Coal cash buys some votes in the Kansas House -- but not all
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| Coal-fired power plant near Holcomb, Kansas |
"If we join together ... thousands of new jobs can be created in the green energy sector, and Kansas can be a national leader in both wind energy and bio-fuels production," Sebelius said in a statement -- two days before the official announcement that she is, in fact, bolting for a job in Barack Obama's cabinet. We have yet to see how coal politics play out for her successor, Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson.
What we do know, however, is how much money in Sunflower Electric campaign contributions our local state reps have banked -- and how they've voted. Not that the cash has anything to do with the vote, of course.
Here's a list. It doesn't include area reps who didn't take campaign contributions from Sunflower. Special notoriety goes to Mike Peterson of Kansas City, Kansas, who voted in favor of the plants last year, then cashed a $500 check from Sunflower -- and voted no this year. And to Kay Wolf of Prairie Village, who voted no, got $375, and still voted no.
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Anthony Brown
Republican from Eudora
Vote last year: Yes
Campaign money from Sunflower last year: $500
Vote this year: Still yes
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Mike Kiergerl
Republican from Olathe
Vote last year: Yes
Campaign money from Sunflower last year: $400
Vote this year: Still yes
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Ray Merrick
Republican from Stilwell
Vote last year: Yes
Campaign money from Sunflower last year: $375 (up from $125 in '06)
Vote this year: Still yes
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Rob Olson
Republican from Olathe
Vote last year: Yes
Campaign money from Sunflower last year: $250
Vote this year: Still yes
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Mike Peterson
Democrat from Kansas City, Kansas
Vote last year: Yes
Campaign money from Sunflower last year: $500
Vote this year: No
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Scott Schwab
Republican from Olathe
New to the House this year
Campaign money from Sunflower last year: $300
Vote this year: Yes
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Arlen Siegfreid
Republican from Olathe
Vote last year: Yes
Campaign money from Sunflower last year: $500
Vote this year: Still yes
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Kay Wolf
Republican from Prairie Village
Vote last year: No
Campaign money from Sunflower last year: $375 (up from $100 in '06)
Vote this year: Still no
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Kevin Yoder
Vote last year: Yes
Campaign money from Sunflower last year: $400
Vote this year: Still yes
When I asked Peterson about taking money from Sunflower but voting against the plants, he initially seemed shocked at the suggestion that one had anything to do with the other. "I don't know that the logic was based on money," he said. "I don't believe that's true."
Instead, he said, "there were a number of people and organizations in favor of it last year who had evidently changed their minds because they didn't contact me at all." For example, he said, the BPU supported the power plants last year but was neutral this year. Organized labor "was for it 100 percent last year," he said, but he didn't hear much from the unions this time.
Besides, he said, he's had a year to educate himself. "Doing a lot of research, I found out that global warming basically is something that occurs periodically, when you talk about the history of the earth. It's something we can't stop. Yet we don't have to bring it on quicker, which is basically what's been going on with us throwing things up in the air that don't belong there." He wants a cleaner world for his grandchildren, he said.
And another thing about that $500. "I even told Sunflower I'd give them their money back. I didn't sell my vote to them for $500 this year. They made a contribution to me last summer, and it wasn't contingent on anything, but I think probably I should just send their money back to them."
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