Lawmaker Hits Wrong Button, Advances Fracking

Democracy is a messy thing sometimes: A North Carolina lawmaker hit the wrong button last night while voting and accidentally approved a measure to advance fracking in the state, reports the News & Observer. Becky Carney, a 67-year-old Democrat, pushed the green "aye" button instead of the red "no" button and gave Republicans the last vote they needed to override a veto on the measure regarding natural gas exploration.

"Oh my God," she said on the House floor when she realized her mistake. "It won't let me change my vote." Republicans refused to waive the rules and let her correct the error, so it's now in the books. A GOP sponsor of the bill didn't sound too guilty: “You ever see my golf game? It’s based on luck, not on skill.” (More North Carolina stories.)