Letter to the Editor: Voice of Reason
Tue, May 19, 2015
The legislation in question is HB 40, which clarifies roles and responsibilities of cities and the state to regulate oil and gas activity.
Under HB 40, cities maintain their authority to regulate aspects of oil and gas activity that are most commonly raised by residents: noise, setbacks, traffic and emergency response planning.
The legislation says local ordinances have to be reasonable and not designed to simply shut down oil and gas drilling.
This carefully constructed policy ensures that property rights are protected, while at the same time ensuring that all Texans continue to benefit from the billions of dollars in oil and gas tax revenue that directly fund our schools and roads every year.
Local elected officials, community leaders and an overwhelming majority of the Texas House of Representatives support this legislation because it’s smart policy for our state.
We should applaud our lawmakers who, in the midst of misinformed shouting, heeded the voice of reason and made a common-sense decision for Texas.
