The campaigns for and against a Washington state ballot initiative to require labels on products containing genetically modified crops have already attracted $4,441,186. Washington Ballot Initiative 522, titled "The People's Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act," has been compared to last year's failed California Proposition 37, "California's Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act."
The similarities between the two ballot measures go beyond titles and even content: Washington's I-522 shares several of the same moneyed supporters that fueled the California Prop. 37 campaign as well as some of the same opponents as those that "bankrolled" the "media blitz" to defeat it.
DATA: MapLight analysis of all campaign contributions for and against Washington Initiative 522 from May 11, 2012 through August 13, 2013 and for and against California Proposition 37 from January 1, 2011 through November 5, 2012. Contributions data sources: Washington State Public Disclosure Commission; California Secretary of State
- I-522 currently has nearly 4 times the contributions in Support ($3,489,078) as in Opposition ($952,108).
|
TOP CONTRIBUTORS FOR WASHINGTON I-522 & CALIFORNIA PROP. 37 (GMO Labeling) |
|||||||
|
SUPPORT |
OPPOSE | ||||||
|
Contributor |
I-522 |
Prop. 37 Total |
(Prop. 37 filings by 8/13/2012) | Contributor | I-522 | Prop. 37 Total |
(Prop. 37 filings by 8/13/2012) |
| Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps | $795,635 | $620,883 | $310,000 | Grocery Manufacturers Assn. | $472,500 | $2,002,000 | $375,000 |
| Mercola | $250,000 | $1,199,000 | - | Monsanto | $242,156 | $8,112,867 | - |
| Organic Consumer Fund | $208,463 | $605,667 | $800,000 | Dupont* | $171,281 | $5,400,000 | - |
| Presence Marketing, Inc. | $200,000 | $75,000 | - | Bayer Corp. | $29,531 | $2,000,000 | - |
| Nature's Path Foods | $160,700 | $660,709 | $250,709 | Dow Agrosciences | $29,531 | $2,000,000 | - |
| Annie's Inc. | $50,000 | $50,000 | - | - | - | - | - |
| William T. Weiland | $50,000 | $25,000 | - | - | - | - | - |
| OVERALL: |
$3,489,078 |
$9,157,552 | $952,108 | $45,970,905 | |||
* Includes both E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. and Dupont Pioneer, a subsidiary
To download raw campaign finance data for Washington I-522, click here.
Voter's Edge California has detailed funding information for California Prop. 37. To download raw campaign finance data for California Prop. 37 click here.
A previous version of MapLight's analysis cited the total amount raised in support of I-522 as $3,869,078, including two contributions that were disclosed by Yes on I-522 Committee as having been made by "ORGANIC CONSUMER FUND" when in fact they were made by "ORGANIC CONSUMER FUND COMMITTEE TO LABEL GMOS IN WA STATE." As a committee that is supporting I-522, contributions from ORGANIC CONSUMER FUND COMMITTEE TO LABEL GMOS IN WA STATE to other committees supporting I-522 should be excluded from the total amount raised in support of this measure, making the correct total $3,489,078.13.
Editors note: For fact checking - excel pivot table filter by transaction_name, contribution received. Campaign finance data for Voter's Edge (WA) will update again in mid-Sept.
Image credit: Africa Studio/Shutterstock
