Inside the House Energy Resources Committee hearing Monday, Rep. Rafael Anchia said it felt like it Groundhog Day.
“I feel like we had this conversation six years ago,” Anchia said.
Others agreed, they had the same conversations in 2011 when the oil and gas industry was in trouble and in turn, so was the state’s economy.
Now, the committee is back inside the State Capitol to hear testimony from the Texas Railroad Commission.
“But this isn’t a new problem, right?” Anchia asked the panel.
The committee members said every state agency needs to figure out how to operate at the lowest cost possible, including the Railroad Commission.
“Now is the time to invest in the agency,” said Kimberly Corley, Executive Director of the Texas Railroad Commission. “When oil and gas comes back it will come back strong and it’s our responsibility to be ready.”
Corley said with revenue down, the amount of work that’s required of the commission increases as they have to inspect all the abandon oil wells.
Corley said the agency continues to train and then lose talent other state agencies or the private sector—an issue that’s been brought up before.
“I mean it’s just unbelievable that this agency would be in that position,” said Rep. Jim Keffer. “We as a legislature have to help that because it is so important, I mean we say that everyday it’s so important to our economy and or future.”
At the start of this year, the state’s comptroller estimated state taxes could drop 14 percent—down to $5.7 billion between the 2014-15 and 2015-16 fiscal years.
Those revenues fund education and road construction and if crude oil prices don’t rebound, that means your child’s teacher could be out of a job soon. Or, that drive to work or school will be a bumpy ride as construction projects are pushed back, that’s what happened in 2011.
“I feel like we had this conversation six years ago,” Anchia said.
Others agreed, they had the same conversations in 2011 when the oil and gas industry was in trouble and in turn, so was the state’s economy.
Now, the committee is back inside the State Capitol to hear testimony from the Texas Railroad Commission.
“But this isn’t a new problem, right?” Anchia asked the panel.
The committee members said every state agency needs to figure out how to operate at the lowest cost possible, including the Railroad Commission.
“Now is the time to invest in the agency,” said Kimberly Corley, Executive Director of the Texas Railroad Commission. “When oil and gas comes back it will come back strong and it’s our responsibility to be ready.”
Corley said with revenue down, the amount of work that’s required of the commission increases as they have to inspect all the abandon oil wells.
Corley said the agency continues to train and then lose talent other state agencies or the private sector—an issue that’s been brought up before.
“I mean it’s just unbelievable that this agency would be in that position,” said Rep. Jim Keffer. “We as a legislature have to help that because it is so important, I mean we say that everyday it’s so important to our economy and or future.”
At the start of this year, the state’s comptroller estimated state taxes could drop 14 percent—down to $5.7 billion between the 2014-15 and 2015-16 fiscal years.
Those revenues fund education and road construction and if crude oil prices don’t rebound, that means your child’s teacher could be out of a job soon. Or, that drive to work or school will be a bumpy ride as construction projects are pushed back, that’s what happened in 2011.
