Legislation to reform the state’s budget process advanced from the Senate Rules committee on Wednesday. Senate Joint Resolution 30 would allow Oklahomans to vote on a proposal to dedicate every other legislative year exclusively to drafting the state’s budget.

Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman, author of the proposal, said the reform would bring increased scrutiny and transparency to the budget process.
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State Sen. Patrick Anderson, R-Enid, issued the following statement Thursday praising the life and service of Mike Thralls of Billings. Thralls became executive director of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission in 1997 and served until his retirement in 2014. Prior to heading the Conservation Commission, he served as assistant commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture. Thralls passed away this week.

Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman on Monday issued the following statement on anticipated revenue figures for the coming fiscal year.

As we have been expecting, the Board of Equalization Tuesday will certify revenue figures showing a budget shortfall of more than $600 million. While this presents us with a significant challenge, it also gives us a chance to take a closer look at state spending and the structure of our budget to determine where we can be more efficient.

The Senate Finance committee on Tuesday approved two proposals that would establish a process for measuring the effectiveness of economic incentives. Authored by Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman, the legislation would create a system to provide regular, independent evaluations of incentives to determine which are working and which are not.

The Senate Education Committee approved legislation Tuesday to modify the financial qualifications of the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP). Senator Corey Brooks, the principal author of Senate Bill 137, said the bill fixes a problem with the state’s tuition reimbursement program that has been unfairly keeping some students from qualifying for it.
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Sen. Kyle Loveless filed legislation this year to authorize the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) to propose a health benefits plan design to incentivize participants to purchase health services from providers with transparent pricing. Senate Bill 172, which was approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee Wednesday, is an effort to help state employees find the most affordable plans to meet their needs while also saving the state money.
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Legislation aimed at educating children about sexual abuse and prevention has passed the Senate Education committee, clearing another hurdle and moving one step closer to becoming a law, according to State Senator Wayne Shaw, R-Grove.
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The Senate Rules Committee has advanced three of the proposals introduced by Sen. David Holt, R-Oklahoma City, to modernize Oklahomas election system and increase rapidly declining voter participation.

The House of Representatives is the next stop for a measure that will strengthen state laws banning tobacco use on school property. Sen. Jim Halligan, R-Stillwater, and Rep. Lee Denney, R-Cushing, are principal authors of Senate Bill 674, the “24/7 Tobacco-Free Schools Act,” which was approved by the full Senate on Thursday.
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Senate Democratic Leader Randy Bass unveiled caucus leadership positions and committee appointments Tuesday for the 55th Legislature. Bass said his members would use those roles to ensure all Oklahomans have a voice at the state Capitol.
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