TX HD 129: Contributor To John Davis’ Campaign Fined More Than A Quarter Million By TCEQ
By Vince Leibowitz on Oct 23, 2008 in 2008 Texas Elections, Featured ![[Post to Twitter]](/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter.png){kind=icon}
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Throughout his career as a State Representative, John Davis (R-Clear Lake), has taken money from big polluters and given them cover by voting against legisation that would cram down on their polluting ways.
Yesterday, one of Davis’ big-polluting contributors was fined more than a quarter million dollars by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for 27 air and water violations from 2006 through 2008.
Houston Refining, LP–owned by Houston-based petrochemical giant Lyondell Chemical Company–was assessed a fine of $384,884 by the TCEQ.
Davis has taken money from Lyondell’s PACs since 2000 according to the Texas Ethics Commission:
$500.00 10/28/2006
$500.00 11/5/2001
$250.00 11/7/2000
$500.00 9/17/2007
This isn’t the first time–not even the first time recently –that Lyondell plants in Texas have been subjected to hefty fines from the state. Back in August the state hit them with a whopping $6.5 million in fines.
As if this isn’t enough of a reason to vote for Sherrie Matula (D-Houston) on November 4, let’s take a look at John Davis’ overall record when it comes to the environment:
John Davis Voted To Allow Radioactive Waste To Be Buried In Texas. Davis voted for HB 1567 [House Journal, 77th Texas Legislature, Day 53, Record Vote 316, p. 1713-1714] which allowed for the disposal of low-level radioactive waste from Texas, Maine, and Vermont, within Texas. [Bill Analysis, CSHB 1567, 77th Texas Legislature]. John Davis took $4,000 from Harold Simmons, the corporate raider who purchased Waste Control, the company destined to benefit from HB 1576.
Davis Voted Against Clean Air. John Davis voted against requiring the Texas Enterprise Fund for daily “fence-line” monitoring emissions pursuant to Title V of the Clan Air Act. Davis voted to TABLE the amendment, meaning he cast a vote AGAINST clean air. [Amendment 16, CSSB 1, (Hse. 2nd Rdg.), House Journal, 44th Day, 79th Texas Legislature, Record Vote 228, pp. 1453-1454].
John Davis Voted Against Clean Air. John Davis voted to TABLE an amendment to the General Appropriations Act which would have funded Diesel Emissions Reduction Programs. John Davis voted FOR dirty air and AGAINST clean air. [Amendment 98, CSHB 1, (Hse. 2nd Rdg.), House Journal, 46th Day, 80th Texas Legislature, Record Vote 242, pp. 1344-1345].
John Davis Voted Against Clean Air And Against Helping Non-Attainment Areas Improve Air Quality. John Davis voted to TABLE an amendment to the General Appropriations Act which would have required the installation and operation of ambient air quality monitors in non-attainment areas. John Davis voted AGAINST cleaning up the air in his own district! [Amendment 100, CSHB 1, (Hse. 2nd Rdg.), House Journal, 46th Day, 80th Texas Legislature, Record Vote 243, pp. 1346-1347].
And, of course, he’s taken a ton of money from the state’s biggest polluters:
John Davis has taken money from Texas top polluters, including $9,000 from TXU and its PACs. TXU planned to build at least half a dozen smoke-belching coal-fired power plants in Texas, which resulted in a protracted environmental battle before the TXU/KKR merger. Additionally, TXU’s existing Texas power plants rank among the top 50 in the nation in terms of overall pollution and specific pollutants.
Davis has also taken money from AEP, which runs the nation’s dirtiest power plant in terms of mercury emissions and is situated in Texas.
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Rep. John Davis earned a score of “D” from the Texas League of Conservation Voters’ 2007 legislative scorecard: http://www.tlcv.org/blog/2008/10/endorsements-summary.html.
Because of Rep. Davis’s abysmal record on environmental issues, and because Sherrie Matula will be a breath of fresh air for the district, the League’s Political Committee has endorsed Matula and contributed dollars to her campaign. Not nearly enough dollars to offset those made to Rep. Davis by the polluters, but hopefully enough to help a little bit.
Make no mistake: TCEQ can’t be considered a strong regulatory body. You have to be pretty bad to get caught and fined a lot of money by the Commission. We don’t need more politicians in Austin who are funded by polluters who get fined for violating the law. We need more legislators in Austin who will stand up for clean air and clean energy like Sherrie Matula.
Good Luck to all the District Supporters. And thank you for contributing by speaking up ! http://www.VictoriaTexas.org/ Every thought can become a form of action, RePresent Life . . . Make The Difference.