Interview: Meagan Diedolf discusses the 2023-2024 Legislative Scorecard
We recently sat down with Meagan Diedolf, CVSC’s SVP of Government Relations & Policy, to discuss our 2023-2024 Legislative Scorecard. Read more to learn why this tool is crucial in our fight to protect South Carolina’s air, land, and water.
Q: As CVSC’s SVP of Government Relations, you work closely with legislators to advance conservation policy and help keep advocates informed about ways they can get involved. But of course, your work doesn’t stop when session ends. More recently, you helped build CVSC’s Legislative Scorecard. For those who may not know, can you give a quick explanation of what the Legislative Scorecard is and why it was created?
A: Absolutely! Our Legislative Scorecard provides insights into the South Carolina General Assembly and its efforts–or lack thereof–to safeguard our environment. To gather these insights, we look at who voted for (and against) conservation issues like protecting endangered agricultural lands, rolling back protective regulations, and passing harmful energy legislation, just to name a few. When legislators vote more consistently for those efforts, they get a higher score, and when they choose not to vote or vote against them, they get a lower score.
By arming South Carolinians with this information, we hope they’ll feel empowered to speak to their representatives about conservation issues and hold them accountable.
Q: Okay, so the Scorecard is a really helpful tool for advocates and voters alike.
A: Definitely, which is why we try to be as fair as possible when building the Scorecard. It’s also important to remember that votes and bill sponsorships don’t always tell the full story, but they are indicators of where legislators really stand on conservation issues.
Q: Let’s dig into the data from the 2023-3034 Scorecard; what does it tell us?
A: Looking at the Scorecard and policy that was passed, it’s clear that conservation is a priority for most lawmakers.
In the Senate, scores were incredibly high across the board. They have a history of building consensus and took a far more deliberative approach to advancing policy, which resulted in fewer, less controversial bills brought to the floor for a Senate-wide vote.
Overall, scores in the House decreased by 8% since the 2021-2022 legislative session because in 2024 the House focused on an energy bill that CVSC could not support. But 17 out of 124 members scored 100% or higher, showing that we have some really strong allies in the House.
I have to give a special shout-out to Senator Chip Campsen for scoring 120% and Representative Spencer Wetmore for her score of 118%. Scores that high demonstrate a deep commitment to championing our air, land, water, and energy resources.
Q: That sounds like a really promising performance overall! With elections coming up and a new legislative session just over the horizon, how can advocates use CVSC’s Scorecard as a tool to help advance conservation policy?
A: I would encourage anyone and everyone to reach out to their legislators based on how they scored. Those who scored high should know that you appreciate their efforts and others need to hear that their constituents care about protecting South Carolina’s environment and want them to do the same. That will help set the tone and proper expectations as we prepare for January, the start of a new legislative session.