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North Carolina GOP Sen. Thom Tillis, facing a tight re-election race, said President Trump is expanding his recent offshore drilling ban to include the coast of his state.
Driving the news: The administration told Tillis that the state "will be included in a Presidential Memorandum withdrawing new leasing for offshore oil and gas developments for the next 12 years," his office said.
Why it matters: It would mark a reversal on part of the White House plans to make far more waters available to oil companies in coming years.
- And it shows how coastal drilling is increasingly stitched into the 2020 election cycle.
Catch up fast: Two weeks ago Trump extended the ban on the Gulf shores of Florida — a crucial swing state — until 2032.
- Trump's order also removed the Atlantic shores of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina from any leasing through that date.
Of note: The White House and the Interior Department declined comment on Monday night.
Go deeper: Offshore drilling ban will extend to North Carolina, Sen. Tillis says (Raleigh News and Observer)