Senate Approves Electronic Report Bill

A bill requiring hundreds of reports submitted by state agencies to legislators be transmitted electronically passed the Oklahoma Senate today.

Senator Jay Paul Gumm said Senate Bill 1507 which passed 47-1 could potentially save taxpayers thousands of dollars in printing and postage costs every year. The bill now goes to Governor Brad Henry for his approval.

State government kills an untold number of trees every year just to send reports to the Legislature; worse, we squander taxpayer dollars on slick printing that isnt necessary, said Gumm, a Democrat from Durant. In the age of electronic documents, that printing is very wasteful, and government can and should do better.

The plan would require agency budget requests and the governors annual budget to be transmitted electronically rather than through hard copies in the mail. According to the lawmaker, the transition from expensively printed documents to a paperless system will modernize state government and make it less wasteful.

According to state records, it cost more than $5,700 to print the governors budget proposal to lawmakers this year. The annual budget is just one of dozens of reports state agencies print and send to lawmakers. Gumm estimated the bill could save several hundred thousands of dollars annually.

If signed by the governor, the bill will save taxpayers money, save our precious natural resources, and make our state government more streamlined and more effective for the people of Oklahoma, he said. Saving money on printing will make more dollars available for schools, roads and bridges, and other critical functions of state government.

This is a smart step in a new and better direction for efficiency and productivity in Oklahoma.