SF 1292

1st Engrossment - 87th Legislature (2011 - 2012) Posted on 03/14/2012 11:18am

A resolution
memorializing the President and Congress to enact legislation encouraging domestic
oil drilling and encouraging more importation of North American crude oil.

WHEREAS, the United States had 22,300,000,000 barrels of economically producible
oil reserves as of December 31, 2009, according to the United States Energy Information
Administration; and

WHEREAS, the Canadian Oil Sand reserves are second only to those of Saudi Arabia; and

WHEREAS, dependence on foreign oil imports from unfriendly countries exposes the
United States economy to fluctuations caused by instability in other regions of the world, while
contributing to the foreign trade deficit; and

WHEREAS, increasing North American oil production and imports would reduce
American dependence on Middle East sources of oil and reduce the foreign trade deficit; and

WHEREAS, increasing domestic oil production would boost the national economy by
creating jobs and increasing revenues from leases, production, profits, and consumption; NOW,
THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota that it urges the President,
his administration, and the Congress of the United States to speedily enact legislation that
promotes and removes restrictions to domestic oil drilling and access to Canadian Oil Sand
reserves.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State of the State of Minnesota is
directed to prepare copies of this memorial and transmit them to the President of the United
States, the President and the Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and the Clerk
of the United States House of Representatives, the United States Secretary of State, the chair of
the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, the chair of the House Committee on
Energy and Commerce, and Minnesota's Senators and Representatives in Congress.