WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OKLAHOMA SENATE BILL 960.

ROCK, SAND AND GRAVEL

1. Senate Bill 960 is not a tax, but rather a county option to allow counties to decide on a severance fee that could provide funds for municipalities and counties for roads and bridges.

2.Oklahoma has a significant aggregate mining industry and is in the top five nationally for the production of aggregates. All 77 counties produce approximately 200 million tons of high-grade NON-RENEWABLE materials including gravel, sand, dolomite and gypsum.

3. Not all counties will vote to impose a severance fee. However, Johnston, Tulsa, Kiowa, Pontotoc, Choctaw Caddo, Bryan, McCurtain, Wagoner, Jackson, Kingfisher, Cleveland, Love, Creek, Osage, Ottawa, Haskell, Murray, Rogers, Comanche, Atoka, Major, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, Sequoyah, Mayes, Blaine, Canadian, Carter, Seminole, Payne, Washington, Cherokee and Leflore will most likely give it serious consideration. It would mean $1.4 million in revenue for just Johnston County alone!

4. Significant severance fee funds could be used by counties and municipalities to purchase aggregate materials for roads and bridges. Millions of dollars of additional sales could occur for aggregate companies and their profits should subsequently increase.

5. One of the biggest customers for rock, sand and gravel is the state of Texas. Oklahoma could possibly collect millions of dollars from Texas.We are currently collecting NONE. 

6. Oklahoma mining is conducted by many huge aggregate corporations from out of state, and several have headquarters in foreign countries.

Martin Marietta- Raleigh, North Carolina, TXI- Dallas, Texas, US Silica- Frederick, Maryland, Vulcan Aggregates- Birmingham, Alabama, Arbuckle Aggregates- Frisco, Texas, Mill Creek Dolomite- Toronto, Canada, Hanson Aggregates- Maidenhead, England, Mid-State Materials- Topeka, Kansas

Like the oil companies, they have millions invested in land and equipment. They are here to stay.

7. Mining companies have taken a significant Oklahoma non-renewable resource for decades with huge profits, and have never paid any type of gross production fee.

8. Oklahoma is in the top five nationally for the production of sand, rock and gravel and is number three in production of gypsum. Yet there is no severance fee. Arkansas, Wyoming, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia, Kentucky, Minnesota, Alabama, Maine, New Hampshire, Florida, and Texas all tax the aggregate industry. 

9. Large trucks are constantly on the move in Oklahoma with the relentless transport of aggregates which damaged roads and bridges with significant cost to taxpayers for repairs. Citizens are delayed for hours on major highways waiting for train loads of aggregates to pass.

10. Recent reports indicate that quality aggregate land north of Ft Worth, Texas is valued at 40 to 60 thousand dollars per acre. Aggregate corporations are coming to Oklahoma and buying relatively cheap ranch land and turning it into multi-million dollar mines.

11. Oklahoma has been complacent in its failure to collect millions of dollars in revenue. Oil companies fund Oklahoma with 1.4 billion dollars annually. MINING CONTRIBUTES ZERO!

SO WHAT CAN YOU DO AS AN OKLAHOMA RESIDENT?

Senate Bill 960 IS NOT A TAX BILL, but rather a COUNTY OPTION BILL which would allow citizens to decide on a severance fee to fund roads, bridges and infrastructure. A similiar bill has passed THREE TIMES in the Ok House of Representatives only to fail in a COMMITTEE in the Oklahoma Senate.

Time is of the essence! We must act NOW or this bill will die once again and not be heard. This has been going on for decades!

SB 960 is currently being held hostage by Senator Lonnie Paxton (Grady Co) in Committee! Please take the time to sign this petition and please contact Senator Paxton at (405)521-5537 and the other Committee members listed below and insist that he stop holding this bill and allow the CITIZENS OF THE COUNTIES to decide what’s best for them!

This petiition will be presented in person at the Oklahoma State Capital to the following Energy & Telecommunications Committee members:

Lonnie Paxton - Committee Chair (R) Tuttle, OK

Insurance Agent, Farmer/Rancher

(405) 521-5537

Grant Green - Vice Chair (R)

Wellston, OK

Farmer/Rancher & Small Business Owner

(405) 521- 5547

Mary Boren (D)

Norman, OK

Educator/Attorney

(405) 521-5553

David Bullard - Author of SB 960 (R)

Durant, OK

Teacher

(405) 521- 5586

Brent Howard (R)

Altus, OK

Attorney

(405) 521-5612

Chris Kidd (R)

Waurika, OK

OK Farmer and Rancher Foundation

(405) 521- 5563

Joe Newhouse (R)

Tulsa, OK

Real Estate Broker

(405) 521- 5675

Dave Radar (R)

Tulsa,OK

Sales

(405) 521-5620

Shane Jett (R)

Shawnee, OK

Veteran/Businessman

(405) 521-5620

Jo Anna Dossett (D)

Tulsa, OK

Teacher

(405) 521- 5624

Tom Woods (R)

Westville. OK

Farmer

(405) 521- 5576