Good news for at-risk Dems as they can say they’re for it, but the president doesn’t have to act anytime soon. From the Washington Post:
The Nebraska Supreme Court will announce as soon as Thursday that it will hear oral arguments in the case over the Keystone XL pipeline’s route in early September, effectively postponing any final federal decision on the controversial project until after the midterm elections.
In April, the State Department announced that it would not issue a determination on whether the pipeline was in the nation’s interest until Nebraska resolved whether the project’s path through the state complied with state law. A group of landowners is challenging the decision by Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman (R) to sign legislation designed to speed the project by approving its route and letting the company use the power of eminent domain in negotiating right of way for the project.
Court officials confirmed Monday that it will hear arguments in the case,Thompson v. Heineman, in the first week of September. Under that schedule, a final ruling would not come out until October at the earliest, though it could take some months longer than that.
A administration official familiar with the State Department’s decision-making process, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said it is “highly unlikely that a decision will be made before the mid-term election” given the court’s schedule.
The rest here.