FREEHAWAII.INFO PRESENTS -
A MULTI-PART SPECIAL REPORT -
HAWAI`I VOTES BOUGHT BY ALASKA OIL
From Ka Leo O Hawai`i By Juanita Mathews
Ka Leo Associate Editorials Editor
Last week the senate voted 51-49 in favor of opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's 1.5 million acre coastal plain to oil drilling.
Senators who opposed drilling in the past used the filibuster to force a 60-vote majority in order to pass any bill that opens up the area.
Because the proposal to open up ANWR to drilling was tagged onto a budget reconciliation bill, it is immune to the filibuster and requires only a majority for the bill to pass.
The vote on this issue was largely partisan, and therefore, it piqued my curiosity when I found out that both of Hawaii's democratic senators voted in favor of drilling.
To Be Continued ...
Tomorrow - Tipping The Scales
