Secretary Land hails payment from Oklahoma
as state's fair share

NOVEMBER 15, 2006

Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land today announced that Michigan has received $1.5 million as part of a national settlement for a trucking registration dispute involving the state of Oklahoma.

"Michigan taxpayers shouldn't be punished for playing by the rules," Land said. "The Department of State has rightly pushed for Michigan's fair share of trucking fees and brought home $1.5 million for our state."

The money, which will be added to the Michigan Transportation Fund, comes after Michigan and 13 other states filed complaints against Oklahoma. The states claimed Oklahoma wasn't following the rules of the International Registration Plan, which governs commercial trucking registrations and fees among U.S. states and Canadian provinces. The International Registration Plan distributes fee money to the various states and provinces based on the number of miles traveled by a trucking company within the state or province.

Oklahoma had been allowing trucking companies to register there even though they weren't based there, meaning it was receiving money to which it wasn't entitled. Oklahoma has since changed its registration rules to comply with the International Registration Plan.