Agricultural News
Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association Director Talks Taxes, Water Policy and Oil Exploration
Fri, 30 Mar 2012 18:26:03 CDT
As the state legislative session reaches the halfway point, there are a lot of issues that have taken up and addressed. A lot of those issues impact farmers and ranchers across the state and keeping an eye on them are various agricultural organizations.
Scott Dewald, the director of the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association says he meets at least once a week with all the other ag organizations to discuss what has gone and what is coming up legislatively.
He spoke with Ron Hays about several issues that are currently on the table. The top issue on everyone's plate is state finances.
"The core of our discussion this last week dealt with the possible elimination of the income tax in the state of Oklahoma and how you replace that income stream. So that's top of mind for all of us who represent people who own property who may find themselves paying more of the bill through a potential rise in property taxes."
He says he expects there will be some reduction in the income tax, but it probably will not be as aggressive as some lawmakers had hoped.
Dewald said there has been a lot of discussion lately about oil and gas activity and what it means to land owners.
"Interestingly enough there's some concern about seismic exploration and seismic operations and what that does to ground waters. You throw on top of that wind energy and the things that are going on there, those impact those private land owners."
Beyond the physical impacts of those operations, Dewald says an area of concern for everyone is what will be the financial ramifications of the increased oil and gas operations.
"I just hope we don't try to plan a budget and try to plan a tax policy based on an increase in oil production because that is a boom or bust kind of thing. So we have to be very careful that the state doesn't get out there and get so bullish on oil production, which we support, but don't get so bullish on it and forget the lessons that history has taught us that what goes up can come down."
Another area of major concern to land owners and producers has been water. Dewald says the comprehensive water plan that has been developed is "good news for land owners is that their property rights were preserved through this process." He says there were 50 or 60 water bills introduced in the legislature this year, but until the Oklahoma Supreme Court rules on the water rights issue in southeastern Oklahoma, it's too early to tell where water policy is headed. He says bills establishing regional water planning are encouraging in that it could put the decision-making process into local hands.
Click on the LISTEN BAR below to listen to the full conversation between Ron Hays and Scott Dewald.
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