OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Roger Thompson, R-Okemah, commented Wednesday on abruptly ending a Senate Appropriations Committee meeting less than five minutes after it started without hearing any House bills.

Thompson, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, said his committee will not hear any House Appropriations bills until the House releases its spreadsheet with their budget numbers.

He said Wednesday that he was previously assured by House budget leaders that he would receive their budget spreadsheet by Tuesday, April 2. Thompson said as of 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 3, he had not received any details of the House’s proposed budget.

The Senate passed Senate Resolution 31 on March 18 that details the upper chamber’s proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. Senate budget leaders have sought the House’s budget numbers in order to maintain the Senate’s transparent budget process while considering House bills that would have a fiscal impact.

“The purpose of this new budget process is to keep Oklahoma citizens informed and engaged about how we’re spending taxpayer dollars,” Thompson said. “We do this by shining light on the entire state budget process. We cannot just shine a light at the beginning and then fall back into darkness halfway through the process. We will not let the House drag us back into darkness in this budget process.”