Former Tulsa mayor wants gross production tax to fund government, teacher pay raises

TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) -- Former Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett Jr. believes the oil and gas industry should help fund teacher pay raises and the state government.

As president of Keener Gas & Oil Company, Bartlett says his family has been in the oil and gas business for more than 100 years. In a video posted to YouTube by the Oklahoma Energy Producers Alliance, Bartlett encourages lawmakers to equalize the gross production tax so all companies pay the same price.

"The gross production tax is essentially a sales tax that the industry pays on every barrel of produced oil and mound of natural gas that's produced in the state of Oklahoma," said Barlett. "I feel very strongly that we need to have a very equalized system where everybody pays the same amount."

In doing so, Bartlett says oil companies would then have a chance to help provide competitive wages to Oklahoma teachers.

"I feel very strongly that this industry, the principal industry in the state of Oklahoma, we need to do extra things to help our community," said Bartlett.