On Tuesday, this blog posted In Iowa, ethanol carbon pipeline opponents want pause until new safety regulations are ready.
Today, we're wondering about some last minute large contributions from ethanol carbon pipeline executives to DFL leaders in the state legislature.
As Bluestem reported in a November 18 post, MN Senate and House name committee chairs, Mankato DFL state senator Nick Frentz will serve as the chair of the Minnesota Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment and Climate Committee.
In the Minnesota House, Jamie Long, DFL Minneapolis,has been chosen as the House Majority leader, after serving as the chair of the the House's climate and energy committee. Zack Stephenson, DFL-Coon Rapids, will continue as House Commerce committee chair.
Grazing through the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Boards' Large Contribution Notices of contributions received on or after October 25, 2022, Bluestem noticed that these leaders had each received $1000 contributions from Navigator Energy Services executives.
Here are screenshots of the Navigator Energy Services executive's contributions to Long, Frentz and Stephenson in that database:
According to his profile on the Navigator Energy Services LLC website, Vining is the CEO of the company. In June, KELOLAND reported POET joins Navigator’s proposed CO2 pipeline. According to its Bioprocessing Facilities list of locations page on its website, the Sioux Falls-based company operates four plants in Minnesota.
Frentz and Stephenson each received $1000 from Jeffrey Allen, whose Bloomberg Profile lists him as Senior VP/CFO, Navigator Energy Services LLC.
Should we find more Navigator Energy Services LLC executive political contributions to Minnesota politicians, we'll add them to this post.
We certainly hope these gentlemen base any ethanol pipeline policy decisions on the best science and past performance of such pipelines, as Bluestem pauses at the notion they might come this cheaply. Update: For contrast, we recommend reading Max Nesterak's fine article, Gov. Tim Walz solicits six-figure donations for inauguration committee, at the Minnesota Reformer. [end update]
As we noted in our 2015 post, Of the loners at the Center for Responsive Politics & McNamara's campaign finance fables, Minnesota's campaign finance board doesn't aggregate contributions by employers or executive officers from businesses, but the Center for Responsive Poliics does. The Center for Responsive Politics defends its methodology:
...our research over more than 20 years shows enough of a correlation between individuals’ contributions and their employers’ political interests that we feel comfortable with our methodology. We have also observed that the donors who give more than $200, and especially those who contribute at the maximum levels, are more commonly top executives in their companies, not lower-level employees.
Who knew?
Related posts
- In Iowa, ethanol carbon pipeline opponents want pause until new safety regulations are ready
- Summit Carbon Solutions files permit for risky CO2 pipeline in Otter Tail and Wilkin Counties
- Will ethanol carbon capture pipelines fracture brittle unity of South Dakota Republicans?
- South Dakotans & others get fantods over Summit Carbon Solutions' sketchy 10% owner
- Matt Birk loves the ethanol carbon dioxide pipeline proposed by Summit Carbon Solutions
- Ethanol carbon pipeline news digest: from the Guardian to the Aberdeen American News
- Navigator CO2, POET sign letter of intent for carbon capture, utilization, and storage service
- Carbon capture pipeline blues: SD landowners call for dismissal of pipeline permit application
- Iowa Capital Dispatch: Group seeks end of ethanol carbon pipeline ‘harassment’
- Ethanol carbon capture pipeline digest: farmers, students, greenwashing, safety, law enforcement
- Storm Lake Time Pilot's Art Cullen: Ripping up CRP is a terrible signal for the planet
- Minnesota Public Utility Commission claims regulatory authority for carbon pipelines
- CO2 pipelines could affect the land, lives and livelihoods of South Dakota property owners
- SD News Watch: Proposed CO2 pipelines thrust SD into billion-dollar climate change debate
- About that permanent carbon storage by the Summit ethanol pipeline & Project Tundra
- Ethanol carbon capture pipeline news digest: political power and big money edition
- Ethanol carbon pipeline digest: trust & protest
- South Dakotans, Iowans don't hug CO2 pipeline
- Keloland: mostly negative public comments to SD Public Utilities Commission on CO2 pipeline
- Strib: Ethanol's per-gallon carbon output shrinks, but greenhouse gas from plants remains high
- We agree: It's time to move on from ethanol
- Another IA newspaper editorial board questions ethanol industry, carbon capture pipelines
- Ethanol CCS pipeline update: Reuters & Agweek
- Not a lot of easements for Midwest carbon pipeline, but plenty of political connections
- 2 ethanol CO2 headlines that make us go hmmm
- CO2 pipelines: who wins & who loses?
- Coming soon from a cornfield near you: mammoth carbon capture pipeline system
- Mother Jones: USDA Secretary Vilsack’s son works for a controversial ethanol pipeline project
- Iowa county boards scorn construction of CO2 pipelines, use of eminent domain to build them
- Digest of news about carbon dioxide pipeline
Photo: A POET ethanol plant. From the locations page on the firm's website,
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