In a fiery defense of one of his energy bills devoted to helping Oklahoma’s natural gas industry, Rep. Trey Caldwell unleashed criticism this week on the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and one lobbyist who he labeled a “liar” and wouldn’t allow into his state office.
It occurred Wednesday during a House Energy and Natural Resources Oversight Committee hearing where SB998 came up for a vote. The bill is very similar to Caldwell’s HB2747 which has previously been criticized by some opponents as being a ROFR or Right of First Refusal bill, a claim the legislator has denied.
During questioning, Caldwell said authority granted to the Corporation Commission under SB998 already exists with the agency but it’s not being done. He told the committee such ability for the commission was approved when Todd Hiett, now a Corporation Commissioner, was Speaker of the House in 2002. One legislator wondered why such action to help ratepayers wasn’t being carried out by the commission.
“That’s something you’ll have to ask them why they’re not,” answered Rep. Caldwell who went on to claim that savings could amount to millions for ratepayers.
“That’s a great question to ask all three of our Corporation Commissioners—it is the purview of this legislature that when we see things and bureacratic governmental agencies that are not working correctly, that we, it’s under our purview to help direct them to do the right thing.”
Caldwell said the bill woul give “another arrow in the quiver” of the state’s natural gas industry in entering the market.
When Rep. Nick Archer raised the possibility of an amendment to exempt military installations from SB998 because of their fixed federal budgets, Caldwell was succinct in his response.
“No,” he answered with a pause, then went on the attack, calling the argument a “red herring.”
“That line of questioning is coming from a certain sector of this building and probably the only person in this building probably not allowed in my office because they’re a straight up liar. I won’t say their name on the mic,” he added, saying it would not be proper.
Caldwell defended his bill, saying it would allow utilities depending on natural gas for projects to lower overall costs by putting costs on the books immediately rather than borrowing funds that ratepayers would have to cover over several years.
“What the opponents people tell you on this that they want to fight everything–they are against everything. They don’t want to see progress and their whole strategy is to go to the Jim Thorpe building and fight everything tooth and nail and everything’s in negotiation. Drive down the price, yell and scream and act like fools.”
Caldwell claimed opponents want to shift that cost burden farther out.
“These are organizations in this building who use the same philosophy over at the Jim Thorpe building to delay and push everything out farther so they don’t have to pay the bill today—this legislation is trying to save ratepayer’s money.”
When it came time to vote, the committee urged a “do pass” on a 11-3 vote.
YEAS: 11
Boles Caldwell (T) Chapman Cornwell
George Grego Luttrell Patzkowsky
Pfeiffer Pittman West (R)
NAYS: 3
Archer Deck Dollens
