The recently-concluded legislative session represents both the optimism of legislators that oil prices will recover sooner rather than later and the traditional conservatism of the majority of legislators.

Optimism was expressed by the $1.1 billion “surge” bill passed early in the session to continue the build-out of roads in the oil patch as well as providing continued support for cities, counties, school districts, emergency responders, and others, all of whom have been playing catch-up to the oil industry as it ramped up over the past eight years.

The idea is that continued state spending during the downturn in drilling activity will allow our communities to maintain high levels of employment and will allow needed long-term investments in our communities to be constructed in a less chaotic manner than has occurred in the recent past.