Virginia Defies Trump Administration by Banning Offshore Drilling Along Its Coastline

In a direct rebuke to the Trump administration, Virginia's House of Delegates voted this week to ban oil and gas development off the state’s coastline. Governor Ralph Northam is expected to sign the bill. He has long opposed offshore drilling because of its impact on the environment and potential harm to the state's vital tourism industry.
Virginia joins California and other Atlantic coast states in rejecting Trump administration efforts to open up most of the nation's coastal waters to offshore drilling. Governor Northam and Democratic lawmakers are forging a different energy future for the state, with much greater reliance on renewable sources.
The drilling ban and green energy bills are just two of a number of progressive bills passed by Virginia's legislature since Democrats captured both the House and Senate last year.
By: Don Lam & Curated Content