Deevers files bills to end income tax, feral hog hunting hurdles, and EPA diesel regulations

State Sen. Dusty Deevers has filed a bundle of new bills that are well worth consideration by the Oklahoma Legislature:

Deevers Introduces Tax Cut Elimination Bills, Other Tax Cuts

OKLAHOMA CITY (Jan 15th) — Sen. Dusty Deevers, R-Elgin, has introduced a slate of legislation to reduce the tax burden on Oklahomans, including the following.

• SB305 to immediately eliminate the State individual income tax.
• SB322 to immediately eliminate the State corporate income tax.
• SB308 to gradually reduce the income tax by 1 percent per year until eliminated by 2029.
• SB323 to gradually reduce the State corporate income tax by 1 percent per year until eliminated in 2028.
• SB311 to reduce the gross production tax on the oil and gas industry from 7 percent to 5 percent.
• Various tax credits for Oklahoma families and family-oriented initiatives, including SB228, SB281, and SB328.

BREAKING: Muskogee Mayor Bob Coburn resigns to accept appointment to OK Transportation Commission

Senate Pro Tem appoints Bob Coburn to transportation commission

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat announced Wednesday that he has appointed Bob Coburn of Muskogee to serve as a commissioner on the Oklahoma Transportation Commission.

Coburn is the first of two appointments the Senate president pro tempore makes to the commission following the enactment of Senate Bill 457, legislation that was part of a government accountability agreement between legislative leaders and the governor. The bill gave the governor to ability to hire the director of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, and gave commission appointments to governor, House speaker, and Senate president pro tempore appointments to the commission.

“I’m proud to appoint Bob Coburn to the Transportation Commission. As a business owner and mayor of Muskogee, Bob understands how important safe and functional transportation infrastructure is to the growth of the local and state economy. The Legislature and transportation leaders in recent years have done good work over the years to improve Oklahoma’s roads and bridges, but there’s always room for improvement. I know Bob Coburn will provide great leadership at the commission to help build upon past successes,” said Treat, R-Oklahoma City.

Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Rob Standridge, R-Norman, said, “After meeting with Mr. Coburn, it is obvious he will be an asset to the Transportation Commission.  I wholeheartedly support his nomination.”

Coburn currently serves as the mayor of Muskogee, but will resign from that post to serve on the commission.

“I appreciate Pro Tem Treat for appointing me to this important post. Oklahoma has made great strides in improving our transportation network, but more can be done. Safe roads and bridges are critical to growing our economy and I look forward to working with the leadership at the commission and Transportation Department to do our part to grow Oklahoma,” Coburn said.

UPDATE: Mayor Coburn has confirmed with the Muskogee Phoenix and MuskogeeNow.com that he is resigning today. As current deputy mayor, Ward I Councilor Janey Cagle-Boydston will fulfill the remainder of Coburn's term. This may be a very positive thing for those in Muskogee who wish to defeat the U.S 69 bypass of Muskogee that ODOT has been planning to implement.

UPDATE 2: The folks at StopODOT.org have posted the following statement:

ODOT PUTS BYPASS ON HOLD-FOR NOW

Former Muskogee Mayor Bob Coburn Appointed as Division I Transportation Commissioner.

 On April 3, 2019 pursuant to the new law that was passed as a result of Governor Stitt 's reform of state agencies, former Muskogee Mayor Bob Coburn was appointed Division I Transportation Commissioner for the state of Oklahoma by Senate Pro Temp Greg Treat effective immediately.   Bob is an excellent choice, with experience in business, education, and governance as Mayor. We congratulate Bob and are certain he will be receptive to our concerns.  We expect an announcement should be made soon in regard to the bypass or other alternatives that ODOT may consider regarding U.S. 69 as it passes through Muskogee now that the new Director of ODOT Tim Gatz has taken over the head of the agency and with Bob as the new Division I Transportation commissioner.

