Lawmaker Predicts Uphill Battle For Oil Tax Bill

State House Speaker Mike Chenault says it’s “very unlikely” an oil tax bill will pass before the legislative session’s scheduled adjournment.

That raises the potential for a special session, but that’s not a foregone conclusion: Representative Craig Johnson says House members will analyze the bill to see if it accomplishes the goals of spurring investment and boosting production. If it doesn’t, and the House and Senate can’t compromise, he says lawmakers have the option of saying they’ll take it up next year.

The Senate Finance Committee is working on the bill. Co-chair Bert Stedman has said it would be nice to have a rewrite of SB192 before the committee by week’s end.

That would leave the House days to consider the proposal if an April 15 adjournment is to be met.

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