As I’m sure you’ve heard, the Governor vetoed SB 820 a.k.a. the Fracking bill. Here’s what the bill does:
1. Sets up the Mining and Energy Commission and requires them to develop a program to manage oil and gas exploration;
2. Authorizes fracking but imposes a moratorium on all permitting until the legislature says it’s okay to move forward;
3. Beefs up property rights and public safety protections; and
4. Establishes a Joint Legislative Commission on Energy Policy.
In the final hours of the short session, the General Assembly overrode the governor’s veto. Here is the final vote count:
In the House: Total Votes: 119 Ayes: 72 Noes: 47 Exc. Absent: 1
Democrat | Republican | |
Ayes: | Representative(s): Alexander, K.; Brisson; Carney; Hamilton; Hill; Moore, R. | Representative(s): Avila; Blackwell; Blust; Boles; Bradley; Brawley; Brown, L.; Brown, R.; Brubaker; Burr; Cleveland; Collins; Cook; Current; Daughtry; Dixon; Dockham; Dollar; Faircloth; Folwell; Frye; Gillespie; Hager; Hastings; Hilton; Hollo; Horn; Howard; Hurley; Iler; Ingle; Johnson; Jones; Jordan; Justice; Killian; Langdon; LaRoque; Lewis; McComas; McCormick; McElraft; McGee; Mills; Moffitt; Moore, T.; Murry; Pittman; Pridgen; Randleman; Sager; Saine; Samuelson; Sanderson; Setzer; Shepard; Stam; Starnes; Steen; Stevens; Stone; Tillis (SPEAKER); Torbett; Walend; Warren, H.; West |
Noes: | Representative(s): Adams; Alexander, M.; Bell; Bordsen; Brandon; Bryant; Cotham; Crawford; Earle; Faison; Farmer-Butterfield; Fisher; Floyd; Gill; Glazier; Goodman; Graham; Hackney; Haire; Hall; Harrison; Insko; Jackson; Jeffus; Keever; Lucas; Luebke; Martin; McGuirt; McLawhorn; Michaux; Mobley; Owens; Parfitt; Parmon; Pierce; Rapp; Ross; Spear; Tolson; Wainwright; Warren, E.; Weiss; Wilkins; Wray | Representative(s): Holloway; McGrady |
Exc. Absence: | Representative(s): Womble | Representative(s): None |
And in the Senate:
Total Votes: 42 Ayes: 29 Noes: 13 Exc. Absent: 8
Democrat | Republican | |
Ayes: | Senator(s): None | Senator(s): Allran; Apodaca; Berger, P.; Bingham; Blake; Brock; Brown; Brunstetter; Carney; Daniel; Davis; East; Goolsby; Gunn; Harrington; Hartsell; Hise; Jackson; Meredith; Newton; Pate; Preston; Rabon; Rouzer; Rucho; Soucek; Tillman; Tucker; Westmoreland |
Noes: | Senator(s): Berger, D.; Blue; Graham; Jones; Kinnaird; McKissick; Nesbitt; Purcell; Stein; Vaughan; White | Senator(s): Hunt; Stevens |
Exc. Absence: | Senator(s): Atwater; Clodfelter; Dannelly; Garrou; Jenkins; Mansfield; Robinson; Walters | Senator(s): None |
Senate Bill 820 is now law.