A Pennsylvania House Representative has cut a two-year crypto mining ban from their bill to regulate the sector’s energy consumption claiming trade labor unions pressured the change.
On Oct. 16, the Pennsylvania House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee passed the Cryptocurrency Energy Conservation Act by a slim margin — 13 for and 12 against — after no movement on the bill since its introduction to the Committee on June 21.
The Committee’s chair and the bill’s sponsor, Democratic Representative Greg Vitali, told local media outlet The Pennsylvania Capital-Star the same day that he was pressured by Democratic Party leaders not to run the bill inclusive of the moratorium.
Excerpt of the amended House Bill No. 1476 with the two-year crypto mining moratorium struck off. Source: Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Rep. Vitali said building trade labor unions had “chronic opposition” to environmental policy and claimed the unions had his Democratic colleagues in their pocket.
“Frankly, [the unions have] the ear of House Democrats, and they have the ability to peel off members who would otherwise be supportive of good environmental policy.”
Vitali claimed voting against the unions would risk the Democratic majority in Pennsylvania’s House and he would rather see the bill pass sans moratorium than not at all.
“I learned the hard way in my first six months as majority chair that there’s not a high tolerance for strong environmental policy,” Vitali added.
The two-year ban would have stopped approvals of new and renewed permits to operate a crypto mining facility. The bill now instills an impact study on miner operations and new reporting requirements.
Within six months, miners in with state have to submit information on the number of mining sites operated and the size of each site, along with information on energy sources, emissions reports, and energy and water consumption.
Pennsylvania-based crypto miners will have to submit the reports annually. New miners to the state must submit the same report before starting operations.
Crypto miner Stronghold Digital Mining has set up shop in Pennsylvania — the third-largest coal-producing state in the United States — and purchased two coal-burning power plants on the premise it would turn the plant’s waste into energy to power hundreds of Bitcoin (BTC) mining rigs.
In July, the miner sought approval to burn shredded tires to produce up to 15% of its energy needs, a move strongly opposed by local environmental groups.
After days of furore directed at Rishi Sunak for the election betting scandal, now a Labour candidate is under investigation by the Gambling Commission for his own betting activity – and is immediately suspended.
Is this an equaliser in one of the grubbiest electoral sagas of recent elections? Quite possibly not.
There is no doubting the utter dismay in Labour HQ at the revelation that they too have a candidate caught up in the betting scandal.
However, if this scenario is as presented, it is hard to see an allegation being mounted that he had insider intelligence on the race – unless it can be proved he was deliberately setting out to lose.
An under-pressure Gambling Commission will investigate every candidate’s name on the spreadsheet from gambling companies of those who placed bets – but it is unclear from available facts where this will go.
The Tory betting saga, however, is more complicated and now on its 13th day.
It was almost two weeks ago that Craig Williams – Rishi Sunak’s closest parliamentary aide and former Montgomeryshire MP – admitted he had placed a bet on the election date – a date he might have known before the public at large.
He denies he committed any offence, and remains under investigation.
Laura Saunders, standing for the Tories just south in Bristol North West, has also been suspended for putting a bet on the date when her partner worked in Conservative headquarters on the election.
For most of that time, Mr Sunak has been insisting he could not suspend either candidate because of the ongoing probe by the Gambling Commission.
Ministers, as well as opponents, weighed in.
And on Tuesday he reversed that decision under that pressure.
This means there are questions about the prime minister’s own judgement and unwillingness to act on top of questions about the behaviour of those closest to him.
Image: Craig Williams and Laura Saunders have both been suspended from the Tories. Pics: PA/Laura Saunders for Bristol North West
This story has had massive cut through with the public, topping the charts for any news story in the UK – according to YouGov’s AI news tracker – for the last four days.
There is dismay from the cabinet downwards.
Labour’s own problems have undermined their own ability to go on the attack. But it is not clear that voters will see the two issues on the same scale.
The full list of the candidates running for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich is:
Charlie Caiger, independent; Tony Gould, Reform UK; Mike Hallatt, independent; Brett Alistair Mickelburgh, Lib Dems; Dan Pratt, Greens; Patrick Spencer, Conservatives.
The full list of candidates for Bristol North West is:
Caroline Gooch, Lib Dems; Darren Jones, Labour; Scarlett O’Connor, Reform UK; Mary Page, Green Party; Ben Smith, SDP.
The full list of candidates for Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr is:
Jeremy Brignell-Thorp, Green Party; Oliver Lewis, Reform UK; Glyn Preston, Lib Dems; Elwyn Vaughan, Plaid Cymru; Steve Witherden, Labour.
Four men have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass in the grounds of the prime minister’s home, police have confirmed.
The incident took place at Rishi Sunak’s constituency address in Kirby Sigston, North Yorkshire, while he was attending events in London to mark the Japanese state visit.
A police statement said officers were “with the four men within one minute of them entering the grounds”.
The arrests are connected to a protest by campaigners from Youth Demand. It describes itself as a group of young people who want “the Tories and the Labour Party commit to a two-way arms embargo on Israel, and to stop all new oil and gas licences”.
A spokesperson for the group said three of those arrested were taking part in the demonstration, while the fourth person was an independent photographer.
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A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “They were detained at around 12.40pm before being escorted off the property and arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass.
“The men, aged 52 from London, 43 from Bolton, 21 from Manchester, and 20 from Chichester, remain in police custody for questioning and enquiries are ongoing.”
It comes after a separate incident last summer, when protesters scaled the roof of Mr Sunak’s home.
They held up banners which said “NO NEW OIL” and draped the building in fabric. It happened while the prime minister and his family were away on holiday in California.
Amy Rugg-Easey, 33, Alexandra Wilson, 32, Michael Grant, 64, and Mathieu Soete, 38, have pleaded not guilty to criminal damage, with a two-day trial set to take place in July.