OKLAHOMA CITY – As we approach the end of March, this week marks the second major in-session deadline for legislation at the Oklahoma Legislature.
At the end of last week, all bills up for consideration in the house of origin had to either pass and be sent to the opposite body or be held over for discussion next year. This deadline eliminates a significant portion of the ideas filed by lawmakers, but there is still the possibility that a concept could be amended into another bill. This requires a daily monitoring of filed amendments. So, for those of you who are worried about some topic, nothing is ever truly “dead” in the Legislature until they adjourn for the final time at the end of May.
The budget is still a source of concern as lawmakers have less money this year to pay for the services Oklahomans need and expect than they did last year. This is primarily because of the ending of the state’s portion of the grocery sales tax and other economic factors, such as federal matching dollars facing reduction.
Governor Stitt would still like to see a complete elimination of state income taxes, but it is not clear what revenue streams would be increased to balance the budget cuts, or if he would put forward a decrease in state services in his final two years. That would be up to the Legislature to determine ultimately.
Back on the state budget, lawmakers are considering many ideas which could cost additional revenue, so they must cautiously proceed. One way they balance the policy work with the budget at these early stages is through a procedural process called “striking the title” or “striking the enacting clause” on a bill that costs money.
The Oklahoma Constitution spells out that every piece of legislation enacted by the Legislature must have a title, which is the summary of the content at the very beginning of a bill, and an enacting clause, which is a line in every bill that says, “Be it enacted by the people of the state of Oklahoma.”
When lawmakers present a motion to strike one or the other, and it is adopted, that bill will have to be considered again before it could be sent to the governor. This allows lawmakers to calculate the total cost for all the bills considered during the current legislative session.
Understanding the language in bills can be difficult for those who have not worked regularly in the process. A program that I belonged to in my college days, the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature, prepared a bill-writing guide for students who participated in the mock legislature and who wanted to write ideas in the form of legislation for consideration at their conference.
I took this guide and modified it to reflect the state legislative process, so I hope this will help you understand each of the different things that you will find in legislation better. You can find the guide at https://tinyurl.com/ OkLegHandbook on the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) website under “Advocacy Resources.” This section also includes other resources which should help prepare you better for engaging in the legislative process.
I finish this week by sharing sad news of the passing of two former state senators who had an impact on my life. Marvin York, who served in both the House and the Senate from south Oklahoma City, was the Senate President Pro Tempore from 1981-1985. Billie Floyd, who represented Ada, served one term in the state Senate. Both were strong advocates, especially for equality, and they accomplished much during their time in office. OICA extends our deepest condolences to their families.
