Governor Fallin Joins Effort to Keep Williams Cos. in Tulsa

While a new lawsuit has been filed in the controversial merger of Tulsa-based Williams Companies with Dallas-based Energy Transfer Equity LP, governor Mary Fallin is becoming involved in the issue.

She intends to travel to New York on Friday to try and keep the Williams Cos. in Tulsa, according to a report in the Tulsa World. Accompanying the governor will be Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett Jr. and Tulsa Regional Chamber President Mike Neal. They will visit with Frank MacInnis who is chairman of the Williams Cos. board of directors.

The governor revealed the trip during a Tuesday night speech at a Tulsa Regional Chamber of Commerce forum. It was earlier in the month when an SEC filing by ETE indicated that if the merger is successful, the headquarters of Williams would be moved to Dallas, an announcement that stunned Tulsa Mayor Bartlett and others.

“On Friday I’m going to go up with a group of business leaders and the mayor to talk to the chairman of the board of the Williams Cos. and tell them how much we appreciate Williams being in Tulsa. We want to keep our jobs. We want to keep their investment here. We want them to know that it’s important for them to stay in Tulsa,” said the Governor in an interview with the Tulsa World.

Her trip comes after a pension fund filed suit in Delaware this week demanding that ETE turn over records to the $38 billion merger. The group contends Energy Transfer went too far when it amended a partnership agreement to prevent unit holders from weighing in on the $6 billion debt accepted as part of the merger.

Read full story in Tulsa World.

Tulsa World