Fallin Signs Infrastructure Improvement Plan Into Law
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 7, 2013
Governor Mary Fallin Signs into Law Infrastructure Improvement Plan
Bill Will Help Address Needs at Capitol, Maintain other State Assets
OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today signed into law House Bill 1910, a bill that creates a long-term plan to maintain state assets. The bill, by House Speaker T.W. Shannon and Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman, forms the Long-Range Capital Planning Commission. The commission will first address the repair of the state Capitol, and later develop an eight-year plan to address other infrastructure, repair and maintenance issues. The commission also will provide recommendations on reallocation, reuse or liquidation of state properties.
“It’s important we maintain and improve state assets, rather than watching them deteriorate,” Fallin said. “House Bill 1910 puts us on a path to ensure state infrastructure and buildings like the Oklahoma Capitol are well-maintained and cared for. My thanks go out to the Oklahoma Legislature for working with me to develop a plan to address the state’s many infrastructure needs.”
Shannon, R-Lawton, said, “The signing of this bill shows this legislature’s commitment to becoming better stewards of the people’s buildings and the taxpayers’ money. Oklahoma now has a process in which responsible decisions can be made on repair and maintenance issues without taking on unnecessary debt which will burden future generations of Oklahomans. Oklahoma has a chance to prove to the country that conservative values lead to prosperity. If we are to succeed, we must show that we as lawmakers value the very infrastructure we have asked the people to invest in.”
Bingman, R-Sapulpa, said, “The people of Oklahoma are the owners of buildings like the state Capitol, and they simply deserve better than an endless carousel of deterioration and depreciation. We can no longer wait to begin critical repairs to the state Capitol and other public assets in need of immediate rehabilitation. This Eight-Year Plan is a conservative, methodical approach to responsibly maintain these buildings and ensure the people of Oklahoma see a return on the investment they’ve made. Speaker Shannon and Governor Fallin have both made these repairs a top priority, and I appreciate their commitment to address such a pressing need.”
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