After what one Democrat calls an accidental vote, North Carolina will join most modern states in the 21st century energy

boom sweeping the nation. No, not solar or wind – a resurgence in new production of oil and gas in the United States.

Using “fracking”, oil and gas producers are able to collect petroleum and natural gas from formations previously inaccessible. The new production is creating boom towns and a resurgence in hiring in towns and cities that sorely need the jobs.

Misinformation, like that presented in the environmentalist-backed “Gasland” video, has had states such as North Carolina prohibit the practice of fracking which has left their states out of the new energy boom. Just recently North Carolina’s Democrat Governor Bev Purdue had vetoed a bill to allow fracking in the tarheel state. But, due to what State Rep. Becky Carney called an accident, her ‘yes’ vote was just enough to overturn Purdue’s ill-informed veto.

North Carolina sits on a formation known as the Deep River Basin which is thought to contain enough energy to power the state for upwards of a decade. It certainly would revitalize an economy the Democrat Governor has failed to reignite. Perhaps something even state Rep. Carney even accidentally knew.

For the second time in the last two years, Governor Purdue has stalled efforts by the Republican-led legislature to foster gas exploration in the tarheel state.

In a message about the veto, Perdue said that while she supports policies that create jobs, she doesn’t want to act too quickly.

Some estimates of the size of the formation under North Carolina could power the state for at least five years and would certainly create a booming industry for North Carolina job-seekers.

This is the second time Purdue has put her political priorities ahead of job-creating legislation. In 2011 she votoed a similar bill and has since failed to open the state to jobs and revenue that it badly needs.

The fate of North Carolina’s economy has now been left to the General Assembly for override votes. While Republicans have the votes in the Senate to override the veto, some Democrats will have to cross the aisle in the House to defeat the veto.

The State’s democrats will have to decide between jobs and the liberal special interest groups in an election year.

Senate Bill 13 (SB13) would have narrowed the spending gap by $540 million. It did so with $400 million in cuts that Purdue said she would support, and the remainder from three special funds that she did  not want to see touched: funds that are spent at her discretion. The three funds are the Golden Leaf Foundation, One North Carolina Fund, and the Job Development Investment Grant.

Republicans are saying that they won’t attempt to override the veto – why should they? The part of the bill she is fighting against is traditionally a Republican play. The money being fought over is used to lure companies into the state by giving them grants, tax breaks, construction funds, etc.

“This bill started out as a way to help North Carolina secure $400 million in additional savings from state government agencies during this difficult budget time,” Perdue said in a statement. “I suggested that bill to the General Assembly and was ready to sign that legislation. But the bill in its current form forces a one-time cash-grab from funds that are intended to create jobs and spur economic development. That’s not the right move for North Carolina, where jobs simply must be our No. 1 priority.” – From WRAL.com

Tax cuts and public money for corporations, or “corporate welfare” has been something that the left typically rails against. They would prefer to see that money spent on the poor, not companies. This is trickle-down economics at its core! Is Bev Purdue channeling Reagan? No.

Purdue is perhaps realizing that if the economy turns around and the job situation gets better, she must be able to take credit. The only way she can do that is if she was personally responsible for bringing in new employers. This is the cheese with which she intends to catch corporate mice. If she no longer controls the cheese, she no longer controls the message.

Another possibility is cronyism – not with the corporations, but the three organizations/funds that would have lost hundreds of millions of dollars and possibly become defunct.

It just isn’t really clear why she did it and North Carolinians have to hope she can find that $540 million and another $1.85 Billion to avoid massive layoffs and shutdowns.