The House Appropriations and Budget Committee on Public Safety on Monday approved legislation that would allow portable building manufacturers to apply for a $500 permit once a year to cover one vehicle, rather than apply for an individual license for each transport.

Sen. Mark Allen, author of Senate Bill 1180, said the bill would ease a burden on Oklahoma businesses.

State Sen. Mark Allen said it was crucial for lawmakers to remember how critical the coal industry is, not only for communities in southeastern Oklahoma, but for the state’s economy as a whole. His comments came following a House member’s criticism of transferable coal tax credits.