In order to accept the appointment, Bob had to resign as Mayor of Muskogee. Vice Mayor Janey Boydston was sworn in as Mayor immediately after Bob resigned.

UPDATE 3: here's an update from the City of Muskogee:

MAYOR COBURN RESIGNS, APPOINTED OKLAHOMA TRANSPORTATION COMMISSIONER

Bob Coburn accepted the position of Oklahoma Transportation Commissioner for District 1 today, and in doing so was required to resign from his office as Mayor of Muskogee.

“I am honored to continue to represent my home community on important transportation issues,” Coburn said. “The ODOT projects in Muskogee, including a proposed bypass, have reinforced the important role transportation has on commerce in our state and especially our local communities.  I have loved being mayor, but had already announced that this would be my final term, and this opportunity gives me a way to continue in public service.”

Coburn is required by state regulations against dual office holding to resign as mayor to become Transportation Commissioner.

“If I could, I’d stay as mayor,” Coburn said. “I know the city is changing for the better. I am excited about our upcoming election to fund street improvements and I think we have a great city council that will keep us headed in the right direction.”

According to the city charter, Deputy Mayor Janey Boydston became Mayor upon Coburn’s resignation. She has taken her oath of office and there will be a ceremonial swearing-in and reception in the City Council Chambers at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, April 8 before the council meeting begins at 5:30. A reception honoring Coburn and his more than seven years as Mayor of Muskogee is being scheduled and will be announced soon.

Coburn was appointed to his new post by Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat earlier today.  Coburn will represent District 1 on the Oklahoma Transportation Commission.  District 1 is comprised of Adair, Cherokee, Haskell, Okmulgee, McIntosh, Muskogee, Sequoyah and Wagoner Counties.

Stitt signs Agency Accountability bills, praises legislative leadership

GOVERNOR STITT SIGNS AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY BILLS, PRAISES HOUSE AND SENATE LEADERSHIP

Oklahoma City, Okla. (March 13, 2019) – Governor Kevin Stitt today signed five agency accountability bills that give the executive branch the authority to hire and fire agency leaders for the Oklahoma Healthcare Authority (SB 456), Oklahoma Department of Transportation (SB 457), Oklahoma Department of Corrections (HB 2480), Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs (HB 2479), and Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (HB 2483).

“This marks a historic day for the State of Oklahoma,” said Stitt. “With this legislation we are ensuring Oklahoma’s government is truly accountable to the people of Oklahoma. These reforms empower elected officials to deliver stronger oversight, better services, and accountable leadership across the state’s five largest agencies, and by maintaining governing boards, we will continue to ensure transparency in all agency operations. I would like to thank Speaker McCall and President Pro Tem Treat for championing these pieces of legislation that will undoubtedly help move our state forward.”

“Under our current structure, agency directors and boards are not accountable to anyone – certainly not to the governor or the taxpayers of Oklahoma,” said House Speaker Charles McCall. “This historic agreement transforms our government in a way that delivers real accountability for Oklahoma’s citizens. This has been a shared goal between the governor and House and Senate Republicans, and I am very thankful for the cooperation and leadership of Gov. Stitt and President Pro Tempore Treat. These bills ensure that the governor will truly be the chief executive of the executive branch by allowing him to hire and fire those agency directors, and it ensures that the Legislature maintains more oversight over those agencies that spend taxpayer money.”

“Since I’ve been in the Oklahoma Senate, Republicans have done a lot of great things like workers’ comp reform, pension reform, DHS reform, enacting the largest teacher pay raise in state history, and advanced the cause of life,” said Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat. “But the government accountability measures, in my opinion, are the most substantial reforms Republicans will achieve in my tenure at the Capitol. For too long, agencies have been unaccountable to the people of Oklahoma. That’s wrong and that is changing for the better. Now, Oklahomans will know who to hold accountable for the successes or failures of these five agencies. This truly gives Governor Stitt the ability to put into place the leaders who can carry out his vision that will make Oklahoma a Top 10 state. I want to thank Governor Stitt and Speaker McCall for their hard work and cooperation. This is an amazing achievement that will transform Oklahoma for the next century. It’s the dawn of a new day across Oklahoma and it’s a day that will help us achieve an even better and brighter future.”

