Lawmakers moved Monday to prohibit Texas cities from banning hydraulic fracturing and other potentially environmentally harmful oil and natural gas drilling activities within their boundaries, a major victory for industry groups and top conservatives. The state scrambled to limit local energy exploration prohibitions after Denton, a university town near Dallas, passed an ordinance in November against fracking, trying to keep encroaching drilling outside their community. The measure by Representative Drew Darby, a San Angelo Republican, allows communities to regulate things above ground such as noise, traffic and lighting associated with oil and gas activities, but forbids most limits on activity below the surface. The bill passed the Senate on Monday and was sent to Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, who is expected to sign it.
Boy leave it to Texas to ban their citizen's right to protect themselves against suffering through a dramatically increased number of earthquakes and having their groundwater poisoned by oil companies.
Personally I just wish that Texas would stop doing stupid things so that we could talk about other states for a change.
Arizona Lawmakers Tell Cities They Can't Ban Plastic Bags
ReplyDeletehttp://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/arizona-lawmakers-cities-ban-plastic-bags-30702856
To quote the late great Doug Sahm "You just can't live in Texas unless you got a lot of soul".
ReplyDeleteGreat job Texas! You, yes you.Elected a spineless Governor!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with that.
As someone who currently has to live in Texas I too wish Texas would stop doing stupid things.
ReplyDeleteHey, I'm enjoying the break from everyone ragging on Mississippi. I moved here from California and didn't know just how bad it was...
ReplyDeleteThe beatings will continue until morale improves.
ReplyDeleteIt's not called The Loon Star State for nothin'!
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable.
ReplyDeleteThis is big government infringing on the rights of localities. It's the opposite of what Republican claim they are for. Of course, we've known for a long time they are for nothing other than enriching themselves and big business.
ReplyDeleteRights exist only for corporations. If you're a mere citizen, then you have only those rights that don't interfere with what they want.
DeleteThis is the same Texas that crows about their freedom and yells about government overreach. The Texas that talks about the jackboot of the government on their neck.
ReplyDeleteOh sorry, the government they complain about is the one run by that Kenyan traitor terrorist fella. It's o.k. then that the government run by those oil companies and the rich folk can do this takeover thing. They're just exercising their freedom to screw the little guy.....yep, gotta love Texas.
Texas: libertarian paradise = citizens' nightmare. And this what they want to do nationwide federally because doing it state by state isn't fast enough for the likes of the Koch brothers.
ReplyDeleteI just love the hypocrisy of the right. they whine about big government incessantly. Local is always best because only local government is pure except when the local government bites them in the ass.
ReplyDeleteIs there any deeply held belief that the right won't netray? No, there isn't.
Here's hoping the whole state IMPLODES.
ReplyDeleteI can't help but think this legislation is illegal and/or unConstitutional. When does local control start? These Republican hypocrites are unbelievable. Wish one of the municipalities sues the legislature. I'd love to see that discussion in court.
ReplyDeleteThere's a town in Pennsylvania that's been a smoldering fire for ages from digging for coal. Centralia Pa. has become a ghost town. So maybe it's a "good thing" the nutjobs want govmint checks and checks from the fracking companies, who cares about global warming, pollution, water that catches fire and the occasional house explosion. That's what insurance is for, right?
ReplyDeleteI'm not disparaging all Texans, I'm sure there are many normal, nice and friendly sane folks, I just hope they have enough money to get out on time.
This is what the idiots here get for electing Greg Abbott. I knew it would be bad, but this is ridiculous. I hope Abbott gets fracked himself, what an asshole. I voted against him!
ReplyDeleteThis is a huge problem all over the usa. Centuries of mining, sucking the oil out of the earth, pumping toxic waste in, killing trees, polluting, wasting, Centuries of bad habits all over the world? Messing with Our Mother Earth is not wise. Stop fracking.
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