FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 27, 2014
Contact: Michael Scerbo
Rose+Moser+Allyn Public and Online Relations
Email: mscerbo@rosemoserallynpr.com
Work: 480.423.1414
Mobile: 602.615.6523
Voters Turn Down Turner
(Oklahoma City) Mike Turner, the Oklahoma State Representative who sponsored a controversial bill to tax rooftop solar in Oklahoma, learned the hard way this week that attacking solar is bad politics. Turner finished fourth in the Republican primary for Congressional District Five, despite outspending all other candidates. Media reports that Turner and a super-PAC spent more than $800,000 on his run for Congress.
Turner, while serving in the Oklahoma State House, sponsored SB 1456, which would have imposed a tax on rooftop solar customers. The bill was signed into law, however Oklahoma’s Governor concurrently signed an Executive Order to ensure the bill is implemented in a manner that would not discriminate against solar homes and businesses. .
Turner’s anti-solar stance didn’t help him at the polls. He finished 4th in the GOP CD 5 primary with 14% of the vote, failing to make the run-off. At one time polls showed him leading the race.
Turner’s anti-solar bill drew fierce opposition from conservative solar supporters which led to a video demonstrating how Turner ‘turned’ on conservative values by proposing to tax solar. Here is a link.
Turner learned the hard way that conservatives are strong solar supporters, and that attacking solar is bad politics. In Arizona, where solar energy has also been under attack, a recent poll shows nearly 70% of likely GOP primary voters are opposed to a new property tax on rooftop solar.
TUSK was launched to stand against new solar taxes and for energy choice and competition.
To learn more about T.U.S.K. visit www.dontkillsolar.com.
T.U.S.K. believes that rooftop solar is similar to a charter school—it provides a competitive alternative to the monopoly. Monopoly utilities aren’t known for reducing costs or for driving business innovation, but the solar industry is. Solar companies have a track record of aggressive cost reduction. The more people use rooftop solar, the less power they need to buy from the utilities. Energy independence means smaller profits for the utilities, so they are doing everything they can to stop the spread of independent solar.
