recently released a new national poll of American youth that underscores their strong support for comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation.

The poll also reveals that youth are demanding a voice on energy and environmental issues and are paying attention to what Washington is doing on issues they view as top priorities requiring urgent action.Of note, 68% of those polled say “investing in renewable energy to create new jobs” should be an important priority for their Senator to address and 69% say they would be more likely to re-elect their Senator if he or she votes for the bill.

A full memo on the poll’s findings is available online at: http://www.bsgco.com/releases/ACES_Release.pdf.

Outside Magazine handed disposable cameras to 11 Outside icons, including our own Auden Schendler, for a behind the scenes look into their lives.  Click here for an inside look into this sustainable business pioneer’s life.

Thank you to all of the Sponsors, Hosts, Conservation Champions, guests and volunteers who helped make the 2009 Fall Luncheon our most successful event ever.  Over 300 people gathered together to support and protect the unique Colorado environment that we all cherish.

Highlights of the Luncheon courtesy of the Colorado Statesman.

This year we’re hosting the biggest and best Fall Luncheon and only a handful of seats are still available.  Due to the limited seating, we have shut down the online registration.  Please contact Ben Gregory at (303) 454-3349 or bgregory@coloradoconservationvoters.org to check on availability.

The Board and staff of Colorado Conservation Voters are pleased to announce that Pete Maysmith will be joining CCV as Executive Director in late August.  Pete began doing organizing work immediately after graduating from Duke University in 1991.  Over the course of the last 18 years Pete has done on-the-ground organizing, run state and national field campaigns, lobbied at the city, state, and national level, done extensive earned media work, directed statewide candidate and ballot campaigns, run a statewide non-profit, and served as senior leadership staff of national organizations.  More recently, Pete has been making a difference in key Colorado races as a partner with Confluence Strategies.

Pete brings energy, passion, hard work, and creativity to the non-profit work he does. He moved back to his home state of Colorado in 1996 and lives with his wife and two red-haired daughters in Denver. He completed an evening law degree from the University of Denver in December of 2008, graduating with honors. In whatever spare time he can find he trains for marathons, bikes, reads, and cooks.

On June 26th, the U.S House of Representatives voted to pass a clean energy jobs bill (H.R. 2454) that will create 28,000 new jobs in Colorado, while shifting U.S. energy to cleaner, cheaper sources. The bill passed 219 to 212, with Representatives DeGette, Polis, Markey, and Perlmutter voting for the clean energy jobs bill. Representatives Salazar, Lamborn and Coffman voted against the legislation.

Passing this legislation will help shift our country to a clean energy economy and create new jobs in manufacturing, labor and clean technology. It will increase energy efficiency, help consumers save on energy bills, and protect lower-income families. And it will finally put our country on a course to limit the carbon pollution that causes global warming.

Now, the bill will move to the Senate, where it needs to be strengthened and delivered to the President’s desk.  With the help of Senators Udall and Bennet, we can deliver President Obama strong clean energy and climate legislation that will create clean energy jobs, reduce our dependence on dirty fuels and lead the world’s effort to slow down global warming.

CCV is proud to release the 2009 Colorado Legislative Conservation Scorecard. The Scorecard tracks the most important environmental decisions made in the Colorado State Legislature this year and shows you how each member voted their conservation values. Take a look and tell your representatives how you feel about their scores.

And don’t forget to check out our Current Session Info, which tracks every environmental bill considered by the legislature and shows which passed bills Governor Ritter signed into law.

May 6th marked the end of Colorado’s Legislative General Session and the Centennial State continues to be a national leader on environmental issues.  Significant victories were won in each of the environmental community’s priority areas including boosting renewable energy development, making oil and gas drilling safer, encouraging energy efficiency, and improving our transportation systems.

Governor Ritter now has 30 days from the close of the session to sign the bills on his desk into law.  For more details on the bills passed this year, visit our Current Session Info page and visit this website in early June to see the 2009 Legislative Conservation Scorecard.

With the close of the 2009 Legislative Session, Colorado says farewell to three long time Conservation Champions: Senate President Peter Groff, Senator Jennifer Veiga, and Representative Gwyn Green.  CCV would like to thank these Champions for their hard work to protect Colorado and wish them all the best of luck in their future endeavours.

With one month left in the Colorado Legislative Session, our environment has seen 23 victories and 11 losses.  As of April 7th there are 24 environmental bills that are still being discussed.  Some of the victories on the conservation communities priorities include:

• Passage of the Oil and Gas Rules to improve pulbic health and habitat safeguards
• Improved transportation infrastructure and mass transit funding through the FASTER bill
• Expansion of the Colorado Clean Energy Finance Program Act to encourage renewable energy systems for homes and apartments
• Empowering electrical coops to encourage efficiency by charging higher rates to bigger energy consumers

See all of the wins, losses, and bills still in process on the Currect Session Info page.

