Senate Republicans fail to ‘walk the walk’ on fiscal accountability

Senate Democratic Floor Leader Andrew Rice said Republicans voted against fiscal accountability when they voted to block a Democratic amendment Tuesday. Rice, D-Oklahoma City, said the language would have been placed in House Bill 1225, a bill to require initiative petitions to include information on how any proposals requiring state dollars would be funded.

“Sen. Tom Ivester had an amendment that would extend that requirement to all legislation heard on the floor that would result in a loss of revenues,” Rice said. “The idea of PAYGO, paying as you go, is something championed by national figures like U.S. Senator Tom Coburn. If Republicans really wants to promote accountability and fiscal responsibility, they should have approved this amendment instead of voting as a caucus to stop it.”

HB 1225 was approved after Ivester’s amendment was tabled.

“I do want to thank the bill’s author, Sen. Frank Simpson, for at least allowing this amendment to be heard. However, his party abruptly tabled it, and they therefore lost an opportunity to show they intend to ‘walk the walk’ on fiscal responsibility. Sadly, now that the Republicans are now in charge they do not want to hold themselves to the same standard that they demanded Democrats be held to for years and years,” Rice said.