Chris Gray and Jen Kruse

Despite a voting record that has not been friendly to tobacco companies, Senate President Peter Courtney once again raised a sizable pot of cash from the parent company of Philip Morris. His support will be critical to a series of bills designed to reduce smoking and better regulate the sale of cigarettes. This story is part two in a three-part series on healthcare-related Oregon state campaign finance contributions.

The spending by doctors groups, nurses, hospitals, dentists and insurers helps underwrite legislators’ campaigns, as political action committees seek to influence legislation and the state budget in Oregon. Groups that gave less have had considerably less clout in Salem.