The agency accountability bills include the following provisions: 

• The Governor will have the authority to hire and fire the agency leader.
• Senate will have confirmation authority of the agency leader.
• State agencies will maintain governing boards, but board members will serve at will and the legislation will include a conflict of interest provision.
• The Governor will appoint a majority of the board members, and the House and Senate will gain appointment seats on the boards.
• The House and Senate will be able to remove agency leaders by achieving a two-third vote in both Chambers.

House sends agency reform bills to Governor's desk

House Passes Remaining Government Accountability Reform Bills

OKLAHOMA CITY – The House of Representatives passed the final two bills that are part of the historic government accountability reforms agreement announced last week between Gov. Kevin Stitt and House and Senate leadership.

Senate Bill 456 applies to the Oklahoma Healthcare Authority and passed by a vote of 74-23.

Senate Bill 457 applies to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and passed by a vote of 75-23.

The House passed the other three bills in the agreement last week. All five bills in the agreement were authored by House Speaker Charles McCall and Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat (R-Oklahoma City).

“Oklahomans expect more accountability from their government, and, right now, our agency directors and agency boards are not really accountable to anyone – including the governor,” said Speaker McCall, R-Atoka. “This plan creates a structure that can deliver accountability much more effectively for our citizens. I am very thankful for the leadership and cooperation of Gov. Stitt and President Pro Tempore Treat in working with House Republicans to craft this agreement. These bills ensure that the governor will be the chief executive of the executive branch by allowing him to hire and fire those agency directors, and it ensures that the Legislature maintains some oversight over those agencies that spend taxpayer money.”

The plan gives the governor the ability to hire and fire the directors of five state agencies, including the Office of Juvenile Affairs, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority and the Department of Transportation. The plan also retains the agency boards that provide oversight over those agencies and rebalances the appointment authority for those boards. It makes all board appointments “at will,” meaning they can be removed at any time by the appointing authority. Those boards would remain subject to the Open Records and Open Meetings Acts and would retain the ability to promulgate rules and perform other board activities.

The plan gives the governor five appointments on each board and gives the Legislature four appointments each, divided between Speaker of the House and the Senate President Pro Tempore. The plan also gives the Senate advice and consent on the governor’s agency director appointments. In addition, the plan allows the Legislature to remove any of the five agency directors with a vote of two-thirds approval in both chambers.

Both bills now head to the governor’s desk to await his signature. 

Stitt praises House and Senate movement on agency accountability bills

GOVERNOR STITT PRAISES HOUSE AND SENATE ADVANCEMENT OF GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY LEGISLATION

Oklahoma City, Okla. (March 6, 2019) – Governor Kevin Stitt released the following statement praising the House passage of HB 2479, HB 2480, and HB 2483 and Senate passage of SB 456 and SB 457.

“I applaud the House and Senate for their continued dedication to government reform,” said Stitt. “We are one step closer to providing greater accountability and transparency for the people of Oklahoma. These bills empower elected officials to deliver stronger oversight, better services, and accountable leadership across the state’s five largest agencies, and by maintaining governing boards, we will continue to ensure transparency in all agency operations. I would like to thank Speaker McCall and President Pro Tempore Treat for championing these pieces of legislation that will undoubtedly help move our state forward.” 

House Passes Government Accountability Reform Bills

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 6, 2019)  – Three bills that are part of the historic government accountability reforms agreement announced this week cleared the House floor today. Gov. Kevin Stitt and House and Senate leadership announced the agreement yesterday.

The plan gives the governor the ability to hire and fire the directors of five state agencies, including the Office of Juvenile Affairs, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority and the Department of Transportation. The plan also retains the agency boards that provide oversight over those agencies and rebalances the appointment authority for those boards. It makes all board appointments “at will,” meaning they can be removed at any time by the appointing authority. Those boards would remain subject to the Open Records and Open Meetings Acts and would retain the ability to promulgate rules and perform other board activities.

