Karen Minnis’ campaign has received an astonishing $250,913 from polluters and PACs representing polluters – just in the last year. This represents at least $1 out of every $4 she has raised.
$29,290 of Minnis’ contributions over the last year have been from companies fined by the Department of Environmental Quality or the Environmental Protection Agency for violation of various pollution laws.
Minnis killed a bio-fuels bill that would have provided alternatives to petroleum-based diesel. [Oregonian, 12/26/2005: “House GOP leaders killed the biodiesel bill in the last hours of the 2005 session.”]
Now, Minnis has raised thousands from oil companies such as Conoco-Phillips and Chevron-Texaco.
Karen Minnis has voted repeatedly to give tax breaks to major polluters, who are now showering her with donations. [HB 3481 MR, 6/28/2005; HB 2652, June 25, 2003; HB 2010, June 4, 2001; SB 764, July 3, 2001; HB 3202, July 12, 1999]. Over the last few decades, the state has effectively given away $630 million in our tax dollars through the pollution control tax credit.
Many of these companies and the PACs representing them are now giving to Minnis, totaling at least $27,500 in contributions.
Example: Victory PAC. Victory PAC’s treasurer is Dale Riddle who has a long association leading anti-environment causes. While Victory PAC has revenue from some businesses that aren’t among the state’s major polluters, at least $122,000 of its contributions in the last year have been from major timber companies and sand & gravel extractors. Check out the list of polluter contributors to Victory PAC.
Dig in to the votes. Get the truth. Check out Karen Minnis's record.