Rep. Hays: 'A Call for Fairness in Municipal Public Policy'

A Call for Fairness in Municipal Public Policy

By State Representative Neil Hays (R, HD-13)

As communities across the country work to balance budgets, fund essential services, and attract the businesses that drive innovation and job creation, it’s time for local governments to rethink their approach to public policy. As State Representative for District 13, I encourage our elected leaders to adopt transparent, deliberate, and equitable decision-making processes when considering new taxes, fees, or regulations. We must resist hasty or regressive measures that undermine the very economies they seek to support.

State House releases updated budget transparency portal

House Releases Updated Budget Transparency Portal

Details House Position on Budget Items for Fiscal Year 2026

OKLAHOMA CITY(March 27th)  – The Oklahoma House of Representatives released today updated budget numbers in its online transparency portal, detailing the House position on how the FY26 budget should be crafted.

The portal, known as Budget HQ, was created in 2024 in an effort to bring transparency to the state budgeting process both for the full House membership and the public.

The numbers are a starting point for negotiations with the Senate and Governor over the FY26 budget.

Rep. Gann proposes sweeping transparency reforms for State House

Gann Proposes Sweeping Reforms to Restore Transparency to House of Representatives

OKLAHOMA CITY (Dec. 30th) – In a far-reaching, and transformative effort to modernize the Oklahoma House of Representatives, Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola, has sponsored a reform package – House Resolution 1001 – designed to distribute power, promote transparency and reinvigorate the legislative process. His reforms aim to end the culture of opacity and concentration of authority that he says has hindered the chamber's effectiveness for far too long.

“The time has come to ensure the House of Representatives becomes an institution of laws, not of one man,” Gann said. “For years, our legislative process has stagnated, with decisions made behind closed doors and power centralized into the hands of one individual, the House speaker, who is elected by a single House district and not the people of Oklahoma as a whole. In recent years, at best, the House has simply marked time, failing to embrace new transparency measures. At worst, it has regressed, relying on secretive processes controlled by a single person.”

State Sen. Lisa Standridge files OK Turnpike Authority due process guarantee bill

Standridge Files OTA Due Process Guarantee Bill

OKLAHOMA CITY (Dec. 20th) – Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-Norman, has filed Senate Bill 80, legislation aimed at increasing transparency and public involvement in the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority’s (OTA) projects. The proposed bill would establish clear requirements for public notification, input, and oversight before any new turnpike or modifications to existing turnpikes can proceed.

“Our Constitution guarantees due process for every citizen,” Standridge said. “As a nation we give the worst of the worst criminals, including serial killers, due process; we certainly owe landowners in the path of a potential turnpike the same. This legislation ensures that the OTA operates with full transparency and accountability, prioritizing the interests of affected residents and businesses.”

House Speaker-Elect announces new government efficiency portal

Speaker-Elect Announces New Government Efficiency Portal

OKLAHOMA CITY (Dec. 10th) – The Oklahoma House of Representatives today added to its transparency portal a government efficiency survey intended to root out duplication of services, waste and inefficiencies in state government. 

This initiative piggybacks on the federal effort to eliminate government waste through the newly-created federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

"We will work hand-in-hand with President-Elect Trump and our federal delegation on broader efforts to make government more efficient with DOGE," said House Speaker-Elect Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow. "We want to ensure our state government is working as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. As lawmakers, we want the assistance of Oklahomans who have first-hand experience with duplicative and wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars."

Sen. Deevers on why voters should reject State Question 833

The following is a column by State Sen. Dusty Deevers (R-Elgin) about the dangers of State Question 833. I concur:

Rejecting Oklahoma SQ 833 – The Case Against Public Infrastructure Districts (PIDs)
Originally posted at OKGrassroots

State Question 833 (SQ 833) introduces Public Infrastructure Districts (PIDs), giving developers significant control over infrastructure financing at taxpayers’ expense. Here’s why voters should say “No” to SQ 833.

Rep. Gann's state agency budget transparency law takes effect

Gann's State Agency Budget Transparency Law Takes Effect

OKLAHOMA CITY – A law requiring state agency directors to certify their agency's annual budget is filed with the state Department of Libraries within the time required under state law takes effect today.

