By KATE MISHKIN
Charleston Gazette-Mail
(Gazette-Mail photo by Kate Mishkin)
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As the West Virginia Senate’s Energy, Industry and Mining Committee and House Judiciary Committee were voting on two controversial oil and gas bills inside the capitol Wednesday morning, industry workers were already gathering outside the building.
Hundreds of workers from the natural gas and oil industry stood on the steps of the capitol for the annual West Virginia Energy Jobs Rally while lawmakers thanked them for their work and talked about legislation that would further the industry’s efforts.
“The Legislature even today is debating policies that are like sunshine, that will keep us going and keep us growing. The majority protection act is one of those policies,” said Maribeth Anderson, director of government affairs at Antero Resources, referring to House Bill 4268, or the co-tenancy bill.
The bill would give natural gas and oil companies permission to drill with the consent of 75 percent of land owners. The bill has moved swiftly through the legislature and was sent from the Senate’s energy committee to its judiciary committee Wednesday morning with a voice vote and no amendments.
A bill with similar goals that also addressed joint development, was introduced last year but didn’t pass. Three years ago, a bill known as the “forced pooling bill” died the last night of the session with a tied vote.
Read the entire article: https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/legislative_session/as-oil-and-gas-bills-continue-through-wv-legislature-workers/article_6490241c-7b51-5018-bf1d-ae3f098d9c10.html
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