By: Haywood S.C.R. No. 32
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1-1 WHEREAS, The south bank of the Red River constitutes the
1-2 boundary between the states of Texas and Oklahoma; and
1-3 WHEREAS, The exact determination of where the south bank of
1-4 the Red River is located is extremely difficult to ascertain and
1-5 subject to widely divergent opinion; and
1-6 WHEREAS, The south bank of the Red River is not a permanent
1-7 location, but is constantly changing; and
1-8 WHEREAS, The federal government claims ownership of the south
1-9 half of the Red River within a 116-mile stretch between the 98th
1-10 Meridian and the mouth of the North Fork of the Red River; and
1-11 WHEREAS, The Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache tribes claim
1-12 entitlement to 62-1/2 percent of the revenues derived from oil and
1-13 gas production from these lands; and
1-14 WHEREAS, The changing location of the south bank and the
1-15 difficulty in determining its location at any given time have
1-16 created problems in the enforcement of laws, collection of taxes,
1-17 economic development, and the establishment of property ownership;
1-18 and
1-19 WHEREAS, It is to the mutual advantage of the states of Texas
1-20 and Oklahoma to agree on and establish a practicable boundary
1-21 between both states; and
1-22 WHEREAS, By House Concurrent Resolution 128, Acts of the 74th
1-23 Legislature, the Texas Red River Boundary Commission was created;
1-24 and
2-1 WHEREAS, The term of the commission expires on June 30, 1998;
2-2 and
2-3 WHEREAS, The states of Texas and Oklahoma are working
2-4 together to adopt a boundary compact to present to their respective
2-5 legislatures; and
2-6 WHEREAS, If the Texas Red River Boundary Commission is unable
2-7 to reach a boundary agreement with the Oklahoma Red River Boundary
2-8 Commission on or before June 30, 1998, the work of the commission
2-9 will be lost; and
2-10 WHEREAS, It is to the benefit of the citizens of Texas to
2-11 extend the term of the Texas commission and enable it to continue
2-12 its work toward a joint boundary resolution; now, therefore, be it
2-13 RESOLVED by the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas, That
2-14 the term of the Red River Boundary Commission is hereby extended to
2-15 June 30, 2000; commission members, not to exceed 17 in number,
2-16 shall be appointed by the governor; the commissioners shall be
2-17 representative of private property owners, local government elected
2-18 officials, mineral interests, and the general public; such members
2-19 shall serve without compensation, except for reasonable travel
2-20 reimbursement; staffing for this commission shall be provided by
2-21 the General Land Office, the Office of the Attorney General, and
2-22 the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission; and, be it
2-23 further
2-24 RESOLVED, That the chairman shall be appointed by the
2-25 governor; and, be it further
2-26 RESOLVED, That it shall be the duty of the commission to
2-27 confer and act in conjunction with the representatives appointed on
3-1 behalf of the State of Oklahoma for the following purposes:
3-2 (1) to initially make a joint investigation at the
3-3 joint expense of the two states as to the appropriate method of
3-4 establishing a practicable location of the common boundary between
3-5 the two states with respect to the Red River;
3-6 (2) to investigate, negotiate, and report as to the
3-7 necessity and advisability of a compact between the two states
3-8 defining and locating a practicable, identifiable state line;
3-9 (3) to hold such hearings and conferences in either of
3-10 the two states as may be required and to take such action, either
3-11 separately or in cooperation with the State of Oklahoma or the
3-12 United States, or both, as may be necessary or convenient to
3-13 accomplish the purposes of this resolution; and
3-14 (4) to report to the governor and the Legislature of
3-15 the State of Texas annually no later than January 15 of each year
3-16 its findings and recommendations concerning joint action by the
3-17 State of Texas and the State of Oklahoma; and, be it further
3-18 RESOLVED, That the Red River Boundary Commission shall
3-19 terminate on June 30, 2000; and, be it further
3-20 RESOLVED, That the legislature hereby respectfully request
3-21 the president and the Congress of the United States to meet and
3-22 confer with the commission and the representatives of the State of
3-23 Oklahoma and to assist in carrying out the purposes of this
3-24 resolution; and, be it further
3-25 RESOLVED, That the governor of the State of Texas be and is
3-26 hereby empowered and requested to forward a copy of this resolution
3-27 to the governor of the State of Oklahoma and to request that the
4-1 governor or legislature of that state appoint representatives of
4-2 the State of Oklahoma to confer and act in conjunction with the
4-3 commission for the purposes above specified, with the understanding
4-4 that each state pay all expenses of its representatives; and, be it
4-5 further
4-6 RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
4-7 copies of this resolution to the president of the United States,
4-8 the speaker of the house of representatives and president of the
4-9 senate of the United States Congress and to all members of the
4-10 Texas delegation to the congress with the request that it be
4-11 officially entered in the Congressional Record as a memorial to the
4-12 Congress of the United States of America.