California League of Conservation Voters
Encyclopedia
The California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV) is a nonpartisan
lobbying
and educational organization which focuses on environmental
issues affecting California
.
Organized as a 501(c)(4), CLCV's mission is to protect California's environmental quality by increasing public awareness of the environmental performance of all elected officials, working to elect environmentally responsible candidates, and holding them accountable to the environmental agenda once elected.
At the end of each legislative year, CLCV publishes the California Environmental Scorecard. The Scorecard, which CLCV describes as "the definitive barometer of environmental politics in Sacramento," rates the performance of the California State Legislature
and the governor
on key environmental legislation. The Scorecard is distributed to 35,000 CLCV members, other environmental organizations, and the news media
.
CLCV conducts research on candidates in order to make electoral endorsements. They assist endorsed candidates with media, fundraising, and grassroots organizing strategies and campaign to educate voters about candidates' environmental records. CLCV also works with local Leagues of Conservation Voters to elect environmental candidates at the local level.
CLCV campaigns for environmental legislation in Sacramento
in collaboration with the greater environmental community. CLCV maintains a lobbying presence in Sacramento.
The CLCV Board of Directors and staff often become officials in California state government
, and vice versa. Recent board members include former Cal/EPA Secretary Winston Hickox; former Department of Resources Secretary, Clinton EPA
appointee, and current California Air Resources Board
chair Mary Nichols; and former Assemblymember
(and current Santa Cruz County Treasurer) Fred Keeley (D-Santa Cruz). Former Assemblymember
Paul Koretz
(D-West Hollywood) is a former CLCV staff member.
CLCV is affiliated with the State Capacity Building Division of the League of Conservation Voters (LCV)] (formerly the Federation of State Conservation Voter Leagues), which works to strengthen state organizations of this type. Established in 1972, CLCV is the largest and oldest such organization. LCV
, a sister group of CLCV, does work similar to that of CLCV at the federal level.
Nonpartisan
In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation....
lobbying
Lobbying
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
and educational organization which focuses on environmental
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
issues affecting California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Organized as a 501(c)(4), CLCV's mission is to protect California's environmental quality by increasing public awareness of the environmental performance of all elected officials, working to elect environmentally responsible candidates, and holding them accountable to the environmental agenda once elected.
At the end of each legislative year, CLCV publishes the California Environmental Scorecard. The Scorecard, which CLCV describes as "the definitive barometer of environmental politics in Sacramento," rates the performance of the California State Legislature
California State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
and the governor
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
on key environmental legislation. The Scorecard is distributed to 35,000 CLCV members, other environmental organizations, and the news media
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
.
CLCV conducts research on candidates in order to make electoral endorsements. They assist endorsed candidates with media, fundraising, and grassroots organizing strategies and campaign to educate voters about candidates' environmental records. CLCV also works with local Leagues of Conservation Voters to elect environmental candidates at the local level.
CLCV campaigns for environmental legislation in Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
in collaboration with the greater environmental community. CLCV maintains a lobbying presence in Sacramento.
The CLCV Board of Directors and staff often become officials in California state government
California government and politics
California government and politics may refer to:*Government of California*Politics of California...
, and vice versa. Recent board members include former Cal/EPA Secretary Winston Hickox; former Department of Resources Secretary, Clinton EPA
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
appointee, and current California Air Resources Board
California Air Resources Board
The California Air Resources Board, also known as CARB or ARB, is the "clean air agency" in the government of California. Established in 1967 in the Mulford-Carrell Act, combining the Bureau of Air Sanitation and the Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Board, CARB is a department within the...
chair Mary Nichols; and former Assemblymember
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
(and current Santa Cruz County Treasurer) Fred Keeley (D-Santa Cruz). Former Assemblymember
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
Paul Koretz
Paul Koretz
Paul Koretz is an American politician. He is currently a member of the Los Angeles City Council, representing the Fifth Council District. He was previously a member of the California State Assembly and the West Hollywood City Council...
(D-West Hollywood) is a former CLCV staff member.
CLCV is affiliated with the State Capacity Building Division of the League of Conservation Voters (LCV)] (formerly the Federation of State Conservation Voter Leagues), which works to strengthen state organizations of this type. Established in 1972, CLCV is the largest and oldest such organization. LCV
League of Conservation Voters
The League of Conservation Voters is a political advocacy organization founded in 1969 by American environmentalist David Brower in the early years of the environmental movement. LCV's mission is to "advocate for sound environmental policies and to elect pro-environmental candidates who will adopt...
, a sister group of CLCV, does work similar to that of CLCV at the federal level.