As discussed by Daren and Becki, the House yesterday passed legislation designed to protect private well owners in light of a drought management law created last year that some say threatens private property rights.

Those who followed the debate surrounding this legislation will recall the apocalyptic verbiage used to describe the drought. “If we don’t do something (i.e., grant the state government more power), we’re all going to dehydrate and fry,” was a common refrain.

Recollecting that, this news is ironic:

Above average rainfall over the past few months has lifted all of North Carolina out of drought for the first time in more than two years.

The federal drought map released Thursday shows that widespread rainfall in recent weeks brought improvements throughout the state, most notably in 14 mountain counties that had been North Carolina’s only area still experiencing drought.

Of 100 counties, 53, mostly in the mountains and coastal plain, remain abnormally dry.

Although lawmakers would probably like to take credit for this turnaround, I’m confident God would have continued to send rain even if the legislature hadn’t passed these new regulations.