Senate Approval Expected for Offshore Drilling Bill

The U.S. Senate has cleared the way for legislation that would open more than eight million protected acres in the Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas drilling. Senators voted 72-23 to limit debate, assuring a final vote on the bill before senators depart for the summer recess. The bill's supporters said they have the majority needed to push it through. But a battle looms with the House, which has approved a bill that would allow drilling far beyond the limited acreage in the central Gulf of Mexico. Negotiations to reconcile the two measures won't begin until September. The bill has been a top priority of Senator Mary Landrieu, who pushed for the bill to include an increase in the share that Louisiana and other gulf states get from federal offshore royalties. (Source: KLFY- Lafayette)