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Two bills with the potential to greatly affect Oklahoma's economic development tactics died a lonely death in a House of Representatives Committee on Tuesday. Cooling Tower Heat Exchanger
House Bills 1378 and 1379, by Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola, would have barred government officials from signing nondisclosure agreements, commonly known as NDAs, and complicated the process for creating tax increment financing districts, or TIFs.
Both have become common in large-scale economic development projects, among them several the state has tried to land in Gann's House district, which includes the MidAmerica Industrial Park.
The two bills failed in the House General Government Committee for want of seconds to do-pass motions offered by Chairman Kevin West, R-Moore. The silent rejection of Gann's attempts to open up the state's business negotiations occurred days before an unnamed automaker is to decide whether it will locate a $5.5 billion plant at MidAmerica.
Gann opposed the previously failed "Project Ocean," which offered more than $700 million worth of incentives for an electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility that went elsewhere, because of the secrecy surrounding it and his general opposition to most incentive programs. He fought the creation of a TIF district because they do not require a vote of the people.
On Tuesday, he referred to Project Ocean as an "18-month ordeal."
HB 1378 would have barred state employees from making NDAs, while HB 1379 would have instituted new rules for TIF districts, including the requirement that voters in the affected jurisdictions make the final decisions on their creation.
The Gann bills were just two of dozens hustled through House committees on Tuesday ahead of a Thursday deadline for measures to be heard in the chamber of origin. Others of note that passed include:
• HB 2414, by Rep. Ronny Johns, R-Ada, which includes a long list of charter school reforms suggested by the Epic Charter School scandal.
• HB 2696, by Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, R-Altus, which would expand the number of public officials who could request an investigation by the state auditor and inspector. Similar legislation passed in the last Legislature but was vetoed by Gov. Kevin Stitt.
• HB 1349, by Rep. Scott Fetgatter, R-Okmulgee, which would create a nine-member governing board for the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority.
• HB 1843, by Rep. Del Kerbs, R-Shawnee, which would transfer enforcement of certain laws related to prescription benefits from the Insurance Department to the Attorney General's Office. Several members of the committee said companies targeted by the laws have largely ignored them and that the Insurance Department does not have the clout to get offenders' attention. The bill was one of several consumer-friendly insurance and health care measures advanced in committees on Tuesday.
The news brings to $4.4 billion the amount the search engine behemoth has spent in Pryor since establishing its first data center there, at MidAmerica Industrial Park, in 2011.
Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry talks with Lloyd Taylor, Google's Director of Global Operations, about the new Google data center being built in Pryor's MidAmerica Industrial Park, May 2, 2007. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World File
Google bought a Gatorade plant in Pryor, which closed in 2010. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World File
Gov. Mary Fallin (left) and Joe Kava, Google's senior director of operations, react to a burst of confetti during a "plugging in" ceremony at Google's new data center in Pryor on Thursday, September 29, 2011. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World
A western motif is included in the decor at Google's new data center in Pryor on Thursday, September 29, 2011. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World
A Google placard tops a refrigerator at the company's data center in Pryor, Okla. on Tuesday, January 31, 2012. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World
Computer components fill bins at the Google data center in Pryor, Okla. on Tuesday, January 31, 2012. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World
Workers move among the rows of pipes filling the mechanical plant at the Google data center in Pryor, Okla. on Tuesday, January 31, 2012. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World
William Scott (left) and Cliff Weathers share a laugh as they play a Wii video game at the Google data center in Pryor, Okla. on Tuesday, January 31, 2012. The game room is among the unconventional perks available at the facility. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World
Alden Coleman works at his computer at the Google data center in Pryor, Okla. on Tuesday, January 31, 2012. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World
A mechanical bull keeps watch over a work room at the Google data center in Pryor, Okla. on Tuesday, January 31, 2012. The bull is among the unconventional perks available at the facility. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World
Mike Katen cleans a cooling tower at the Google data center in Pryor, Okla. on Tuesday, January 31, 2012. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World
Search engine giant Google Inc. has signed a deal for wind power from the Grand River Dam Authority to help power the Google data center in Pryor. The wind will come from the Canadian Hills Wind Farm under construction north of Calumet, Wednesday, September 26, 2012. STEVE GOOCH/The Oklahoman
Google mentor Jenny Barnett works with (left) Dylan Ruffin and Matthew Arnold on Photoshop and Illustrator during computer class at Pryor High School in Pryor, OK, April 5, 2016. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World
Google mentor Quincy Normandin works with (left) Zoe Auxier, Faith Peoples and Joshua Ross on a rocket ship in chemistry class at Pryor High School in Pryor, OK, April 5, 2016. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World
A section of the Google campus for Google story in Pryor, OK, April 28, 2016. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World
Google main entrance in Pryor, OK, April 28, 2016. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World
A section of the Google campus for Google story in Pryor, OK, April 28, 2016. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin talks at the celebration of the expansion of the Pryor Google Data Center in Pryor, OK, Sept. 23, 2016. Stephen Pingry/Tulsa World
Guests celebrate the expansion of Pryor Google in a conference room in the main entrance to the Google Data Center in Pryor, OK, Sept. 23, 2016. Stephen Pingry/Tulsa World
A bicycle outside the main entrance to the Google Data Center in Pryor, OK, Sept. 23, 2016. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World
Google employees (left) Adam Rock, Ross Brindley, Dave Baker and Alfonso Portillo play a game outside the main entrance to the Google Data Center in Pryor, OK, Sept. 23, 2016. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World
Google CEO Sundar Pichai (center) walks through the company's facility in Pryor, Okla., at the announcement of a data center expansion on Thursday, June 13, 2019. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World
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I have been with the Tulsa World since 1979. I'm a native of Hinton, Okla., and graduate of Oklahoma State University. I primarily cover government and politics. Phone: 918-581-8365
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