The Oklahoma House has narrowly passed legislation that would extend the state's Quality Jobs Act to chicken egg producers.
House members voted 51-43 on Tuesday for the Senate-passed measure.
Oklahoma's Quality Jobs Act provides cash incentives to companies that create jobs that have good salaries and benefits.
The bill's House author, Republican Rep. John Bennett of Sallisaw, says adding chicken egg producers to the program would encourage poultry companies to create new jobs and expand existing operations in and around his eastern Oklahoma district.
But critics complained that the measure does not include other agricultural operations in the state, such as broiler operations and cattle and pork producers.
Others said the program is a form of corporate welfare that does not benefit state taxpayers.
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