House Clears Bill To Prohibit Local Drilling Bans
Bill passes Oklahoma House to prohibit local bans on oil drilling
by Rick Green, NewsOK
Local officials would be prohibited from banning oil and gas drilling in their cities and counties under a bill approved by the Oklahoma House on Wednesday.
Senate Bill 809 was approved, 64-32, and will now return to the Senate for further consideration.
Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman said he expects the Senate to provide final approval and send the measure to the governor. An earlier version of the bill already was approved in the Senate.
Opponents said the bill would hurt Oklahomans by taking away the long-held right of local officials to address concerns over drilling practices within their jurisdictions. Backers said any concerns that couldn’t be dealt with on the local level could be brought to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which has broad oversight of the industry.