Governor Tom Corbett Named Part of LCV's "Dirty Dozen in the States"

HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Conservation Voters of PA Action Fund and the National League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Political Engagement Fund announced today that Governor Tom Corbett has been named to the "Dirty Dozen in the States." Modeled after LCV's trademark federal "Dirty Dozen," the state version highlights 12 of the most anti-environment state-level candidates from around the country who state LCVs are working to defeat.

"Governor Corbett's record made him an obvious choice for this list of dubious distinction," said Josh McNeil, Executive Director of CVPA. "Corbett's ongoing efforts to undercut environmental protections while giving away our state's resources to the oil and gas companies that fund his campaigns clearly make him one of the worst state officials in the nation on environmental issues."

"States are playing an increasingly important role in determining how our country meets the challenges of clean air, clean water and climate change. With so much at stake, it's absolutely critical that voters defeat politicians who stand with corporate polluters and elect environmental leaders at the state and local level who will make move us toward a clean energy future," said Gene Karpinski, President of the LCV Political Engagement Fund.

As gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale became the dominant environmental issue in Pennsylvania, Governor Corbett repeatedly chose to put the interests of oil and gas companies ahead of the interests of Pennsylvania's citizens. Standing in the way of a fair severance tax on the industry, he instead chose to slash budgets for the Department of Environmental Protection, open state parks and forests to drillers, and offer massive tax breaks and subsidies to some of the world's largest companies.

LCV and LCV Political Engagement Fund worked with its more than 30 state partners to determine this election cycle's "Dirty Dozen in the States." The candidates named are some of the most anti-environment politicians running in competitive state-level races for governor, state senate or state house this cycle.

The "Dirty Dozen in the States" is modeled after LCV's "Dirty Dozen", which targets candidates for Congress (with occasional exceptions) — regardless of party affiliation — who consistently side against the environment, and are running in races in which LCV has a serious chance to affect the outcome. Last cycle, LCV defeated 11 of the 12 "Dirty Dozen" candidates.

Paid for and authorized by Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania Action Fund and LCV Political Engagement Fund.  

SOURCE Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania Action Fund; League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Political Engagement Fund