Oklahoma’s oil and gas industry won’t like what former longtime state legislator Jerry Ellis of Valliant is suggesting. A cut in exemptions for the industry.
Speaking out this week on the state’s budget crisis, the former Democratic Representative and Senator said it should be considered among the actions to be taken by the legislature in dealing with a $900 million budget hole.
“I think in my opinion, and I was there and I voted against it (years ago), I think we gave too many exemptions to oil and gas, especially when they were making big profits,” said Ellis in an interview with OK Energy Today. “They said, ‘well if we don’t do it, we’ve go to keep these people here cuz they’ll move to North Dakota, or move to Wyoming or somewhere’. I said ‘they’re not going to move anywhere. They’re gonna drill here because this is where the oil is.'”