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Thursday, July 22, 2010

Environment - More on "Indiana lawmakers were the only ones in the country to take campaign donations from BP last month"

Updating this ILB entry from yesterday, which focused on NW Indiana legislators, Mary Beth Schneider of the Indianapolis Star has a lengthy story today headed "BP's PAC sent its June checks to Indiana lawmakers." Some quotes:

When petroleum giant BP's employee political action committee decided to hand out $23,700 in campaign contributions in June, the checks all had one destination: Indiana.

Seventy-nine state legislators and one state Senate candidate -- 43 Democrats and 37 Republicans -- have either received the money from the BP Corporation North American Political Action Committee or their check is in the mail.
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BP's business focus in this state is on Northern Indiana, including Whiting, where it is working on a $3.8 billion expansion of its refinery, and Fowler, where BP operates the largest wind farm east of the Mississippi.

But the PAC's focus is all over the state map. The money went not only to lawmakers in Northwest Indiana, but also to lawmakers in Central Indiana and as far south as Vincennes and as far east as Fort Wayne.

With the taint of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill tarring more than just coastal beaches, however, some politicians don't want the money. Many of the lawmakers contacted said they will not accept it -- even though many have received and kept campaign contributions from BP in past years.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on July 22, 2010 10:20 AM
Posted to Environment | Indiana Government