CHARLESTON, W.Va. β House Bill 2688, known as the Forced Pooling Bill, was rejected late Saturday night on the last day of the session. The bill, which would have allowed the unitization of horizontal gas wells, ended with a tie vote of 49 for and 49 against with two not voting.
βIt is my great pleasure to see this bill defeated. The property rights of all West Virginians now stand protected due to our hard work,β said Delegate Jeff Eldridge (D-Lincoln).
The bill was spearheaded by Delegate Lynwood Ireland (R-Ritchie) and other portions of Republican leadership. A combination of Democrat and Republican votes was able to create the necessary numbers to defeat the bill.