Annapolis Capital Punishment

Anne Arundel Lawmakers Busch, Sophocleus and Schuh Among Delegates Rated at 100% in Environmental Scorecard....but read on more about Schuh in particular......Although Republicans have historically received lower ratings than Democrats in the Maryland League of Conservation Voters Annual Scorecard, Steve Schuh, a conservative delegate from exclusive bay-front Gibson Island whose district includes the Magothy and Patapsco Rivers, has been given 100%, joining fellow Anne Arundel Delegates House Speaker Mike Busch (D-30) and Ted Sophocleus (D-32) who each got 100. Virginia Clagett (D-30) received a 75 and Delegate Ron George (R-30), a Republican who has been referred to as a Green Elephant for his pro-environmental record, only received a 43. Those ratings were for floor votes. Ratings for committee votes will obviously hold more weight for member's ratings, such as Clagett who sits on the Environmental Matters Committee and has previously scored 100. D-30's Senator John Astle received a 63, putting him slightly ahead of Senator Ed DeGrange, the next highest-rated AA senator . Only one state senator, Paul Pinksy, received a 100, while many delegates received the top score.
According to Gazette.net, this was the first time in 16 years that a Republican has received a perfect score, but perhaps even more noteworthy is that Schuh also received a 100 score from Maryland Business for Responsive Government which describes itself as a statewide, nonpartisan, political research and education organization that works to improve Maryland's business climate.

Besides Schuh, only five other Republicans received scores higher than 50, including Anne Arundel's Robert A. Costa (33B) of Shady Side, who received 71.

One senator, Andy Harris (R-7), who is seeking to unseat first-term incumbent Democratic Congressman Frank Kratovil of Maryland's First District which comprises the Eastern Shore and some areas north of Baltimore, received a paltry score of 13% this year and a lifetime score also of 13%. Harris even introduced an amendment last session that would have cut funding for Chesapeake Bay restoration, an unusual position for someone aspiring to represent nearly half of the bay's shoreline, land along both sides of its major tributary and a huge chunk of its adjacent watershed in Congress.
The Board of the Maryland LCV, which claims to be non-partisan, includes many well known political and environmental activists, including Frederick Hoover who served as head of the MD Energy Administration under Democrat Parris Glendening, Democratic activist and fundraiser Elizabeth Garraway, Anthony Caligiuri who worked for former Republican Congressman Wayne Gilchrest, and Chuck Porcari, Director of Public Affairs with the American Federation of Teachers.

Readers wishing to further understand the details and specific bills reviewed in the scorecard can visit: http://www.mdlcv.org/scorecards/2010scorecardscribd


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