An advocacy group claims the Niagara County Republican has among the worst voting records in the state Legislature.
According to a leading ecological advocacy group, few legislators in the state Legislature protect the environment so poorly as Robert Ortt, Senate Minority Leader.
Environmental Advocates Actiongave OrttIts 2021 Oil Slick Award to him for his voting record. The lobbying and advocacy group honors officials annually whose positions they consider most harmful.
Peter Iwanowicz is the executive director of Environmental Advocates NYOrtts extreme antienvironmental voting record should make a senator outcast and not the Senate minority lead.
R-North Tonawanda Democrat Ortt refused to give an interview. However, his spokesman Andrew Dugan told Investigative Post that the minority leader supports reasonable policy positions. Dugan claimed that Environmental Advocates was a left-wing special interests group.
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Iwanowicz pointed out Ortts opposition against a state constitutional amendment that would have added a right to clean water and air, and a healthy environment. This was approved by voters in November. According to a Siena College Research Institute Poll published last year shows that the amendment was supported 64 percent Of Republicans.
Iwanowicz reported that almost 2 million New Yorkers have voted in unanimity to make the state Constitution more inclusive of the right to clean water and clean air. Senator Ortt tried obstructing that. It is clear from his record that Senator Ortt does not share their values.
Ortt was also ranked low in last year’s evaluation, earning the lowest grade out of the 208 state legislators. His positions are not uncommon among Western New York GOP legislators. In 2020, the average score of the local Republican caucus was 41. This is compared to the 60-point statewide Republican average.
Take a look at the rankings from last year and have a conversation with Iwanowicz. Here.