The 2016 Republican Platform, page 21, mentions “Congress shall immediately pass universal legislation providing for a timely and orderly mechanism requiring the federal government to convey certain federally controlled public lands to states.”

According to the U.S. Office of Natural Resources Revenue, more than $2 billion of the fiscal year 2013 energy revenues (most recent figures) were disbursed to 35 states as their cumulative share of revenues collected from oil, gas and mineral production on federal lands within their borders and from U.S. offshore oil and gas. Among the top 10 states receiving revenue are Wyoming, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, California, North Dakota, Montana, Louisiana, Alaska and Texas. A total of $8.6 billion was disbursed to the U.S. Treasury to fund programs for the entire nation, making the department’s mineral revenue disbursements one of the nation’s largest sources of non-tax revenue.

This major source of funding to the U.S. Treasury would simply go away if you vote Republican and approve this transfer. If you don’t live in one of these top 10 energy rich states, you get the shaft. Don’t vote Republican if you want fair use of royalties from your share of minerals produced on federal lands.

Kelly Courtright

Deer Park