Robert Carroll receives perfect score from conservation voters for environmental commitment

Carroll Is the Only Brooklyn Delegate to Receive a Score of 100

August 21, 2017 By John Alexander Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Assemblymember Robert Carroll scored a perfect 100 from the NYLCV for his environmental efforts. Photo courtesy of Robert Carroll

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The New York League of Conservation of Voters (NYLCV) gave Assemblymember Robert Carroll its top rating based on his commitment to environmental issues.

Carroll represents Brooklyn’s 44th Assembly District, which includes the neighborhoods of Borough Park, Ditmas Park, Flatbush, Kensington, Midwood, Park Slope, Victorian Flatbush and Windsor Terrace.

A fervid environmentalist, Carroll earned a score of 100 from NYLCV in its Inaugural State Environmental Scorecard, released on Wednesday. The scorecard tracked the voting records of elected officials in Albany’s last legislative session.

“We can no longer count on our federal government to lead the way on environmental issues,” Carroll said. “New York must blaze a trail toward a greener and more sustainable future. We will think creatively to lower emissions and cut our use of fossil fuels. I am proud to work with organizations like the League of Conservation Voters towards this end.”

In February, Carroll led the push for the “BYO Bag” law, which would have levied a 5-cent fee on grocery store shoppers who utilize the store’s plastic bags. He was the only advocate for the plastic bag fee in the Assembly’s Cities Committee.

Carroll spoke out for the fee on the Assembly floor as well as at local rallies, where he joined organizations including NYLCV.

“The plastic bag fee failed because, sadly, some New Yorkers do not realize that these issues take sacrifice,” Carroll said. “We must sacrifice some small amount of comfort today for a planet that will sustain future generations.

That’s what it means to fight for the environment.”

The League’s methodology involved tabulating the votes taken by elected officials on a wide variety of environmental issues, including financing geothermal energy, enacting a fee on plastic bags at supermarkets, supporting a tariff for electric charging vehicles and school food donations, among other concerns.

A total of 13 assemblymembers received perfect scores, as well as nine senators. Carroll was the only member of the Assembly’s Brooklyn delegation and the only freshman assemblymember to receive a perfect 100.

“On entering the Assembly this year I knew that it was going to be more important than ever to take clear stands on the environment and conservation because of the rhetoric and action emanating from Washington,” Carroll told the Brooklyn Eagle. “Bad environmental policy today endangers all Americans and only makes stemming future climate change that much harder.”

Carroll admits that it’s not easy working to preserve the environment. “Fighting for clean air and water and renewable energy takes sacrifice — so I am happy that the New York League of Conservation voters created this scorecard so voters can see who is fighting to preserve our future and who is not. I plan to keep my perfect environmental record and I hope more of my colleagues strive to do the same.”