Deborah Laker
Brandon Swearengin, a House Representative from the University of Oklahoma, presented House Bill OU 525, establishing a plan to build a high-speed transit rail way system. The project to for a modern light train from Tulsa to Oklahoma City would be implemented after through a state commission including nine public servants.
During the author’s explanation, Swearengin expressed how heanticipates the day when he can travel from the Tulsa International Airport to Oklahoma City on a high-speed train.
The OU Representative’s bill was passed through previous question. Following the passage of OU 525, Swearengin, spoke with O.I.L reporter Deborah Laker.
Q: Representative Swearengin, what is your reaction to you bill being passed in the House?
A: I’m very excited that it passed. I don’t care that my previous question. In fact, I recommended that to a few representatives on the floor not because there wouldn’t be opportunity for nice debate, but because it seemed like the vast majority ofrepresentatives were well in favor of the piece of legislation.And it wasn’t necessary to have an extended process on something that most people agree on. There are only a handful of objectors.
Q: You mentioned that you were inspired to write this bill by an Owasso senator, please tell us more.
A: It was a bill presented in the actual Oklahoma legislature, but it never got passed out of committee. It’s been brought up the past couple legislative sessions. I think what really needs to happen is you need to have a republican co-authors on it to make it happen. And I got it was lovely to see, you know, howDemocrats, Republicans, independents, libertarians, everyone seemed by and large to support it overwhelmingly with just a handful of objectors. So I was very reassuring, and I’d love to see that happen in the actual.