Texas Oil and Gas Lobbyist Presentation Reveals Pro-Industry Bent of 2017 Legislation
Photo of Texas State Capitol by Stuart Seeger. Used under creative commons license.
During a recent presentation to an oil and gas legal symposium in Austin, TX, industry lobbyist Benjamin Sebree provided an unusually frank assessment of how the industry fared during the 2017 Texas legislative session. In his presentation, which took place on February 2, 2018, Sebree outlined how multiple bills adopted during the past legislative session directly benefited the oil and gas industry. A copy of the presentation materials was obtained by Documented. Top accomplishments included legislation restricting the photography of oil and gas infrastructure, and a bill allowing the oil and gas industry oversight over the state’s earthquake tracking body. Other bills carved out tax loopholes for the industry and promoted natural gas vehicles over electric cars.
Sebree lobbied on behalf of Chevron, Marathon Petroleum, and the Texas Water Recycling Association in 2017.
Legislative Update Summaries of Key Oil Gas Legislation in the 85th (2017) Legislative Session (Summaries)
Legislative Update Summaries of Key Oil Gas Legislation in the 85th (2017) Legislative Session (Slides)
Benjamin Sebree
- General Counsel, Texas Water Recycling Association – Sebree & Tintera, LLC.
- Principal, Sebree Law Firm, Sebree & Tintera, LLC, and Sebree Solutions.
- Vice President for Governmental Affairs and General Counsel for the Texas Oil and Gas Association 1990-2012.
- Governor of Texas appointed Mr. Sebree to the Interstate Oil and Gas CompactCommission in 2009.
- Elected by of the State Bar of Texas to the Governing Council of the Oil, Gas, and Energy Resources Section in 2006.
- He earned a BA from The University of Texas at Austin and a JD from the University of Houston Law Center.
- Lobbies the Texas Legislature, the Railroad Commission of Texas, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Comptroller of Public Accounts, the General Land Office.
- Led The Joint Association Project, a joint lobbying venture between fossil fuel companies.