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Are Oklahoma’s new proposed turnpikes legal?

That’s the question our state’s Supreme Court is looking to answer, calling both sides back in for more arguments on Monday

Are Oklahoma’s new proposed turnpikes legal?

That’s the question our state’s Supreme Court is looking to answer, calling both sides back in for more arguments on Monday

STOP THE CONSTRUCTION. THE SUPREME COURT RESPONSIBLE FOR BOTH THE VALIDATION THE ROUTES AND THE BONDS TO BUILD THE ROADS. BUT OPPONENTS SPECIFICALLY OF THE SOUTHERN EXTENSION OF THE TURNPIKE THROUGH CLEVELAND COUNTY SAY THEY’RE NOT LEGAL. THE WORDS THE STATUTE DON’T COME CLOSE TO DESCRIBE A NORTHBOUND ROAD FROM PURCELL TO NORMAN. THEY DESCRIBE AN EASTBOUND ROAD THAT STARTS INTO OF TUTTLE AND ENDS IN THE VICINITY OF NORMAN. THE ARGUMENT PRETTY CLEAR THAT THE STATE’S BUDGET DOES NOT ALLOW FOR AUTHORIZED THIS ROUTE. THE OKLAHOMA TURNPIKE AUTHORITY SAYS OTHERWISE, ARGUING THAT FORMER LEGISLATURES HAD WRITTEN GENERAL DESCRIPTIONS OF WHERE THE ROAD CAN GO. NOT SPECIFIC. IN THE 72 YEARS THAT THE HAS BEEN BEFORE THIS COURT, THE COURT HAS NEVER FOUND THAT A ROUTE DOES NOT EXIST. THE SECOND ISSUE, THE $500 MILLION BOND ISSUANCE FOR THE ACCESS OKLAHOMA PROJECTS PREVIOUS LEGISLATURE AND ALLOWED OTAY TO BUILD TOLL ROADS UNDER ONE BOND ISSUANCE. THEY SAY THEY FULFILLED THAT AND CAN NOW EXPAND ON THAT BOND DECADES LATER. OTHERS SAY THAT’S NOT WHAT THE LEGISLATION SAYS. I THINK IT’S VERY CLEAR IN STATUTE THAT IT ENDED. SO NOW THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE TO PERSUADE THE COURT O BUY IN THEIR ARGUMENT, WHICH I THINK IT REALLY STRETCHES COMMON SENSE. TO GET THERE, IT WAS REALLY HARD INTELLECTUALLY TO FOLLOW THEM ALL THE WAY THROUGH. NOW THE SUPREME COURT WILL MAKE A DECISION ON IF THOSE ROUTES CAN BE AUTHORIZED AND THE BONDS CAN BE ISSUED. NOW, THIS DECISION WILL BE ON WHAT WAS WRITTEN I
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Are Oklahoma’s new proposed turnpikes legal?

That’s the question our state’s Supreme Court is looking to answer, calling both sides back in for more arguments on Monday

Are Oklahoma’s new proposed turnpikes legal?That’s the question our state’s Supreme Court is looking to answer, calling both sides back in for more arguments on Monday. The Supreme Court is responsible for the validation of the routes and the bonds to build the roads.Opponents, specifically of the southern extension of the turnpike through Cleveland County, said they’re not legal. "The argument was pretty clear that the state statute does not allow or authorize this route," said Sen. Mary Boren, Senate District 16.The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority said otherwise, arguing that former legislatures had written general descriptions of where the road can go, not specifics.The second issue is the $500 million bond issuance for the Access Oklahoma projects. | MORE | Groups try to halt series of new turnpikes across Oklahoma; argue case to state Supreme CourtPrevious legislation allowed the OTA to build toll roads under one bond issuance. They said they fulfilled that and can now expand on that bond decades later.Others said that’s not what the legislation said."I think it’s very clear in statute that it ended. Now, they are going to have to persuade the court to buy into their argument and I think it really stretches common sense to get there. It was really hard intellectually to follow them all the way," Boren said. Now, the Supreme Court will make a decision on if the routes are authorized and if the bond can be issued. Both of these decisions will be made based on what’s written in previous legislation and the arguments they’ve heard from each side.

Are Oklahoma’s new proposed turnpikes legal?

That’s the question our state’s Supreme Court is looking to answer, calling both sides back in for more arguments on Monday. The Supreme Court is responsible for the validation of the routes and the bonds to build the roads.

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Opponents, specifically of the southern extension of the turnpike through Cleveland County, said they’re not legal.

"The argument was pretty clear that the state statute does not allow or authorize this route," said Sen. Mary Boren, Senate District 16.

The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority said otherwise, arguing that former legislatures had written general descriptions of where the road can go, not specifics.

The second issue is the $500 million bond issuance for the Access Oklahoma projects.

| MORE | Groups try to halt series of new turnpikes across Oklahoma; argue case to state Supreme Court

Previous legislation allowed the OTA to build toll roads under one bond issuance. They said they fulfilled that and can now expand on that bond decades later.

Others said that’s not what the legislation said.

"I think it’s very clear in statute that it ended. Now, they are going to have to persuade the court to buy into their argument and I think it really stretches common sense to get there. It was really hard intellectually to follow them all the way," Boren said.

Now, the Supreme Court will make a decision on if the routes are authorized and if the bond can be issued. Both of these decisions will be made based on what’s written in previous legislation and the arguments they’ve heard from each side.