You'd think the energy industry can't tell the difference between a Proud Boy and an Ojibwe grandmother -- or that they think state legislators can't, anyway.
The January 6 insurrection cracked opened a door for energy companies to use state law to clamp down on "protestors" at sites where the companies don't want them.
It's quite simple, really. Laws originally written to protect nuclear reactors and dams, which are considered "critical infrastructure," are simply relabeling oil, gas, coal, and plastics facilities as critical infrastructure too.
The laws written to protect nuclear reactors from angry citizens make it possible for states to pile on criminal penalties and fines on protestors who are, say, blocking roadways or chaining themselves to trees. In some states' bills, a protestor doesn't even have to be convicted of trespassing to be jailed or fined -- an arrest is enough. The protestors' companions and organizations they belong to can also be held accountable.
The new, extended legislation came from a model bill concocted by the industries that want protection. Its author is the right-wing American Legislative Exchange Council, a beard for conservative big shots.
After the recent, controversial Dakota Access pipeline project, lobbyists from companies such as Enbridge, Exxon Mobil, Koch Industries, and Marathon Petroleum promoted the laws to Republican state lawmakers.
The laws are tailored to individual states. Kentucky, South Dakota and West Virginia all approved the industry-friendly legislation in March 2020. Ohio recently passed such a law, although Louisiana turned one down.
States currently considering similar laws include Arkansas, Kansas, Montana, and Minnesota.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/fossil-fuel-protest_n_602c1ff6c5b6c95056f3f6af?fbclid=IwAR2BYddWXNUQJpGHC_lKn70vlcdspUvjoCZAZPVm7Z4jP0z2x60qDfOtQqM
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