Incubators, roads and bridges seen as critical to rural economic growth

Economy

Discussion

March 22, 2006

By Robert Barron The Enid News and Eagle Wed Mar 22, 2006, 02:30 PM CST

Small business incubators and roads and bridges are the primary means of developing the rural areas of the state, according to Enid area legislators.

Sen. Patrick Anderson is working on a small business incubator bill that would call for $15 million to develop an incubator in Enid, expand incubators in Stillwater and Ponca City, plus develop new incubators in Lawton, Altus and Sapulpa. There would be eight incubator projects in the six communities, according to Anderson’s bill.

That bill currently is stalled in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

In addition to the incubator, project roads and bridges are the primary objective for Anderson.

“We have to put more money into funding main highways and county roads,” Anderson, an Enid Republican said.

He authored a bill that will be heard in the Senate Finance Committee to provide income tax credits to physicians who reside and practice in rural communities.

There currently are 59 communities seeking physicians, and Ander-son believes something must be done to help them.

He hopes his bill will attract physicians to rural Oklahoma.

“The problem physicians run into is rising costs of overhead, including malpractice insurance. In many cases what they can charge is capped by Medicaid and other insurance rates,” he said.

The limits on income, plus high costs lead physicians to move to larger communities where they can see more patients.

“Anything that will encourage and create the development of new business and jobs in rural Oklahoma is a positive. We’re not going to get large corporations to relocate here so we have to grow local businesses wherever possible,” he said.

Other projects Anderson will focus on are the ethanol plant in Enid and an emphasis on biodiesel in Oklahoma.

“That has a lot for western Oklahoma,” he said.

Rep. Mike Jackson, R-Enid, is placing his emphasis on a small business incubator project at Autry Technology Center. He authored a bill spurring economic development using incubators.

Other initiatives Jackson may support include a five-year tax abatement for individuals who move to rural areas that have lost population. Garfield and Kingfisher counties do not qualify.

“The incubator is my focus on rural economic development,” he said.

Jackson also supported a roads and bridges initiative as economic development.

The House will address a plan to increase funding to roads and bridges over last year’s amount. The plan would increase county road and bridge programs by $86 million.

“That’s very important economic development. It’s something companies look at when thinking about moving to a state or region,” he said. “We need to be sure that money is spent wisely and well.”

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