OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma House's top Democrat says his caucus was disappointed by passage of a Republican-backed bill that prohibits cities and towns from regulating oil and natural gas drilling operations.
House Democrat Leader Scott Inman of Del City said Thursday that members of the House minority caucus believe local communities and their leaders should have authority to regulate the drilling operations in their areas.
The House passed the bill on Wednesday by a vote of 64-32 that was largely along party lines. The bill's author, Republican House Speaker Jeff Hickman of Fairview, says a hodgepodge of local regulations involving oil and gas drilling had created a patchwork of guidelines that were difficult for oil and gas operators to follow.
Inman opposed the bill and says it's a disservice to Oklahomans.