"Texas Refiners Mum About Funding Push to Halt Calif. Climate Law"

"The money behind a campaign to suspend California's landmark climate law and place the proposed delay before voters in November is coming from a pair of refiners based in San Antonio, Texas, according to several well-placed sources in Sacramento.

These sources said two refiners based in San Antonio -- Valero Energy Corp. and Tesoro Corp. -- are the sole funders so far behind a proposed ballot initiative that would bring a temporary halt to A.B. 32, which would cut greenhouse gases across California's economy to 1990 levels by 2020, starting in two years.

Reached in San Antonio, a spokesman for Valero did not deny the assertion, but he did refuse comment, referring further calls to a public relations firm in Sacramento that has been hired by advocates of A.B. 32 suspension. A spokeswoman for the PR firm, Goddard Claussen, also refused comment on the source of funding, but she did confirm that the firm has been retained to handle media and gather signatures to place the measure on the ballot.

Dan Logue, the Republican assemblyman behind the suspension, also refused to discuss where funds had originated. Like Valero, he referred questions to Goddard Claussen."

Colin Sullivan reports for ClimateWire March 3, 2010.

See Also:

"Texas-Based Refiners Pledge To Fund Fight Against California's Global Warming Law" (Los Angeles Times)