How big oil spent $10m to defeat California climate change legislation
Source: The Guardian
How big oil spent $10m to defeat California climate change legislation
The oil industry targeted business-friendly Democrats in the legislature to kill
parts of a bill mandating a 50% reduction in gasoline use in the state by 2030
Anita Chabria in Sacramento
Friday 5 February 2016 21.53 GMT
The oil industry spent more than $10m lobbying state lawmakers in a massive push to kill California climate change legislation last year, new disclosures have revealed.
Much of the money spent by big oil was targeted at a specific piece of legislation, SB-350, that would have mandated a 50% reduction in gasoline use in the state by 2030 in addition other climate change initiatives.
The bill was a marquee piece of legislation for Governor Jerry Brown and Democratic state leaders in advance of the Paris climate talks.
The oil industry targeted business-friendly Democrats in the legislature to kill the gasoline-related portion of the bill, sparking a major intra-battle in the final weeks before the vote. Ultimately, the industry was successful and the oil-related part of the bill was removed in its allowing it to pass in a weakened state with no petroleum restrictions.
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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/feb/05/how-big-oil-spent-millions-to-defeat-california-climate-change-legislation-sb-350
