Polluters back Logue’s campaign

A reporter from The New York Times followed the money in local Republican Assemblyman Dan Logue’s campaign to squash California’s climate law, and it seems the trail led straight to the oil industry.

The effort to postpone AB 32 is apparently being backed by two San Antonio-based refiners, Valero Energy Corp. and Tesoro Corp., according to the Times. The companies reportedly are the sole funding sources of Logue’s proposed ballot initiative (highlighted in last week’s cover story, “Crunch time for AB 32”) that aims to impede the landmark law, which was approved in 2006 and is intended to significantly reduce greenhouse-gas production in the state by 2020.

Valero and Tesoro operate refineries in California, including two in the Bay Area. A spokesman for Valero didn’t deny backing the initiative, but would not comment on the funding. Logue (pictured) would not discuss it either.

Logue will need 435,000 signatures to get the initiative on the November ballot. If approved, it would halt the law until state unemployment rates drop below 5.5 percent.