Fwd: Wiedower One Of Eight Natural Resources Committee Members Taking Money From Okefenokee Mining Applicant



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From: Lee Becker <lbbecker48@gmail.com>
Date: February 22, 2022 at 1:03:00 AM EST
To: lowellsdad@gmail.com
Subject: Wiedower One Of Eight Natural Resources Committee Members Taking Money From Okefenokee Mining Applicant
Reply-To: lbbecker48@gmail.com

 Wiedower One Of Eight Natural Resources Committee Members Taking Money From Okefenokee Mining Applicant
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Oconee County Observations
Dear Friends,

Oconee County Representative Marcus Wiedower is one of eight Republicans on the Georgia House Natural Resources and Environment Committee who have reported receiving a campaign contribution in the last cycle from Twin Pines Minerals, the Birmingham, Ala., firm seeking a permit to surface mine near the Okefenokee Swamp.

Wiedower and four other Republicans on the 24-member Committee also reported receiving campaign funds from the Macon-based Georgia Mining Association Committee for Good Government, which supports state legislation for mining in the state.

The House Natural Resources and Environment Committee on which Wiedower and these other recipients of funding from Twin Pines and the Georgia Mining Association sit is considering legislation that would ban the state from issuing future permits for mining near the Okefenokee Swamp.

Eighteen House members have joined to sponsor that legislation, House Bill 1289--13 of them Republicans and five of them Democrats. Five of the sponsors (two Republicans and three Democrats) are on the Natural Resources and Environment Committee

Wiedower is not a sponsor, nor is Houston Gaines, who also represents Oconee County in the Georgia House. Gaines, also a Republican, is not on the Natural Resources and Environment Committee.

The $250 that Wiedower received from Twin Pines and the $250 he received from the Georgia Mining Association make up a relatively small amount of the $84,900 that Wiedower reported receiving in the seven months from July 1 of last year to Jan. 31 of 2022.

Wiedower ranks fifth among the 24 members of Natural Resources and Environment Committee in amount of campaign money raised in the last seven months and second in amount of campaign cash on hand.

For more on this story, please click through to Oconee County Observations.

Thanks you.

Lee
 
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