A new report by the nonpartisan National Institute on Money in State Politics -- they're the people who run FollowtheMoney.org -- breaks down the money put into Texas' political sphere by groups opposed to environmental legislation intended to stop global warming.

Called Texas Tug-of-War, the report comes on the heels of another FollowtheMoney.org report on energy-related political giving in all 50 states. It looks at campaign contributions from what it calls the energy "coalition," including energy groups such as the Alliance for Energy and Economic Growth, as well as "energy, agricultural businesses, construction companies, financial groups, and others."

Some findings -- and these are quoted directly from the report:

• Together, coalition members contributed roughly $7.4 million, or about 5 percent of the money given to state-level political parties and candidates in Texas during the 2008 elections.
• Although the coalition contributed to some legislative candidates who lost their races, all 181 sitting representatives and elected senators received contributions from the coalition. Conversely, all legislative candidates that did not receive funding from the coalition lost their races.
• Energy companies strongly favored Republicans, giving Republican parties and
candidates $3.8 million, more than three times the $1.1 million given to their Democratic counterparts. Environmental groups and alternative energy companies, by comparison, gave almost 15-to-1 in favor of Democratic parties and candidates: $40,850 to Democrats and $2,750 to Republicans.
• Energy companies gave nearly $3.3 million to candidates up for election in 2008, $1.3 million to sitting officials not up for election, and about $222,000 to political parties.
• Industry groups gave more than $7 million in 2008 to state parties, officials and
candidates in Texas, which is 169 times the $43,600 given by environmental groups and alternative energy.
• Energy companies contributed 19 times as much money to incumbent candidates as to challengers. Alternative energy companies and environmental groups contributed three times as much to challengers as they did to incumbents.
• Energy companies gave $3 million to winning candidates, more than nine times the $325,553 they contributed to candidates who lost their bids. Pro-environment groups and alternative energy companies contributed more comparable amounts to winning and losing candidates: $23,100 to candidates who won and $18,500 to candidates who lost.

Read the whole report at this link.

Picture of the Texas Power and Light power plant at Tradinghouse Creek Reservoir, near Hallsburg, Texas, by flickr user srv0. Used via the Creative Commons license.
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