News
MapLight research on the influence of money and politics.
Jeffrey ErnstFriedman
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May 12, 2011
May 12, 2011 - The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on Thursday titled "Oil and Gas Tax Incentives and Rising Energy Prices." The Democratic-controlled Senate invited executives from BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon, and Shell to testify on the rise in gas prices. Combined, the five companies and their employees have contributed $6.3 million to current lawmakers since 2001.
Jeffrey ErnstFriedman
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May 12, 2011 - The House of Representatives passed HR 1229 - Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act on Wednesday by an overwhelming margin of 263 - 163, including more than two dozen Democrats who voted to support the measure, while not a single Republican voted against it. The bill is part of the House Republicans' American Energy Initiative, a group of three bills aimed at ending the Obama administration's moratorium on domestic offshore drilling.
Jeffrey ErnstFriedman
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May 10, 2011
May 10, 2011 - SB 168, introduced by Ellen Corbett, would make "it a misdemeanor for a person to pay or to receive money or any other thing of value based on the number of signatures collected on a state or local initiative, referendum, or recall petition," according to a document produced by the Office of Senate Floor Analyses. The bill was passed by the Senate on May 9 by a 23-15 margin. No Republicans voted in favor of passage and no Democrats voted against passage.
Chad Outler
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California State Sen. Bob Huff is a strong supporter of maintaining the state's redevelopment agencies. According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, Sen. Huff's motivations may be enhanced by the fact that his wife, Mei Mei, served as a highly paid consultant to the owner of real estate development firm Majestic Realty, whose highest profile project, an $800 million NFL stadium, relies on its proximity to a redevelopment zone.
Owen Poindexter
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May 10, 2011 - President Obama has circulated a draft of an executive order to require all organizations that receive government contracts to reveal donations to political candidates, candidate committees, and third-party donors, such as the Chamber of Commerce, according to the Atlantic.
Owen Poindexter
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May 07, 2011
In total, groups supporting the bill (AB 130) gave an average of $48,287 to Assemblymembers who voted for the measure and only $2,147 to members who voted against the measure. (January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2010)
Chad Outler
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May 06, 2011
The House of Representatives voted Thursday to pass HR 1230, the Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act, by a margin of 266-149. The bill is part of a suite of three bills called the American Energy Initiative that were introduced by House Republicans and are aimed at reversing the Obama administration's decision to impose a moratorium on drilling in the Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon disaster of 2010.