The plan gives the governor five appointments on each board and gives the Legislature four appointments each, divided between Speaker of the House and the Senate President Pro Tempore. The plan also gives the Senate advice and consent on the governor’s agency director appointments. In addition, the plan allows the Legislature to remove any of the five agency directors with a vote of two-thirds' approval in both chambers.

All three bills were authored by House Speaker Charles McCall. The other two measures that are part of the agreement will start in the Senate.

“This has been a shared goal between the House, the Senate and the Governor’s Office, and it is a significant restructuring of how our government operates,” said Speaker McCall, R-Atoka. “We all recognize that Oklahomans expect much more accountability in their government, and this plan will ensure that agency directors and agency board appointees are held accountable to those who have been elected to hold them accountable. Under our current system, these directors and board appointments are not really accountable to anyone.”

House Bill 2479 applies to the Office of Juvenile Affairs and passed by a vote of 76-22.

House Bill 2480 applies to the Department of Corrections and passed by a vote of 76-20.

House Bill 2483 applies to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and passed by a vote of 76-20.

All three bills now head to the Senate for consideration.

Senate Sends OHCA, ODOT Government Accountability Bills to House

Bills part of agreement to give governor ability to hire/fire agency leaders.

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 6, 2019)  – The Oklahoma Senate overwhelmingly passed two government accountability measures that are a part of a larger deal to give the governor the ability to hire the heads of five of the largest state agencies.

Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat’s bills would give the governor the ability to hire and fire the head of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (SB 456) and the director of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (SB 457) with Senate confirmation.

“The century old system we operate now is broken. Agencies aren’t accountable to anyone other than a board of unelected bureaucrats. That is unacceptable and it must change. As the CEO of the executive branch, Oklahoma’s governor needs the ability to hire a team to enact his or her vision for the state. Agency directors will be directly accountable to the governor under our government accountability bills. That’s the best way to inject more accountability into state government and give the governor the ability to truly make improvements all across state government,” said Treat, R-Oklahoma City.

Key parts of government accountability bills:

• The governor would have the authority to hire and fire the agency leader with Senate confirmation.
• State agencies would maintain governing boards, but board members will serve at will and a conflict of interest provision is included in legislation.
• The governor would appoint a majority of the board members, and the House and Senate would gain appointment seats on the boards.
• The House and Senate would be able to remove agency leaders with a two-thirds vote in both chambers.
• SB 456 passed on a 37-9 vote, and SB 457 was approved on a 36-9 vote. Both measures now head to the House of Representatives.

The other bills in the government accountability agreement are:

• HB 2480, Oklahoma Department of Corrections
• HB 2479, Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs
• HB 2483, Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Stitt, legislative leadership announce agency accountability legislation

GOVERNOR STITT, HOUSE AND SENATE LEADERSHIP ANNOUNCE AGENCY ACCOUNTABILITY LEGISLATION

Oklahoma City, Okla. (March 5, 2019) – Governor Kevin Stitt, Speaker Charles McCall, and President Pro Tempore Greg Treat announced today five agency accountability bills that would give the executive branch the authority to hire and fire agency leaders for the Oklahoma Healthcare Authority (SB 456), Oklahoma Department of Transportation (SB 457), Oklahoma Department of Corrections (HB 2480), Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs (HB 2479), and Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (HB 2483).

“Oklahomans want three things: accountability, transparency, and results,” said Gov. Stitt. “Elected officials’ hands have been tied in achieving these outcomes, because our current system has given agencies too much independence from the voter. This agency accountability legislation empowers elected officials to deliver stronger oversight, better services, and accountable leadership across five of the largest state agencies. It also serves as a blue print to pursue reform across all of state government. I appreciate Speaker McCall’s and President Pro Tempore Treat’s leadership in negotiating this critical piece of government reform, and I look forward to working with them to get it enacted into law soon.”