CCV would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to departing Representative for House District 3 and Lifetime 100% Conservation Voter Anne McGihon.  Since 2004, Rep. McGihon has been a staunch supporter of public health, sound water policy and the New Energy Economy.  This year McGihon was the House sponsor for the Oil and Gas Rule Bill that was one of the conservation community’s highest priorities.  On behalf of the conservation community, we would like to thank Representative McGihon for her dedication and wish her great success in the next chapter of her career.

With her departure, Daniel Kagan has stepped in as the new Representative for District 3.  We look forward to Rep. Kagan continuing to work hard to protect the health of District 3′s residents and the beauty of Colorado’s wild areas.

After a tough legislative battle, the Senate has approved the proposed oil & gas rules with the passage of House BIll 1292.  This victory has been years in the making and CCV would like to thank everyone who was involved – from legislators who sponsored and voted to change the make up of the oil and gas commission to local residents who made their voices heard during the rule making process to the oil and gas companies who were willing to work to build a strong bill for both industry and the environment.  Thank you for your hard work to find a balance of development that protects the public health and Colorado’s environment.

Keep track of other important bills being debated this session with CCV’s online bill tracker.

The legislature has passed the FASTER bill and it is on the way to the Governor!  This bill provides critical funding for our transportation infrastructure and improvements to mass transit.  CCV would like to recognize Senators Gibbs and Romer, Speaker of the House Terrance Carroll, and Representatives Kerr, Levy, May, and Rice for their leadership on this critical bill.  Keep track of all the latest action in the legislature on our Current Session Info page.

A few days ago, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law right here in Colorado.  It is unusual for a President to sign a bill outside of Washington, but there is a reason why Denver was chosen to be the scene of this historic moment.  The President wanted to highlight how the stimulus will jumpstart the new energy economy, and Colorado is the model for how strong policy leadership can lead to the creation of thousands of clean energy jobs. more

CCV thanks Senators Newell, Foster, and Schwartz for protecting our public health by defeating the proposed moratorium on implementing the new oil and gas rules in committee.  What other bills are being discussed in the legislature now?  Visit our Current Session Info page to find out!

The Colorado legislative session is underway!  Keep tabs on your representatives and the progress of the Colorado Clean agenda with the CCV Current Session tracking system, powered by Colorado Capitol Watch.  Check back often – information will be updated daily as new bills are introduced.

Introducing the new map version of the 2008 CCV Scorecard.  With this tool, the scores of the 2008 Colorado Legislators are represented visually on a district map of the state.

Click here to see the map of the Senate results and here for a map of the House of Representatives.

Cross some names off your gift list and support CCV by giving CCV Gift Memberships this year.  For as little as $25, you can introduce someone to our organization with a Gift Membership that includes a custom greeting card, a copy of the 2008 Scorecard and all of the usual benefits of CCV Membership including an invitation to the Annual Membership Meeting on January 15th.  Click here to purchase, or contact Ben Gregory at bgregory@coloradoconservationvoters.org or (303) 454-3349

Check our Endorsements page for the unofficial results of the 2008 General Election and thank you for voting with your conservation values!

Find your polling place with the help of Google.  If this application doesn’t return a polling place for your address, please contact your County Clerk to find your voting location.

If you feel that your right to vote is being interfered with in any way, please contact Just Vote Colorado (JVC).  Formerly known as Fair Vote Colorado, JVC is not affiliated with or promoting any issue or candidate.  JVC works to ensure that every eligible voter who wants to vote can and that every vote is counted accurately.

CCV is pround to announce our endorsement of Wally White for La Plata County Commissioner.  Visit our Endorsement Page to see our full list of endorsed candidates in the 2008 elections.

By popular demand, here is the text of Karl Rábago’s Keynote Address from the 2008 Fall Luncheon.

Avoid the lines – request a Vote by Mail Ballot today.  Applications are due by October 28.

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CCV is pleased to announce the endorsements of Cheri Gerou in House District 25, Todd Hagenbuch in House District 57, and Noelle Hagan in House District 58.

The full list of CCV endorsed candidates is available on our endorsement page.

Welcome to Colorado Conservation Voters’ new website! It’s an Election year and a lot of exciting things are happening here in Colorado. CCV is working to keep the public informed of important environmental decisions happening now and you can help!

Be sure to check out:

CCV’s first ever searchable Legislative Scorecard

CCV’s Endorsements in the 2008 General Election – Updated as we announce

How you can support pro conservation candidates by becoming a member of CCV

Volunteer and help spread the word about CCV’s Conservation Champions