Big oil: shut up

I heard a report today on Texas’ state override of local control of the oil and gas production industry.

The citizens of Denton, Texas, voted to control the placement of oil and gas wells within city limits. In effect, it’s also placing a ban on fracking. The industry struck back by getting a state law on the books stripping all local agencies of their power to enforce local ordinances having to do with any aspect of production, from well placement, to waste-water disposal.

I know Texans are proud of their independence, their level of energy production and their freedom to conduct business unencumbered by regulations, but I don’t think they counted on being told to sit down and shut up by the very industry they supported.

Only time will tell whether the Texas legislature survives this takeover of local control. And to think Texans were worried the federal government was going to do the takeover.

This story was originally published May 26, 2015 at 2:54 AM with the headline "Big oil: shut up."