World: Watts More Interested In Texas?

From The Tulsa World Editorial Page ~ Former U.S. Rep. J.C. Watts may be thinking about running for governor of Oklahoma, but some of his recent activities suggest he's more interested in representing Texas interests.

It came to light recently that Watts' Washington-based lobbying firm has been representing the Tarrant Regional Water District since late 2007.

The Tarrant group, recently joined by the city of Dallas, has sued the state of Oklahoma, seeking to overturn a moratorium blocking out-of-state water sales.

A spokesman for Watts' firm said its staff isn't involved in the Oklahoma water dispute, but a spokesman for the water district said Watts' firm has "helped us understand the dynamics of water resource issues in Oklahoma."

Watts' involvement on behalf of the Texans isn't the only curious wrinkle in this long-running battle over what happens to Oklahoma's water resources. This week, legislative leaders have been engaging in intense and increasingly frantic talks in an effort to come up with legislation addressing out-of-state water requests.

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