It establishes precedent, that’s why.
If you speed 6mph over the limit Friday, get caught, and your fine is $200, but you can’t pay because the court has closed for the day, that’s no big deal - you have several days to pay before it becomes a legal issue, just because of this sort of reason.
However, if Saturday they change the law that speeding 6mph over the limit is now punishable by $200,000 in fines, and that your offense committed the day before is subject to that fine, well, by this precedent you want them to set, that’s okay, too, right?
The govt sold the leases and set the rules only to change them midstream. Oil companies should demand reimbursement of lease purchases.
> However, if Saturday they change the law that speeding 6mph over the limit is now punishable by $200,000 in fines, and that your offense committed the day before is subject to that fine, well, by this precedent you want them to set, that’s okay, too, right?
I addressed the retroactive issue. The law can apply to the damage coming from the oil that gushes out from the time this law becomes active. Whether the bill writers are taking this into account remains to be seen.