Republicans leaders in the Oklahoma Senate released the following comments regarding Governor Kevin Stitt’s 2020 state of the state address and Fiscal Year 2021 budget plan:

The Oklahoma State Senate begins the Second Session of the 57th Legislature Monday morning at the state Capitol.

The Senate has unanimously approved legislation to ensure nonviolent offenders in Oklahoma’s prison system are prepared to live independent, productive lives once released.  Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City, said he authored Senate Bill 1298 to ensure inmates are completing all the necessary education, training and counseling recommended during their incarceration in order to successfully reintegrate into society. 

Sen. Roger Thompson announced Friday that some 40 area fire departments had been chosen to receive $171,598 in grants from the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.  The funds, provided to rural fire departments annually, are authorized by the Oklahoma Legislature and are administered by the Forestry Division’s Community Fire Preparedness Program.

Sen. Roger Thompson said he is continually tracking economic factors that impact the state budget as he prepares for the upcoming legislative session.  It was announced in June that Thompson, R-Okemah, will serve as Senate Appropriations Chair in the 57th Legislature, filling one of the most crucial roles in state government.

Thompson said in recent years, all members of the Senate have been appointed to the full Appropriations Committee.  This year, there will be just 16 members, including the chair and vice chair.

State Sen. Roger Thompson has been appointed to the Budgets and Revenue Committee for the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).  Thompson, who chairs the Oklahoma State Senate’s Appropriations Committee, was appointed by NCSL leadership.

The committee’s jurisdictional areas include federal and state policies with fiscal implications, including funding for services and programs, budget processes, tax and revenue systems, legislative oversight, unfunded mandates and state-local fiscal relations.  

In his first legislative session as Senate Appropriations Chair, Sen. Roger Thompson helped carve out priorities for the 2020 fiscal year budget and determine how best to fund and support key agenda items aimed at moving Oklahoma forward—the end result is a balanced budget that made new investments in core services of government, increased emergency savings and accomplished it all without a tax increase.