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TOP HEADLINES
Trump picks Oklahoma AG Pruitt to head EPA:
President-elect Donald J. Trump tapped Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt on Wednesday to head the Environmental Protection Agency, a strong signal that the next administration will break from eight years of making new regulations on air and water pollution [The Oklahoman].
Inhofe, Barrasso confident WRDA will pass as Boxer blasts drought measure:
Republicans were hesitantly optimistic about passing a water infrastructure bill on Tuesday, despite promises from Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) on Monday to block the bill due to a provision she opposes on California drought [Morning Consult].
FEDERAL
Oklahoma Farm Bureau happy to see Pruitt to EPA (audio):
President-elect Donald Trump intends to nominate Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, and someone familiar with Pruitt is glad to hear the news [Agri-Pulse].
Oklahoma attorney general picked to run EPA:
In addition to lawsuits against the WOTUS rule and Clean Power Plans, Pruitt has also filed challenges to the Affordable Care Act and the Dodd-Frank law, under which the administration has implemented new regulations on the futures market. Pruitt, who was first elected attorney general in 2010, established a “federalism unit” in the state solicitor general’s office to challenge regulations [Agri-Pulse].
Trump picks Scott Pruitt, climate change denialist, to lead EPA:
President-elect Donald J. Trump has selected Scott Pruitt, the Oklahoma attorney general and a close ally of the fossil fuel industry, to run the Environmental Protection Agency, signaling Mr. Trump’s determination to dismantle President Obama’s efforts to counter climate change — and much of the E.P.A. itself [New York Times].
Why Trump needs a strong Agriculture secretary:
Although a secretary of Agriculture has a full plate just dealing with issues within the Department (USDA), there is so much more happening outside of USDA that affects the ability of America’s farmers and ranchers to make ends meet [The Hill].
Trump advisors aim to privatize oil-rich Indian reservations:
A group of advisors to President-elect Donald Trump on Native American issues wants to free oil and gas resources from what they call a suffocating federal bureaucracy that holds title to 56 million acres of tribal lands, two chairmen of the coalition told Reuters in exclusive interviews [Reuters].
Trump’s Cabinet: What jobs are left to fill:
Trump has so far chosen a mix of loyalists, GOP lawmakers, businessmen and military generals to serve as his top advisers. He could easily finalize his Cabinet by the end of the year [The Hill].
STATE
Gov. Fallin applauds Pruitt nomination to lead EPA:
Fallin, who has also met with Trump to discuss a possible administration job, said in a statement Thursday that Pruitt is a “tireless advocate of the precious balance of power between state and federal governments” [AP].
Oil and gas tax revenue climbs amid lower sales, income receipts:
Tax collections from oil and natural gas production continue to increase even as sales and income tax receipts remain in the doldrums of the 2-year energy industry decline, state Treasurer Ken Miller said Wednesday [The Oklahoman].
MISCELLANEOUS
Drain the regulatory swamp, let agriculture bloom:
Worries about slow economic growth have shifted the mood of America from “hope and change” eight years ago to “drain the swamp,” which is at least in part a realization that government regulation needs major fixes to spur innovation and job creation [Forbes].
