The House General Government and Transportation Committee last week passed a bill to prohibit the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority from selling any of the state’s 10 turnpikes to a private operator.
HB 3182 bans the OTA from approving “any contract with a private company to sell, lease, sublease, or operate any turnpike or portion of a turnpike in this state.” The bill was introduced by Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City.
OTA director Phil Tomlinson said there are no plans to sell or lease any of the roads, but he had no objection to the bill. Even without the bill, Tomlinson said, state lawmakers would have to approve any transactions involving the sale or lease of the turnpikes.
