Boeing: Tulsa doesn't make the cut

Seattle's KOMO-TV is reporting that there is a short list (although Boeing denies this) and Oklahoma's not on it.

The states still in the running all have direct access to the ocean and deep water ports.

Governor Gary Locke told KOMO 4 News Wednesday that Boeing has narrowed its list to a handful of states in the competition for the 7E7, and Washington is one of them.

The list of finalists has been cut from about three dozen proposals to about six, and sources tell us the main competition is coming from the south -- especially the southeast.

"We're among a handful of states that are still in contention," Locke said. "I'm confident that we have the people the infrastructure and the incentives."

It's the prize revenue-hungry states are after: The new manufacturing plant for the next Boeing plane, the 7E7. And as Gov. Locke told Seattle Rotary, it's not just jobs on the 7E7 that hang in the balance.

"If the 7E7 is built in another state, then we know that succeeding aircraft will be built in that other state," Locke said.

The governor won't say much about the other competition, but sources tell KOMO 4 News that in addition to Washington, Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Florida and South Carolina are still in the hunt. One state that reportedly is out of the running is California, in part because of the political instability there.