Texas Attorney General Sues Over Drilling Moratorium

The Texas attorney general sued the Obama administration on Wednesday over its new deepwater offshore drilling moratorium, claiming that it is unjustified and that federal officials did not contact the state before issuing the ban. Attorney General Greg Abbott (pictured) filed an 18 page suit in federal court in Houston against Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. The current moratorium replaced one that was blocked by the courts. The ban is in effect until Nov. 30, unless federal officials determine that safety has improved in deepwater drilling operations. Texas is one of the nation's most active oil refinery states. State reports show there were 86,900 jobs in oil and natural gas extraction in April and an additional 107,800 in support industries.