Senate leader Greg Treat identified members of a special senate economic development committee he created following the selection by VW of Canada over Oklahoma for the site of an EV battery plant.
The first meeting of the committee will be Tuesday, March 28 at 9:30 a.m. at the State Capitol. The Senator said since the meeting will be organizational in nature, there will be no public comment on the agenda.
A Senate select committee can only be made up of senators, giving it subpoena power and the ability to compel witnesses.
Pro Tem Treat said the members of the committee are from all corners of the state and he is prepared to dig into every aspect of Oklahoma’s issues surrounding workforce development, expansion and business attraction.
“I look forward to our bipartisan group of senators working together as we figure out ways to be more attractive to businesses looking to expand or relocate. Although some of the processes may not be pleasant to hear, I want those presenting to the committee to tell us what our downfalls are and where we are coming up short,” said Treat in his announcement.
“This needs to be an honest conversation to see where changes need to be made to propel Oklahoma into a true competitor on a global scale. We also want to know what we can do to help local businesses and those entrepreneurs who risk it all on a dream they have to own a small business.”
Treat said he received an outpouring of support of Oklahomans who reached out to his office wanting to be involved in the committee’s work. He expects one of the first actions will be discussion of an advisory council that will run parallel to the committee’s work.
Members of the Senate Select Committee include:
Sen. Chuck Hall, R-Perry
Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond
Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City
Sen. John Haste, R-Broken Arrow
Sen. John Michael Montgomery, R-Lawton
Sen. Jerry Alvord, R-Wilson
Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair
Sen. Cody Rogers, R-Tulsa
Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond
Sen. Roland Pederson, R-Burlington
Sen. Kay Floyd, D-Oklahoma City
Sen. Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City
Pro Tem Treat and Sen. Greg McCortney, R-Ada, will serve as ex-officio members.
A chair and co-chair will be named at a later date.
A website with agendas and more information is being established and will be functional by Tuesday’s meeting.
Source: press release
