Tulsa Regional Chamber Concludes D.C. Fly-in
DISCUSSING THE ENVIRONMENT: Scott Pruitt, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, spoke to the Tulsa-area visitors in Washington about his perspective of environmental issues relating to northeastern Oklahoma.
Courtesy Tulsa Regional Chamber
The Tulsa Regional Chamber has concluded its 2018 Tulsa Regional Washington D.C. Fly-In. This three-day event, May 9-11, is the Chamber’s signature federal advocacy trip on behalf of the regional business community.
Among a number of distinguished guests to address trip attendees, the most prominent was Scott Pruitt, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Mr. Pruitt discussed the current presidential administration’s approach to environmental policy and rulemaking, along with how northeast Oklahoma stands to benefit from federal Superfund site cleanup and the ’s Brownfields Program.
“Scott Pruitt has dedicated years of service to Oklahoma, both as a state senator and as our attorney general,” said Mike Neal, president and of the Tulsa Regional Chamber. “We were honored to hear from Mr. Pruitt during the trip and are most grateful for the time he dedicated to his fellow Oklahomans.”
More than 70 elected officials, city managers, and business and chamber leaders from Tulsa, Bixby, Broken Arrow, Claremore, Jenks, Muskogee, Owasso, Sand Springs, Tulsa County and Rogers County attended the fly-in. Attendees met with Oklahoma Sens. Inhofe and Lankford and Reps. Lucas, Cole and Mullin, as well as Oklahoma native Rep. Francis Rooney from Florida. The group also met with Alex Herrgott, associate director for infrastructure at the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality, and policy experts from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the International Economic Development Council, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and the Tax Foundation.
“The trip is valuable for the business community for a number of reasons,” said Steve Bradshaw, president and of Financial Corporation and 2018 chair of the Tulsa Regional Chamber. “One of the most under-appreciated benefits is the opportunity to meet with the staffers of Oklahoma’s congressional delegation. These individuals are on the front lines of policymaking and appropriations decisions, and building relationships with them is essential to advancing our legislative priorities.”
These legislative priorities are contained in the annual OneVoice Regional Legislative Agenda, developed collaboratively by more than 400 northeast Oklahomans over a four-month period. More than 75 entities have endorsed the 2018 agenda, which is now in its eleventh year. The document has become a well-respected resource for state and federal policymakers.
Key federal priorities of the 2018 agenda discussed during the trip include funding for infrastructure construction and rehabilitation, workforce training and development, the collection of online sales taxes, and Pell Grant funding. Other issues important to the Tulsa-area business community discussed with lawmakers included reforming the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, reauthorization of the Higher Education Act and fuel taxes.
To view the 2018 OneVoice Regional Legislative Agenda, visit bit.ly/2018OneVoiceAgenda.
Updated 05-22-2018
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