Michigan LCV launches new online accountability suite

LANSING – The Michigan League of Conservation Voters today launched its first-ever digital scorecard, which tracks and evaluates elected officials on issues impacting Michigan’s air, land and water. The tool expands upon Michigan LCV’s accountability work by updating scores on Michigan LCV’s website continuously throughout the legislative session for the state House, Senate, governor and attorney general. 

“In the digital age when people increasingly rely on the internet and social media for information, we felt it necessary to improve our accountability suite to make it more accessible. The digital scorecard is an evolution of our legislative tracking tool and brings our accountability work to the 21st century,” said Lisa Wozniak, executive director of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. “For the first time, votes in the Legislature and actions by the attorney general and governor will be scored and updated in near-real time. That will make this free website the most accessible and accurate environmental accountability tool available to Michigan voters.”

The scorecard, which can be accessed at michiganlcv.org/get-your-scorecard, allows users to enter their address to see the elected officials who represent them and view their score on environmental and conservation issues. Users can also easily search and browse elected officials by name and address.

Each lawmaker’s scorecard includes a tally on pro-environment and anti-environment votes. The website also provides contact information for each legislator and makes it easy to share their scorecard on social media.  

“We’re keeping a watchful eye on Michigan lawmakers and the policies they advance by providing this accessible resource that helps you know who is working to protect our drinking water, promote clean air and protect our state’s natural resources, and who is not,” Wozniak said. “It’s easy for elected officials to say they support clean air and water and will protect our public lands and Great Lakes. However, promises don’t always add up to action, which is why this tool and our accountability work is so important.”

The scorecard also tracks and records all significant actions by the governor and attorney general pertaining to Michigan’s air, land, water, good governance and elections.  These actions include but are not limited to bill signings, vetoes, appointments, executive orders, legal opinions, lawsuit actions, new programs and initiatives, communications, inter- and extra-state actions, permit approvals and denials. 

A list of the legislation considered in lawmakers’ scores can be accessed at https://michiganlcv.org/legislation/.

A list of lawmakers can be accessed at https://michiganlcv.org/lawmakers/. 

###

Media contact: Nick Dodge, [email protected]