OK-SAFE, Inc. – A search on Campaign Reporting on the OK Ethics Commission website reveals who the money is behind the “Yes on SQ 764” effort. (Ethics number 312002). SQ 764 creates the Water Infrastructure Credit Enhancement Reserve Fund and would allow the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to issue up to $300 M in bonds.
This measure would provide the funding to implement the highly controversial Water for 2060 Act, (HB 3055), one of the most dangerous bills ever passed by the Republican-led Oklahoma Legislature.
HB 3055 reads “the public policy of this state is to establish and work toward a goal of consuming no more fresh water in the year 2060 than is consumed statewide in the year 2012”.
If passed, SQ 764 would provide the funds to make this dangerous and costly bill a reality in OK, leading to the rationing of freshwater, regardless of its abundance. (See below the Campaign Contributions chart for further details on SQ 764).
Yes on SQ 764 PAC
The “Yes on SQ 764” PAC was established in June of this year by the Oklahoma Municipal League, the OK Rural Water Association (ORWA), and the State Chamber Of Oklahoma. Chair of this committee is Homer Nicholson, Mayor of Ponca City; Treasurer is Arnella Karges of the State Chamber of Oklahoma; and Deputy Treasurer is Billy G. Simms, Pres. of ORWA.
The big contributors to this committee were BancFirst Corp., contributing a whopping $15,000, and the Chickasaw Nation, who contributed $10,000. Other donors included a general contractor from Manhattan, KS, a law firm from Dallas, TX, and a financial advisor firm, also in Dallas.
How very…regional.
Last minute contributors included the State Chamber with a contribution of $3,800.
Campaign Contributions for “Yes on SQ 764”:
| Name & Address of Contributor |
Occupation & Employer or Principal Business Activity |
Date Accepted |
Amount of Contribution |
|
|
|
|
| BancFirst Corporation |
Banking |
11-Sep-12 |
$15,000.00 |
| Chickasaw Nation |
Native American Tribe |
20-Sep-12 |
$10,000.00 |
| RICK SMITH |
FINANCIAL ADVISOR (sic) |
24-Aug-12 |
$5,000.00 |
| Municipal Finance Services |
Municipal Financial Advisor |
12-Oct-12 |
$5,000.00 |
| The Public Finance Law Group PLLC |
Law Firm |
9-Oct-12 |
$5,000.00 |
| State Chamber Of Oklahoma |
Legislative Advocates For Business |
10/31/12 |
$3,800.00 |
| Okla Rural Water Association PAC |
Special Interest Association |
10/29/12 |
$2,500.00 |
| ORWA Assurance Group |
Business |
10/29/12 |
$2,000.00 |
| FirstSouthwest |
Financial Advisor – Dallas, TX |
10/31/12 |
$2,000.00 |
| Butler Engineering |
Consulting Engineering |
13-Sep-12 |
$1,500.00 |
| HDR Engineering, Inc. |
Consulting Engineering |
10-Sep-12 |
$1,500.00 |
| Holloway Updike & Bellen, Inc. |
Civil Engineering – Consulting |
22-Aug-12 |
$1,000.00 |
| United Trenching Incorporated |
Water & Sanitary Sewer Installation |
22-Aug-12 |
$1,000.00 |
| Krapff-Reynolds Construction Company |
Utility Contractor |
28-Sep-12 |
$1,000.00 |
| JACOB A. BACHELOR, PC |
BOND COUNSEL ATTORNEY |
24-Sep-12 |
$1,000.00 |
| Lasso Corp |
Oil & Gas Investment |
20-Sep-12 |
$1,000.00 |
| M&E Consultants, LLC |
Civil Engineering |
20-Sep-12 |
$1,000.00 |
| AEP-PSO |
Electric Utility |
20-Sep-12 |
$1,000.00 |
| Walters-Morgan Construction, Inc. |
General Contractor – Municipal Infrastructure – Manhattan, KS |
17-Sep-12 |
$1,000.00 |
| Jess Mark Nichols Farms |
Farming |
11-Sep-12 |
$1,000.00 |
| WDB Engineering PLLC |
Consulting Engineering |
16-Oct-12 |
$1,000.00 |
| Bank Of Cushing |
Banking |
5-Oct-12 |
$1,000.00 |
| McCall, Parkhurst & Horton, L.L.P. |
Law Firm – Dallas, TX |
5-Oct-12 |
$1,000.00 |
| Wind, Water, And Agriculture (wwag) Pac |
Political Action Committee |
10/25/12 |
$1,000.00 |
| F. FORD DRUMMOND |
SELF EMPLOYED |
22-Aug-12 |
$500.00 |
| JOE E TARON, DDS |
RETIRED |
24-Sep-12 |
$500.00 |
| JAMES GAMMILL |
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR |
10/29/12 |
$500.00 |
| Myers Engineering |
Consulting Engineers |
10-Oct-12 |
$250.00 |
| MARK F. SELVIDGE |
ATTORNEY |
2-Oct-12 |
$250.00 |
| J.D. STRONG |
DIRECTOR – OWRB |
22-Oct-12 |
$200.00 |
| JOE S FREEMAN |
CHIEF – OWRB |
18-Sep-12 |
$100.00 |
| JENNIFER WASINGER |
OWRB |
1-Oct-12 |
$75.00 |
Total contributions to date, including last minute contributions: $68,675.
SQ 764 Recommended Vote: No
Title: Creates the Water Infrastructure Credit Enhancement Reserve Fund; allows the OWRB to issue bonds
Ballot Language: This measure amends the Oklahoma Constitution. It adds a new Section 39A to Article 10. It would allow the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to issue bonds. Any bonds issued would be used to provide a reserve fund for the Board. The fund would be a reserve fund for certain water resource and sewage treatment funding programs. The fund could only be used to pay other bonds and obligations for the funding programs. The bonds could only be issued after other monies and sources are used for repayment. The bonds would be general obligation bonds. Not more than Three Hundred Million Dollars worth of bonds could be issued. The Legislature would provide the monies to pay for the bonds. The Legislature would provide for methods for issuing the bonds. The Legislature would provide for how the fund is administered.
Comments: This measure would provide the funding to implement the highly controversial Water for 2060 Act, (HB 3055), one of the most dangerous bills ever passed by the Republican-led Oklahoma Legislature.
HB 3055 reads “the public policy of this state is to establish and work toward a goal of consuming no more fresh water in the year 2060 than is consumed statewide in the year 2012”.
If passed, SQ 764 would provide the funds to make this dangerous and costly bill a reality in OK, potentially leading to the rationing of freshwater in this state, regardless of abundance.
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