Voters

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett said Friday the state has appealed to the state Supreme Court a ruling by the Commonwealth Court that struck down portions of Act 13, the state’s new omnibus Marcellus Shale law.

In a 4-3 decision on Thursday, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled that portions of Act 13, the state’s new omnibus Marcellus Shale law, were “unconstitutional, null and void” on the grounds that its limits on local zoning violate municipalities’ right to substantive due process.

The effort to put a natural gas severance tax hike before Arkansas voters has been suspended as backers came up short on the number of signatures necessary to put the issue on the November ballot (see Shale Daily, July 10; June 29). Tax hike proponent Sheffield Nelson told local news media he would make a final decision on whether to abandon the effort within a week. The campaign is short about 40,000 signatures after many were disqualifed. The campaign would need to make up the shortfall by Aug. 20 and deliver at least 62,507 valid signatures in total.

Attorneys involved with a legal challenge to portions of Act 13, Pennsylvania’s new omnibus Marcellus Shale law, say a decision by the state’s Commonwealth Court could come within a month and will have far-reaching consequences regardless of which way the court rules.

Attorneys involved with a legal challenge to portions of Act 13, Pennsylvania’s omnibus Marcellus Shale law, say a decision by the Commonwealth Court could come within a month and will have far-reaching consequences regardless of which way the court rules.

Former natural gas industry executive Sheffield Nelson has enlisted the aid of economist Charles Venus in his campaign to raise the severance tax that Arkansas levies on natural gas production. Raising the tax to 7% would mean an additional $155 million per year for state coffers, the equivalent of less than a day and a half of profits for ExxonMobil, Venus said recently.

A panel of seven Commonwealth Court judges heard oral arguments Wednesday in a lawsuit filed by seven Pennsylvania municipalities and others that claim parts of Act 13, the state’s new omnibus Marcellus Shale law, are unconstitutional.

Coordinated regulation of oil and gas development is needed in Colorado, but no new laws are needed to achieve such an approach, according to a draft report from a task force created earlier this year by Gov. John Hickenlooper. The task force is scheduled to issue its final report to Hickenlooper and state lawmakers Wednesday.

An attorney representing Anschutz Exploration Corp. (AEC) has filed suit against the Town of Dryden, NY, arguing that the town of overstepped its authority when it enacted an ordinance and a zoning requirement this summer banning all oil and gas development activities.