Youngkin again proves to be a barrier to environmental progress
For Immediate Release:
Friday, May 9, 2025
Contact:
Lee Francis | Chief Program and Communications Officer
Virginia League of Conservation Voters
(434) 989-3197 | lfrancis@valcv.org
RICHMOND – Today, the Virginia League of Conservation Voters released its 2025 Conservation Scorecard, which ranks all 140 members of the legislature based on their votes on key environmental legislation during this year’s General Assembly session.
The full 2025 Scorecard can be viewed and downloaded here.
The 2025 General Assembly saw lawmakers pass more than 50 pro-environmental measures, with very few of these becoming law this year due to an obstructionist Governor who vetoed hundreds of bills this year including measures that would have lowered energy bills, helped secure a clean, affordable energy transition, created good-paying jobs, reduced pollution, and protected clean water from toxic, forever chemicals.
“Rather than do the hard work to ensure we move forward with clean, affordable electricity, responsibly address Virginia’s unsustainable data center growth, and ensure a conservation legacy as most of his recent predecessors have done, our governor chose to play partisan politics and Virginia’s environment suffered,” said Michael Town, executive director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters. “The legislature by and large did its job this year, passing a number of measures to lower Virginians’ electric bills and secure a healthier environment. It’s time for Virginia to have leadership that will get the job done instead of standing in the way of progress.”
Overall, this year’s Conservation Scorecard ranks lawmakers based on 18 key votes in the House of Delegates and 17 votes in the Senate across a wide array of issue areas, everything from energy and climate to water quality and democracy. This year’s Scorecard reflects deepened partisanship with Democrats in both chambers voting alongside Virginia LCV’s position 100% of the time. The House Republican Caucus averaged 30% with scores ranging from 6% to 59%; Senate Republicans averaged 23% with scores landing between 7% and 40%.
Seventy-two lawmakers, 21 Senators and 51 Delegates, scored a perfect 100-percent score in 2023, earning the designation of “Legislative Hero” for voting alongside Virginia LCV’s position on top conservation priorities every time this year.
Virginia LCV also recognized five lawmakers for their individual leadership this year on different environmental issues. These included Senator Schuyler VanValkenburg (D-Henrico) and Delegates Katrina Callsen (D-Charlottesville), Josh Thomas (D-Prince William), Phil Hernandez (D-Norfolk), and Bonita Anthony (D-Norfolk).
2025 Legislative Heroes
Senator Lashrecse Aird
Senator Lamont Bagby
Senator Jennifer Boysko
Senator Jennifer Carroll Foy
Senator Creigh Deeds
Senator Adam Ebbin
Senator Barbara Favola
Senator Ghazala Hashmi
Senator Mamie Locke
Senator Louise Lucas
Senator Dave Marsden
Senator Jeremy McPike
Senator Stella Pekarsky
Senator Russet Perry
Senator Danica Roem
Senator Aaron Rouse
Senator Saddam Salim
Senator Kannan Srinivasan
Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell
Senator Schuyler VanValkenburg
Senator Angelia Williams Graves
Delegate Bonita Anthony
Delegate Alex Askew
Delegate Elizabeth Bennett-Parker
Delegate David Bulova
Delegate Katrina Callsen
Delegate Betsy Carr
Delegate Nadarius Clark
Delegate Laura Jane Cohen
Delegate Joshua Cole
Delegate Kelly Convirs-Fowler
Delegate Rae Cousins
Delegate Karrie Delaney
Delegate Michael Feggans
Delegate Debra Gardner
Delegate Jackie Glass
Delegate Cliff Hayes
Delegate Dan Helmer
Delegate Rozia Henson
Delegate Phil Hernandez
Delegate Charniele Herring
Delegate Patrick Hope
Delegate Michael Jones
Delegate Karen Keys-Gamara
Delegate Paul Krizek
Delegate Amy Laufer
Delegate Destiny LeVere Bolling
Delegate Alfonso Lopez
Delegate Michelle Maldonado
Delegate Marty Martinez
Delegate Adele McClure
Delegate Delores McQuinn
Delegate Candi Mundon King
Delegate Cia Price
Delegate Sam Rasoul
Delegate Atoosa Reaser
Delegate David Reid
House Speaker Don Scott
Delegate Holly Siebold
Delegate Briana Sewell
Delegate Irene Shin
Delegate Mark Sickles
Delegate Mark Simon
Delegate Shelly Simonds
Delegate JJ Singh
Delegate Rip Sullivan
Delegate Josh Thomas
Delegate Luke Torian
Delegate Kathy Tran
Delegate Jeion Ward
Delegate Vivian Watts
Delegate Rodney Willett
About us:
The Virginia League of Conservation Voters serves as the political voice of the state’s conservation community, working to make sure Virginia’s elected officials recognize that our natural heritage is an environmental and economic treasure for all. Virginia LCV works with conservation leaders across Virginia and strives for a conservation majority in state government. We secure good public policies on the state level and hold public officials accountable for their positions on environmental issues. For more information, visit www.valcv.org.
###