Supporters of the Republican-backed proposal to ease mining regulations in Wisconsin spent 610 times more on political campaigns than the bill’s opponents between January 2010 and June 2012, according to new figures released Monday.
The government watchdog group Wisconsin Democracy Campaign reported special interest groups in favor of the mining legislation, which is designed to allow a new iron ore mine to open in northern Wisconsin, contributed $15.6 million to Gov. Scott Walker and state lawmakers during the 30-month period, while environmental groups which oppose the bill donated just $25,500.
“There’s a very broad coalition of business interests behind [the mining legislation] and they include some of the biggest campaign donors in Wisconsin politics,” said Wisconsin Democracy Campaign Executive Director Mike McCabe.
Mining proponents contributed a total of $11.34 million to Walker for his 2010 and recall election campaigns and another $4.25 million to state legislators of both parties. However, Republican legislators, who have been pushing mining legislation for the past two years, accepted an average of about $44,000 from pro-mining interest groups compared to approximately $16,000 for Democrats.
State Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, who faced a recall in the summer of 2011, received $467,000 from mining supporters, more than any other state lawmaker during this time frame.
The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign did not include contribution amounts through the second half of 2012 in its report because that information is not available until the end of the month.
