While the top Democratic presidential contenders call for a ban on new drilling on federal land , Democrats in power in some of the western oil states argue that it is thanks to the oil and gas drilling boom that their states get to receive more resources for education. The difference of opinions within the Democratic Party highlights how Democratic presidential hopefuls may have to walk a tightrope about their sweeping plans to ban drilling on federal land, especially in blue states such as New Mexico, for example. In New Mexico, where production is at an all-time high and which is home to part of the Permian shale basin, money in state coffers is piling up from oil and gas leases and drilling operations—and that money is hard to say no to. New Mexico’s Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham wants the resources to continue to help support the state’s […]