The citizens and businesses of the Gulf Coast were handed a welcome – and absolutely essential – victory today when U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman issued an injunction blocking President Obama’s six-month moratorium on all offshore drilling projects in more than 500 feet of water.

Judge Feldman’s decision accurately pointed out how “arbitrary and capricious” President Obama’s decision to issue the moratorium was, and aptly pointed out its ruinous effects on “the local economy, the Gulf region, and the critical present-day aspect of the availability of domestic energy in this country.” The implications of the moratorium would be devastating for the Gulf economy, which already faces a bleak future for its seafood industry.

Further, it is important to consider the significance of this victory for the states against an ignorant and fickle presidential decision. This decision, albeit a temporary one, is nonetheless a triumph for the individual states over politics and bureaucracy, and will help to ensure the survival of Louisiana’s economy. More developments regarding Judge Feldman’s decision, notably the inevitable appeal, are to come, but for now this is a pivotal step in reversing the ever-increasing encroachment of the Federal government against economic liberty.