In just the past 10 months, Illinois legislators have received more than $1 million in campaign contributions from supporters and opponents of controversial legislation granting electric utilities the power to raise rates without the approval of state regulators, according to the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform's (ICPR) comprehensive review of campaign finance reports.
Supporters of the so-called "Smart Grid" legislation (Senate Bill 1652) outspent opponents by a margin of more than 4 to 1. The utility contributions totaled $867,258, and the opposition, which includes the SEIU Health Care union, contributed $185,100 to the campaign committees of legislators and to party and caucus committees controlled by legislative leaders.
"This money flowed into campaign coffers--not during the middle of any tight election campaigns-- but in the middle of a hard fought legislative battle," said Brian Gladstein, ICPR's Executive Director. "When election campaigns finally do get into gear, voters will want to know whether the contributions influenced floor votes."
Supporters of the so-called "Smart Grid" legislation (Senate Bill 1652) outspent opponents by a margin of more than 4 to 1. The utility contributions totaled $867,258, and the opposition, which includes the SEIU Health Care union, contributed $185,100 to the campaign committees of legislators and to party and caucus committees controlled by legislative leaders.
"This money flowed into campaign coffers--not during the middle of any tight election campaigns-- but in the middle of a hard fought legislative battle," said Brian Gladstein, ICPR's Executive Director. "When election campaigns finally do get into gear, voters will want to know whether the contributions influenced floor votes."
To read the full report click here.
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