“North Carolina is moving forward to legalize hydraulic fracturing — commonly called fracking — after an accidental vote by Democratic state Rep. Becky Carney overrode Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue’s veto on Monday,” as The Daily Caller reports.
When the vote was taking place, House members had to push either a green button to override the bill or a red button to sustain the veto.
Carney pushed the wrong button. Moments later, her voice was heard on her microphone, saying, “Oh my gosh. I pushed green.”
Meanwhile, here’s a guy who proves once again why he deserves a creative writing award, as Missoula writer Phil Condon bangs the bongo drum for an anti-Otter Creek coal protest in Helena this August.
Condon praises Democratic gubernatorial candidate Steve Bullock for his vote against developing the Otter Creek Coal Tracts, and attempts to compare modern-day coal development efforts to the corrupt Copper Kings of the past.
Here’s an excerpt from an op-ed in The Helena Independent Record:
Fortunately, Arch can’t break ground until the Land Board approves a detailed mining plan. But three members of the Board have made clear they’re willing to side with Big Coal, and the State has already accepted $86 million from Arch. History shows that in times of extraordinarily backward leadership, extraordinary citizenship is needed. That’s why in August hundreds — we hope thousands — of Montanans will go to Helena to pressure Land Board members to put the brakes on the Otter Creek Mine.
This won’t be your typical protest. Montanans of all walks of life will participate in a sit-in at the Capitol, for the entire week before the Board’s Aug. 20th meeting. Each day beginning Aug 13, a new wave of people will participate in the peaceful protest, showing the world Montanans are responsible global citizens.