Washington Bureau

Is Offshore Oil Drilling A States’ Rights Issue?

States rights?

John McCain’s about-face this week in calling for an end to the federal ban on offshore oil drilling is the latest in a line of positions he’s taken declaring that states should be allowed to make more of their own decisions.

But Democratic North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley, in a conference call with reporters on behalf Barack Obama’s campaign, says he wonders if McCain, in using that argument for more oil drilling, has fully thought it out.

“The bigger problem is that if the state above you (or) below you has a problem, it affects your shores, as well,” said Easley, referring to oil spills or other environmental mishaps that don’t oblige state boundaries.

During the same call, former Florida Gov. Bob Graham also said “there’s no state’s rights issue here,” because current law already allows states to drill in their own state waters.

“Florida has the option today, if it chooses, to drill on its own property,” said Graham.

“I’d be interested to see which state legislators line up to be the first to say we should be drilling closer to the shore,” said Graham.

-- Billy House
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