(RALEIGH) -- The North Carolina Senate Commerce Committee voted Tuesday in favor of a measure that would lift a ban on fracking. Rep. Bill Faison feels oil companies are influencing state lawmakers to open up North Carolina to natural gas drilling.

"If you sell property before it has reached its full value, you get less money and right now what they are putting people in the position to do is to give up their oil and gas leases for a small amount of money," said Faison.

Faison said there is no need to rush the legislation. "It's another 20 years before any of the shale gas in North Carolina will have any impact on the energy needs of this country and fracking is so problematic that we need to wait, postpone this matter for a number of years and then come back and look at it again after technology has had a chance to make headway."

The full Senate is expected to take up the measure. In the legislation, state permits would not occur for at least another two years while regulations are developed.