This evening, the Louisiana House of Representatives voted 59-39 in favor of SB 469. If enacted, barring legal challenges, this bill would effectively kill the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority ” East’s lawsuit to hold ninety-six oil, gas and pipeline companies accountable for their role in Louisiana’s coastal wetlands loss.Even though some of our legislators don’t know it yet, the tide has turned. This fight was unimaginable a short time ago, but every day the Gulf of Mexico gets closer to our homes and that truth has become unavoidable. Legislators had to choose between either shielding the oil and gas industry from accountability, or enforcing the law and restoring our wetlands. Fifty-nine of them chose to bail out Big Oil and make their constituents pay for the oil industry’s damage to the coast, and they will have a hard time explaining that to voters.Any portion of this statement may be quoted with attribution to Steve Murchie, Campaign Director, Gulf Restoration Network.For roll call of the vote, click here.###Gulf Restoration Network is a 20-year-old non-profit dedicated to uniting and empowering people to protect and restore the health of the Gulf of Mexico.
