Bold Nebraskas Jane Kleeb: The Senate vote taking place this week is pure political theatre and will have no impact on the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. On April 18th, the State Department announced that it was pausing the process, citing the uncertainty created by the on-going litigation in the Nebraska Supreme Court which could ultimately affect the pipeline route in that state. Some pro-Keystone commentators and politicians claim that announcement was an excuse for delaying past the 2014 elections. However, the State Department was recognizing a fundamental reality: there is NO legal route in Nebraska and there will be no route for 1-2 years, if ever. The Senate minority leadership, which is pushing for a vote this week on a measure to approve the pipeline, does not recognize this fundamental reality. The bill does not have enough votes to pass, but moreover, the Senate does not have the power to ignore Nebraska courts nor the authority to approve the pipeline absent a legal route.
Posted on: Tue, 06 May 2014 19:06:39 +0000
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