Sierra Club hands out failing environmental report card to many Oklahoma legislators

 

The Oklahoma Sierra Club gave most members of the State Senate and State House failing grades for votes on environmental issues in the 2018 session of the legislature.

The club released the results the results of its Legislative Scorecard and based on votes concerning Oklahoma’s environment, one A was handed out in the State House along with a dozen Bs and 20 Cs while the rest were either Ds or Fs. The lone A grade went to Rep. Collin Walke, a Democrat from Oklahoma County.

In the Senate, only three Cs were handed out by the club and the rest were Ds and Fs.

The grades were distributed based on what the Sierra Club considered to be key pieces of environmental legislation. In announcing the scorecard, Club Director Johnson Bridgwater said the good bills included research solar energy, ending the ethanol tax credit, ending coal subsidies and providing communities more oversight regarding the regulation of oil and gas operations within city limits. But he noted none of the bills advanced out of committees.

Johnson called the defeat of SB888 a “HUGE victory for wind energy.” He explained SB888 started out in his opinion as a good bill but was “completely subverted into a BAD bill on a completely different issue.” It began as a bill to eliminate the subsidization of the sale of ethanol at gas stations but ended up being an anti-wind business bill which was defeated.

The following are summaries of the specific bills selected:
BILLS ON SENATORS’ SCORECARD
SB1576: Sen. Mike Schulz, R-Altus and Rep. Charles Ortega, R-Altus, prohibits the construction or operation of a proposed wind energy facility or proposed wind energy facility expansion from encroaching upon or otherwise having a significant adverse impact on the mission, training or operations of any military
installation or branch of military as determined by the Department of Defense Siting Clearinghouse, the Federal Aviation Administration and the State of
Oklahoma.
-Oklahoma Sierra Club OPPOSED this bill.
-The bill was signed into law on May 2, 2018.

SB1465: Sen. James Leewright, R-Bristow and Rep. Tim Downing, R-Purcell, prohibits any local communities from restricting, taxing, prohibiting or issuing any ordinance regulating the use, disposition or sale of food containers such as plastic bags or foam cups.
-Oklahoma Sierra Club OPPOSED this bill.
-The bill was defeated in the Senate.

HB2756: Rep. Leslie Osborn, R-Mustang and Sen. Kimberly David, R-Porter, modifies a tax credit for investments in qualified clean burning motor vehicle fuel property to allow credits to be issued for the purchase of electric vehicles and home charging equipment.
-Oklahoma Sierra Club SUPPORTED this bill.
-The bill was defeated in the Senate.

HB2959: Rep. Todd Thomsen, R-Ada and Sen. Marty Quinn, R-Claremore, repeals language related to 10-year assessments of electric power and energy requirements.
-Oklahoma Sierra Club OPPOSED this bill.
-The bill was signed into law on April 11, 2018.

SB888: Sen. Josh Brecheen, R-Coalgate and Rep. Jeff Coody, R-Grandfield, eliminates the refundability of the zero-emission tax credit. It permits zero emission tax credits generated but not used on or after Jan. 1 to be carried forward for up to 10 years.
-Oklahoma Sierra Club OPPOSED this bill.
-The bill was defeated in the Senate.

SB1412: Sen. Mike Schulz, R-Altus and Rep. Charles McCall, R-Atoka, modifies the apportionment of revenue to from the Used Tire Recycling Indemnity Fund to the Department of Environmental Quality.
-Oklahoma Sierra Club OPPOSED this bill.
-The bill was signed into law on May 3, 2018.

BILLS ON REPRESENTATIVES’ SCORECARD

HB1035x: Rep. Dennis Ray Casey, R-Morrison, Rep. Kevin Wallace, R-Wellston, Sen. Eddie Fields, R-Wynona, and Sen. Kimberly David, R-Porter, increases the cigarette tax by $1 per pack. The “STEP UP” funding bill. The bill would have increased the gasoline tax by $0.06 per gallon and the diesel tax by $0.06
per gallon. The bill would have increased the gross production tax discount rate on all wells from 2 percent to 4 percent. The bill established revenue allocations.
-Oklahoma Sierra Club OPPOSED this bill.
-The bill was defeated.

HB 1033xx: This was yet another attempt to raise revenue without fully addressing the gross production tax. This vote was held late at night, after all of us that work the Capitol had long gone home. Political games, this bill was brought to a vote by Senate leadership, and it was defeated. Rep. Dennis Ray
Casey, R-Morrison, Rep. Kevin Wallace, R-Wellston, Sen. Eddie Fields, R-Wynona, and Sen. Kimberly David, R-Porter, increases the cigarette tax by $1 per pack. The bill would have increased the gasoline tax by $0.06 per gallon and the diesel tax by $0.06 per gallon. The bill would have increased the gross production tax discount rate on all wells from 2 percent to 4 percent. The bill established revenue allocations.
-Oklahoma Sierra Club OPPOSED this bill.
-The bill was defeated.

HB2756: Rep. Leslie Osborn, R-Mustang and Sen. Kimberly David, R-Porter, modifies a tax credit for investments in qualified clean burning motor vehicle fuel property to allow credits to be issued for the purchase of electric vehicles and home charging equipment.
-Oklahoma Sierra Club SUPPORTED this bill.
-The bill was defeated in the Senate.

HB2959: Rep. Todd Thomsen, R-Ada and Sen. Marty Quinn, R-Claremore, repeals language related to 10-year assessments of electric power and energy requirements.
-Oklahoma Sierra Club OPPOSED this bill.
-The bill was signed into law on April 11, 2018.

SB888: Sen. Josh Brecheen, R-Coalgate and Rep. Jeff Coody, R-Grandfield, eliminates the refundability of the zero-emission tax credit. It permits zero emission
tax credits generated but not used on or after Jan. 1 to be carried forward for up to 10 years.
-Oklahoma Sierra Club OPPOSED this bill.
-The bill was defeated in the Senate.

SB1412: Sen. Mike Schulz, R-Altus and Rep. Charles McCall, R-Atoka, modifies the apportionment of revenue to from the Used Tire Recycling Indemnity Fund to the Department of Environmental Quality.
-Oklahoma Sierra Club OPPOSED this bill.
-The bill was signed into law on May 3, 2018.