House Bill 3113, authored by Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola, requires agency executive directors to certify their agency is in compliance with the Oklahoma State Government Open Documents Initiative when they submit their annual agency budgets to the Office of Management and Enterprise Services and the Legislature.

Legislators highlight Administrative Rules, Open Meetings Act online portals

Kendrix, Bergstrom Highlight Rules, Open Meetings Act Online Portals

OKLAHOMA CITY (Oct. 28th) – Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, R-Altus, and Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair, recently held an interim study examining Oklahoma's current administrative rules process and considering how it could be made more efficient and transparent.

"One of the things we’ve been working on is trying to make this process more transparent, get more people involved in it, make it more accountable not only to us as legislators but also to the public, where more people are aware of the rules process—how it works, the notification process, the public comment process," Kendrix said during the study. "We've been working with the secretary of state on the portal that they have, to try to make that better for everybody involved."

AG Drummond partners with OPA to hold Open Meeting, Open Records seminars this fall

2023 Open Meeting/Open Records seminar

Open Meeting, Open Records seminars to be held across Oklahoma this fall

Free meetings, open to the public, registration required

OKLAHOMA CITY (Sept. 3, 2024) – After overwhelming success in 2023, the Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General is partnering again with the Oklahoma Press Association to host seminars on the state’s open meeting and open records laws in five locations across Oklahoma beginning late this month.

The seminars will be presented by Thomas R. Schneider, deputy general counsel to Attorney General Gentner Drummond.

Gov. Stitt signs FY2025 state budget

I've been out of town and busy with other things over the past two weeks, so I'm a bit behind on blogging. Here's some news from earlier this week, when Governor Kevin Stitt signed the state budget into law (some legislators had been concerned he would veto portions of it, but those fears were unfounded).

GOVERNOR STITT SIGNS FY25 BUDGET

OKLAHOMA CITY (June 12, 2024) - Today, Governor Kevin Stitt signed the budget for the state’s 2025 fiscal year into law. After giving effect to elimination of the grocery tax, the largest single tax cut to delivered to taxpayers in state history, this budget authorized state expenditures at a reduced level relative to last year while delivering on strategic investments in infrastructure and efforts to further the Governor’s pro-business, pro-family policies.

House sends bill to Governor to subject OMES to transparency and accountability act

Bill Making OMES Subject to Central Purchasing Act Sent to Governor

OKLAHOMA CITY (April 25th) – A measure making Oklahoma's state employee management agency and the Chief Information Officer subject to the Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act has been sent to the governor's desk.  

House Bill 3057, authored by Rep. Jay Steagall, R-Yukon, would require all purchases of equipment, products and services within the Information Services Division of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) and the Chief Information Officer to be subject to the Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act and the Public Competitive Bidding Act of 1974 without exception. 

State Auditor finds systemic lack of oversight at critical state agency

Oklahoma's official government watchdog, State Auditor Cindy Byrd, is out with an absolutely scorching audit of OMES, finding all sorts of improprieties:

FEDERAL SINGLE AUDIT UNCOVERS OMES LACK OF OVERSIGHT

“I believe Oklahoma is rapidly becoming a no-bid state. This is a grave disservice to the taxpayers.”

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (April 23, 2024) -- Oklahoma State Auditor & Inspector (SAI) Cindy Byrd today released the Federal Single Audit of expenditures made during FY 2022. This annual audit is a federally-mandated examination of whether the State of Oklahoma spent federal grant money in compliance with federal regulations.

The audit report covers more than $13 Billion of expenditures which are audited through a formula provided by the federal government. A majority of the $13 Billion came from COVID relief funds.

The most compelling information revealed in this audit is that COVID allowed the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) to establish a new set of rules for vendor contracts. SAI has determined these new rules are not in the best interest of Oklahoma taxpayers.

State Sen. Roger Thompson gives update on Senate’s new budget transparency efforts

Sen. Roger Thompson offers update on Senate’s budget transparency efforts

OKLAHOMA CITY (Feb. 29th) – Senate Appropriations Chairman Roger Thompson, R-Okemah, said the Oklahoma Legislature’s upper chamber is on its way toward making this year’s budget process more transparent than ever.

