CONTACT:
Damon Gardenhire, press secretary
Speaker Todd Hiett
Oklahoma House of Representatives
Capitol: (405) 962.7679
gardenhire@okhouse.gov
House Sends More REDI Measures to Senate:
House Bill 2810 Strengthens State's Refinery Capacity
OKLAHOMA CITY (March 15, 2006) - The full House of Representatives has
approved another set of measures to revitalize rural Oklahoma -
including a plan to open up the state to more oil refineries.
"Rural Oklahomans are hardworking and family oriented, but they need
government to get out of the way, cut the red tape and let them be
successful," said House Speaker Todd Hiett. "These bills not only do
that, but also give rural Oklahomans tools to help them grow their
communities and provide a future for the next generation."
House Bill 2810, by state Rep. Lee Denney, would streamline the
permitting process that prospective oil refineries must undergo before
they can be built. The bill, which mirrors legislation currently being
considered at the federal level, passed the House yesterday by a vote of
96 to 0. It now advances to the state Senate for consideration.
HB 2810 is one of more than 20 measures that are part of the Rural
Economic Development Initiative (REDI), an action plan for development
in rural Oklahoma introduced by Speaker Hiett (R-Kellyville) last year.
"We need to have a business environment in Oklahoma that has less red
tape and more encouragement to create new jobs and strengthen our
communities," said Denney (R-Cushing). "Oklahoma has a rich history in
the oil and gas industry. It's an industry that excites people, and new
oil refineries would be very profitable here in Oklahoma."
Denney said the permitting process to build a refinery in Oklahoma
currently takes about 10 years. The same is true at the federal level. A
bill currently being considered in Congress would shorten that time to
about five years. Denney's bill would have the same effect at the state
level.
Also, Denney said Oklahoma could see from 200 to 500 new jobs created
for every new refinery that opens up in the state as a result of HB
2810.
She said the bill could have a major economic impact on the Cushing
area. Known as the "Pipeline Crossroads of the World," due to the
massive amount of oil that flows through a series of pipelines located
in Cushing and the surrounding area, Cushing presents an ideal location
for new refineries, Denney said.
Two other REDI bills passed the House today:
* House Bill 2690, by Rep. Purcy Walker (D-Elk City), would direct
more money to rural areas to be used for regional economic development.
* House Bill 2955, by Rep. Jeff Hickman (R-Dacoma), would direct
the state Department of Agriculture to create a non-profit organization
to help encourage agricultural tourism in rural parts of the state.
An additional REDI bill, House Bill 2646 by Rep. Dale DeWitt (R-Braman),
enacts the CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) Rural Economic
Development Initiative Act. It passed the House yesterday by a vote of
96 to 0.
On Monday, House members approved a series of REDI measures, headlined
by House Bill 3126, which offers a five-year income tax exemption to
out-of-state residents choosing to move to rural areas of the state that
have lost population.
As part of the REDI legislative package, each REDI bill is the product
of a bipartisan task force created by Speaker Hiett in August. The task
force visited a dozen communities across the state in the fall, holding
hearings and listening to business and community leaders about rural
needs. Reps. DeWitt, Denney, Hickman and Walker are all members of the
REDI task force.
The REDI agenda includes measures boosting targeted investments in
programs that benefit rural areas, as well as measures seeking to remove
regulatory barriers to growth.
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