GOP Oklahoma Gov Asks Trump To Declare COVID An “Act Of God” In Order To Protect Oil And Gas Producers

Courthouse News reports:

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt asked President Donald Trump Saturday to declare the Covid-19 pandemic an “act of God” to shield the oil and gas industry as it grapples with the dual shocks of collapsed demand and surging supply as U.S. oil futures contracts briefly went negative this week.

A fellow Republican, Stitt asked for the federal declaration to “provide aid to our oil and gas industry and to protect the environment” by limiting over-production with nowhere to store the excess.

“We are asking your Administration to declare the COVID-19 pandemic a ‘force majeure’ or ‘act of God’ for the narrow purpose of protecting these producers from actions to cancel leases held by production as a resulting of production stoppage.”

On his first day in office in January 2019, Stitt declared that the mission of his office would be to “bring people to Jesus.”