The public got its first glimpse at proposed state agency appropriations for the upcoming fiscal year in a Wednesday meeting of the Appropriations Committee. 

Lankford applauds launch of Federal Program Inventory spending database he worked to pass

Lankford Applauds Launch of His Effort to Stop Government Duplication and Wasteful Programs

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (February 20th) – After years of work on the Taxpayers Right-to-Know Act, Senator James Lankford (R-OK) applauded the public launch of the resource that will provide a federal inventory of programs provided by the federal government to ensure it is more transparent and accessible to the American people. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) launched the Federal Program Inventory (FPI) last week. 

Gov. Stitt calls Legislature back for special session on tax policy, budget transparency

Continued fallout from the disastrous McGirt Supreme Court decision now has a case before the Oklahoma Supreme Court that could result in tens of thousands of tribal citizens being exempt from the state income tax. Read this from NonDoc: Stroble case asks OK Supreme Court to decide income tax rules on reservations (here's a follow-up article as well). Gov. Stitt is callng a special session to address this potential, as well as exploring tax cuts and increased state budget transparency.

GOVERNOR STITT CALLS FOR SPECIAL SESSION ON TAX FAIRNESS, TAX CUTS FOR ALL OKLAHOMANS AND TRANSPARENCY IN BUDGET PROCESS

OKLAHOMA CITY (September 11, 2023) - Today, Governor Kevin Stitt announced he is calling a special session of the Oklahoma Legislature beginning October 3, 2023, to demand tax fairness for all Oklahomans, deliver a tax cut to Oklahoma taxpayers, and increase transparency in the state budget process.

Ethics Commission director resigns in protest over perpetual lack of funding

When it comes to oversight and accountability, there are few two agencies that Oklahoma's elected officials have traditionally disliked more -- and funded less -- than the Oklahoma Ethics Commission and the State Auditor & Inspector. With the former, years of legislative neglect (or outright hostility) have led to the resignation-in-protest by the Ethics Commission's executive director.

Rep. Brecheen, Sen. Budd demand answers after 2 young people commit suicide during taxpayer-funded transgender study

The entire "transgender" movement is such an insane denial of reality, and it's an abomination that taxpayer dollars are funding anything promoting it. That young people, who are literally being destroyed by those who should be protecting them, have committed suicide under the government's "watchful eye" studying this lunacy is beyond the pale.

Congressman Josh Brecheen, Senator Ted Budd Send Follow-Up Letter After NIH Fails to Answer for Suicides in Trans Study

Washington, D.C. (July 12th) – Congressman Josh Brecheen and Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) sent a follow-up letter to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) after the agency failed to respond to a May 2023 letter demanding answers after two young people committed suicide during an NIH-funded transgender study.

The taxpayer-funded study evaluated the psychosocial effects of cross-sex hormones on “transgender and nonbinary youth” and included children as young as 12-years-old.

AG Drummond announces personnel, tipline to ensure compliance with open government

Drummond announces personnel, tipline to ensure compliance with open government

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 17, 2023) – Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced today that former state senator Anthony Sykes has joined the Office of the Attorney General to serve as public access counselor. As an assistant attorney general, Sykes will work with state, county and municipal government agencies and commissions to ensure they strictly comply with the Open Meetings and Open Records Acts.

Bill to allow parents to review public school curriculum, materials online passes House subcommittee

This sounds like a fantastic idea.

Curriculum Transparency Portal Bill Passes Subcommittee

OKLAHOMA CITY (Feb. 14th) – A bill that would require the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) to create a website allowing parents and others to review and comment on curriculum, textbooks, and library materials used at their local schools passed the House Appropriations & Budget Subcommittee for Education on Monday.

Gann bill would prohibit government abuse of Non-Disclosure Agreements

Gann Bill Would Prohibit Abuse of Non-Disclosure Agreements

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola, this week filed a bill to prohibit the abuse of non-disclosure agreements, providing greater transparency in government.

House Bill 1378 would require businesses of any kind seeking state or local incentives to fully disclose who they are and what they do and also would prevent government officials from entering into non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).