“We have been working diligently for many weeks with Gov. Stitt and Senate leadership on these bills, and we believe this plan will greatly improve our state’s governing structure both for now and for the next generation of leaders,” said Speaker McCall. “This has been a shared goal between the House, Senate and the governor, and it accomplishes the framework that we all believed was necessary to achieve real accountability. This plan gives the governor the ability to hire and fire agency directors, and it rebalances the appointing authority to allow the Legislature to actually maintain a check on the boards and agencies that spend taxpayer dollars.”

“Government accountability is essential to changing the trajectory of our state for the better,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Treat. “It’s important for the governor, regardless of his or her political affiliation, to have the ability to hire state agency directors to carry out the vision for which he or she was elected. The system is broken; the system divides the executive branch against itself, which preserves the status quo and stifles innovation and improvement at state agencies. These bills will move Oklahoma forward by giving Governor Stitt the ability to put his team in place to fully carry out his vision for Oklahoma.

“I have confidence that Governor Stitt will seek talented, qualified candidates to lead these agencies. Checks and balances among the three branches of government are good. The Senate is committed fully to our part in the process by conducting a robust and thorough confirmation process of the agency directors.

“I want to thank Governor Stitt and Speaker McCall for their hard work and partnership in negotiating this agreement. This agreement is evidence of how much Oklahoma benefits when the governor and Legislature work together from the same game plan.”

The agency accountability bills include the following provisions: 

• The Governor would have the authority to hire and fire the agency leader.
• Senate would have confirmation authority of the agency leader.
• State agencies would maintain governing boards, but board members will serve at will and the legislation will include a conflict of interest provision.
• The Governor would appoint a majority of the board members, and the House and Senate would gain appointment seats on the boards.
• The House and Senate would be able to remove agency leaders by achieving a two-third vote in both Chambers.

Senate Pro Tem Treat files bills giving Gov more appointment power of agency heads

Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat files bills giving governor more appointment power of agency heads

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat on Wednesday filed bills granting the Oklahoma governor more appointment power of five top agency directors. Treat said the bills will provide more accountability and give the governor the ability to truly lead the state.

“Our current system of government disperses power too widely so that most agencies aren’t accountable to the governor and in turn aren’t accountable to the voter. The system hasn’t worked. The system has bred dysfunction and allowed the ‘status quo’ to hold sway for far too long. It’s time we change this broken system,” said Treat, R-Oklahoma City.

“Regardless of the governor’s political party affiliation, they are elected to serve as the chief executive of the state and to lead the state. The governor should be able to select the men and women he or she wants to run these top state agencies to help fully enact the governor’s vision and agenda,” Treat said.

“We heard in Governor Kevin Stitt’s inaugural address that he seeks to provide more accountability. I am encouraged by his commitment to that principle and excited to work with him to bring it about. These bills are a great step toward providing more accountability and returning more power to the people of Oklahoma,” Treat said.

The five bills address five of the top 10 agencies according to state appropriated dollars. The bills filed Wednesday include:

• Senate Bill 456 would grant the governor authority to appoint the administrator of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority. The bill calls for the administrator to be confirmed by the Senate and to serve at the pleasure of the governor.
• Senate Bill 457 would grant the governor authority to appoint the director of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. The bill calls for the director to be confirmed by the Senate and to serve at the pleasure of the governor.
• Senate Bill 458 would grant the governor authority to appoint the director of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. The bill calls for the director to serve at the pleasure of the governor. The DOC director already is confirmed by the Senate.
• Senate Bill 459 would grant the governor authority to appoint the commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. The bill calls for the commissioner to be confirmed by the Senate and to serve at the pleasure of the governor.
• Senate Bill 460 would grant the governor authority to appoint the executive director of the Office of Juvenile Affairs. The bill calls for the executive director to be confirmed by the Senate and to serve at the pleasure of the governor.