Did You Know:
In the Maryland League of Conservation Voter’s most recent report card, Senator Allan Kittleman received a 100% rating for the legislation he supported expanding our state’s wetlands and the management of pesticide usage.
That’s right. 100%.
If you ask advocates for environmental issues, they will tell you that Senator Kittleman has earned the reputation for listening to the advocates for each bill and carefully considering the legislation before he takes a position.
For example, the most significant environmental bill in the 2014 General Assembly session involved legislation that would have prevented a wind turbine farm from being built in Somerset County on the lower eastern shore. Somerset County has one of the highest unemployment rates in Maryland and is in desperate need for economic growth. The wind turbine farm would bring much needed jobs to Somerset County and helped advance the State’s renewable energy goals.
As an conservationist, Senator Kittleman used the legislation as an opportunity to study various proposals and solicit input from all sides. In the process, he learned that the lower eastern shore is one of the best locations for wind energy in our state.
When it came time for the Senate Finance Committee’s hearing on the wind turbine legislation, Senator Kittleman was outright that if wind power facilities are prevented from being built lower eastern shore, then it would be nearly impossible for Maryland to reach it’s approaching goal of having 20% of the energy generated be from renewable energy sources.
As it turned out, Governor O’Malley agreed and went on to veto the bill, which effectively allowed the wind turbine farm to move forward.
At the time, the Governor called it a way to deter sending tons of solid waste to state landfills daily.
Create jobs and preserve the environment…
Now that’s a cause we can all get behind.
Kittleman’s opponent is criticizing him for voting to make waste-to-energy a renewable energy source.
What his opponent does not tell you is that Howard County Senators Ed Kasemeyer and Jim Robey, Senate President Miller, and Speaker of the House Busch all voted for the legislation. In fact, Governor O’Malley signed the bill into law calling it a way to deter sending tons of solid waste to state landfills daily.
[1] Vote Smart. “HB 1168 – Prohibits the Construction of a Wind- Powered Generating Station – Voting Record.” Accessed September 14, 2015. http://votesmart.org/bill/votes/47574#.VBcYTUgbqL8.
[2] The Baltimore Sun. “O’Malley will sign waste-to-energy bill.” Accessed September 15, 2014. http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/2011/05/omalley_will_sign_wastetoenerg.html.
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