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