The House Majority Leader says there’s a chance a hydraulic fracturing bill could pass the Florida Legislature this year.
Representative Ray Rodrigues of Fort Myers opposes a statewide ban by Republican Senator Dana Young of Tampa, but he says it contains the seeds of a compromise.
“There’s still a possibility that the bill, using the basis of the Young bill, which includes a statewide preemption on oil and gas regulation, and a moratorium, or a temporary ban on the subject of unconventional oil extraction, is definitely a possibility.”
However, Rodrigues says any bill would have to protect property rights.
Fracking opponents fought Rodrigues’ attempts last year to preempt local fracking bans, but Rodrigues says their support for a statewide ban convinces him they’ve moved closer to his position.
