State legislators in New York have failed to pass an environmental protection bill that would have clamped down on new and expanding bitcoin (BTC, +1.76%) mining operations. Sources familiar with the matter confirmed to CoinDesk that opposition from union groups, specifically the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, led to the bill's demise. It died Thursday with the closing of the current legislative session. The original bill proposed in the New York State Legislature by Senator Kevin S. Parker (Brooklyn) would have enacted a freeze on new mining endeavors in accordance with the Climate Leadership and ... (full story)