Conservation groups formally objected to the Trump administration plan, arguing that opening the 83,000-acre oasis would endanger 19 federally protected species.
The cooperatives cited Allen's decade of public service and his understanding of how sound policy decisions affect critical infrastructure like electric cooperatives.
Community leader Antoinette King strongly opposed HB 72, arguing the legislation risked criminalizing parents and unfairly targeted families needing support, not state intervention.