As Gov. Kate Brown prepares for a February legislative session in which she has vowed to push for a cap on carbon emissions, she's spending time with a key player.
Brown flew to an Oregon Forest & Industries Council annual meeting in Sunriver, Ore., last month aboard a private plane paid for by OFIC. Brown's office says she'll report the flight as a gift, as required by law.
So much for making friends: Republican lawmakers jumped on the governor's choice to travel by plane, given her efforts to address climate change.
"Carbon hypocrisy from the governor will make cap and trade an even harder sell in the upcoming session," says state Rep. Jack Zika (R-Redmond).
The governor's office says the decision to travel by plane was made to accommodate a busy schedule.
"She does not frequently use private plane travel," says spokesman Charles Boyle, adding the trip balanced "the need to get as much done as possible with the needs of doing so as efficiently as possible."