{"id":2615,"date":"2021-05-11T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-11T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www-prod.greenpeace.org\/usa\/?p=2615"},"modified":"2024-12-11T16:01:53","modified_gmt":"2024-12-11T16:01:53","slug":"dollars-vs-democracy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/usa\/dollars-vs-democracy\/","title":{"rendered":"Greenpeace Report: Dollars vs. Democracy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Published: 05-10-2021<\/p>\n

Download: PDF<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Introduction and Key Findings<\/h2>\n

A healthy democracy is a precondition for a healthy environment. When everyone\u2019s vote counts and when everyone\u2019s constitutionally-guaranteed right to peacefully protest is protected, our government becomes more accountable and capable of meeting the demand for racial justice and enacting solutions to the rapidly accelerating climate crisis.<\/p>\n

Congress is currently presented with the opportunity to pass two bills that would restore, strengthen, and protect our freedom to vote, make sure average people have a better chance of being heard by preventing billionaires from buying our elections, and ensure we can elect leaders who govern in our interests: The For The People Act (H.R. 1\/S. 1) and The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (H.R. 4).<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yet today, conservative state lawmakers across the country are attempting to block the path to progress by forcing through legislation designed to criminalize and squash public protests and disenfranchise voters \u2014 especially voters of color.<\/p>\n

Unhappy with the outcome of the 2020 election and following the record-breaking turnout among Black voters in the Senate runoff election in Georgia, extremist state lawmakers first began to introduce a barrage of anti-voter laws in Georgia and a few other states. But soon these bills spread across the country. As of late March, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, at least 361 anti-voter bills had been introduced in 47 states.[1]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

At the same time, extremist lawmakers are also busy drafting anti-protest bills with new draconian provisions designed to criminalize and stifle protests. Over 80 anti-protest bills have been introduced in 34 states so far this year \u2014 more than twice the number in any previous year.[2]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

The introduction of these anti-protest bills started to accelerate noticeably in 2017. The legislation came in response to protests led by the Black Lives Matter movement and the resistance to the Dakota Access pipeline led by Indigenous land and water protectors from the Standing Rock Reservation.[3]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

It\u2019s no surprise that these anti-protest bills are designed primarily against these two movements since the struggles for climate justice and racial justice go hand-in-hand; both are led by communities of color that have borne a disproportionate share of corporate harm and police brutality.<\/p>\n

Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities began organizing the movement for environmental justice decades ago, having been most heavily impacted by pollution and illnesses associated with fossil fuel extraction and use, petrochemical production, and waste disposal operations.[4]<\/a><\/sup> Many Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities are now also on the front lines of the climate crisis, trying to survive extreme weather events and other impacts that will soon affect everyone.[5]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Given these realities, it\u2019s no surprise that opinion polls have repeatedly found that Latinx and Black communities are more likely to be alarmed and concerned about global warming than white people, who are more likely to be doubtful or dismissive.[6]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

This year, demands for racial justice and climate justice have also begun to expose the relationship between polluters opposed to government action on climate change and the recent racist attacks on democracy. After white supremacists stormed the Capitol during the failed insurrection of January 6th, it was revealed that fossil fuel companies and other corporations and conservative groups contributed to groups that helped organize and promote the \u201cStop the Steal\u201d rallies that led to the siege of the Capitol.[7]<\/a><\/sup> Later on January 6, when Congress reconvened, the \u201cinsurrection caucus\u201d that refused to certify the 2020 election results was led by many members who have taken exorbitant amounts of money from the fossil fuel industry.[8]<\/a><\/sup> According to a recent analysis by the Center for American Progress, 82 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and six U.S. Senators are both climate deniers and members of the \u201cinsurrection caucus\u201d \u2014 those who denied the certified results of the 2020 general election, supporting President Trump\u2019s attempt to overturn the election.[9]<\/a><\/sup> Many of these same politicians have also spent years undermining voting rights and campaign finance reform, opening the doors to the plutocrats who have polluted our politics as much as they have contaminated our air, water, and land.[10]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Republican politicians in Georgia, Texas, Arizona and other states began introducing legislation directly designed to quash the election rules and policies that led to an unprecedented voter turnout.<\/p>\n

Soon national attention was drawn towards Georgia, where state legislators passed a new law signed by Governor Kemp, which includes provisions that will have the effect of making it more difficult for many voters to participate in upcoming elections, particularly Black voters and others that turned out in unprecedented numbers during the January Senate runoff races.<\/p>\n

