MIDLAND, Texas — State Representative Brooks Landgraf's 'Energy Independence Act' has passed out of the Texas House with a vote of 110-40.
The act will stop the implementation of any overreaching federal regulations on oil production in Texas.
“I filed HB 1683 to protect the livelihood of my fellow West Texans, the hardest working men and women on the face of the earth,” Landgraf said. “But, as is often the case, what is good for the Permian Basin is good for the state as a whole. The Texas Energy Independence Act ensures taxpayer dollars collected on the state level will not be expended to enforce unnecessary federal oil and gas regulations.”
House Bill 1683 also will not allow any Texas state agencies to from helping any federal agencies with the enforcement of a federal statue or rile related to oil and gas if the regulation isn't an existing state law.
“Our way of life is under attack," Landgraf said. "But those who wish to stifle production fail to recognize the micro and macro importance of what we do out here. So many things that are necessary to daily life, including everything from baby diapers and children’s toys to car tires and cell phones, are a direct result of the hydrocarbons we pull from the ground. HB 1683 protects Texas jobs and American freedoms. It really is as simple as that.”