Voting rights groups including the New Georgia Project, Fair Fight, Black Voters Matter, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People immediately began to respond, organizing legal challenges and calling out the companies that supported the sponsors of these bills, including Coca-Cola, Delta, Home Depot and Aflac.[11]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

As other state 2021 legislative sessions began, Greenpeace investigated corporate contributions to other state anti-voter bills along with new and expanded anti-protest legislation. The results of that research are discussed below, and presented in the appendices to this brief report.[12]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Key Findings include:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Dozens of state legislators are driving a two-pronged attack on democracy, sponsoring both<\/u> anti-voter and anti-protest bills.<\/em><\/h4>\n

44 state legislators sponsored at least one anti-protest bill and one anti-voter bill in the past year.[13]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Many companies back state legislators who sponsored both anti-voter and anti-protest bills.<\/em><\/h4>\n

Of the top 100 corporate donors to state lawmakers who sponsored anti-voter bills, 53 were also among the 100 top corporate donors to anti-protest bill sponsors.<\/p>\n

Five of 10 companies that donated the most to sponsors of state anti-voter legislation \u2014 AT&T, Comcast, RAI Services, Phillip Morris\/Altria and UnitedHealth Group \u2014 also rank among the top 10 corporate donors to the sponsors of state anti-protest bills.<\/p>\n

Fossil Fuel companies stand out among companies backing anti-protest legislation.<\/em><\/h4>\n

The 10 companies that invested the most in lobbying for anti-protest bills since 2017 are all fossil fuel companies.<\/p>\n

A growing number of companies have spoken out in defense of democracy and voting rights. Yet many of these same companies contributed to legislators sponsoring state anti-voter or anti-protest bills during their most recent election campaigns.<\/em><\/h4>\n

On April 14, well over 100 companies endorsed \u201cWe Stand for Democracy,\u201d a statement of clear opposition to \u201cany discriminatory legislation or measures that restrict or prevent any eligible voter from having an equal and fair opportunity to cast a ballot.\u201d[14]<\/a><\/sup> We commend them for doing so.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, this was after at least 12 of these companies contributed to the sponsors of 43 state anti-voter bills analyzed: Amazon, American Express, Bank of America, Facebook, Ford, General Motors, HP, J&J, Merck, Microsoft, United Airlines, and Wells Fargo.[15]<\/a><\/sup> We urge these and other companies to adopt the policy of immediately ceasing any support to politicians that sponsor or vote for state anti-voter legislation.<\/p>\n

Companies that ceased PAC contributions to members of Congress who refused to certify the 2020 election contributed to groups that promoted the \u201cStop the Steal\u201d rally. Many are also sponsors of state anti-voter legislation introduced after January 6. <\/em><\/h4>\n

In the wake of the insurrection, at least 130 companies \u201cpaused\u201d PAC contributions to members of the \u201cinsurrection caucus.\u201d Some halted such contributions altogether.[16]<\/a><\/sup> During the last election cycle at least 47 of these companies contributed to sponsors of state anti-voter legislation introduced after January 6.[17]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Of the top 100 corporate donors to sponsors of anti-protest bills 36 donated to the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA). RAGA\u2019s affiliate \u2014 the Rule of Law Defense Fund \u2014 sent robocalls to promote the January 6 march to the Capitol.[18]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Eight companies (including five oil & gas companies) that support RAGA have lobbied for anti-protest bills in at least 2 states.[19]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Many companies are also caught in a \u201cchamber of contradictions\u201d because of actions taken by trade associations such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.<\/em><\/h4>\n

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce opposes the For The People Act (H.R. 1\/ S. 1), despite the fact that many individual member companies oppose state anti-voter legislation.[20]<\/a><\/sup> Executives from six companies that have spoken out against state anti-voter legislation \u2014 IBM, Boston Consulting Group, United Airlines, Microsoft, Deloitte and Ford \u2014 currently serve on the Chamber\u2019s board of directors, its principal policy-making body.[21]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

At least six state and regional affiliates of the U.S. Chamber have also lobbied in favor of anti-protest laws.[22]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

The ten companies that contributed the most to state lawmakers sponsoring both anti-voter and anti-protest bills are<\/strong>[23]<\/a><\/sup>:<\/strong><\/p>\n