Alva Review-Courier -

We just finished Week 6 of this legislative session, which is referred to as deadline week. This is the week when all legislation that originates in the House has to been passed by the full House of Representatives to stay alive this session. We heard 169 bills this past week alone, passing 390 bills total over to the Senate. Next, we’ll get about 435 Senate bills to consider.

Some legislation has already made it into law. The governor this week signed bills that will give him the ability to hire or fire agency directors at five of the state’s largest appropriated agencies. The governor and the Legislature also will have new appointment power over some of the members of the agencies’ governing boards. Taxpayers have told us they want to make sure the government is spending their money more efficiently and effectively. The hope is that this is a step in that direction.

Also on the accountability front, the House passed a measure that would result in the Office of Government Accountability. This office would hire 15 financial experts to conduct regular agency audits to evaluate agency budgets and programs. This will help lawmakers have a more accurate picture of where and how taxpayer dollars are being spent, so we can better adjust the state budget as needed.

The House voted to give public employees a $2,500 pay raise. This is on top of a modest raise given last year. Prior to this, it had been about 12 to 15 years since that they have received a pay increase. So, in essence, this is more of a cost-of-living (COLA) adjustment to equalize their pay with increased costs over the past decade or so.

Along the same line, the House ran a bill that would give state retirees a 4 percent COLA. These retirees – such as police or other law enforcement, firefighters, teachers, judicial workers and public employees – have not had a COLA in more than a decade even as health care and other living expenses have risen. This is needed. It will now be up to the Senate and the governor to decide if it passes. I still have concerns that we could slow the replenishment of our retirement systems, but analysis shows this will not greatly affect their solvency.

House Bill 2429 drew some debate on the House floor, but this bill would help us ensure the integrity of our state elections. This bill authorizes the secretary of the State Election Board to conduct a data validation of the voter registration database with other state or federal databases that contain information on the citizenship status of voters. Some of my colleagues on the left took great opposition at this, insisting that this was in somehow a racist measure or one that went against the many legal immigrants who came to our nation and gained citizenship. This measure is neither. It simply ensures that all people who vote are citizens of our state.

I also was pleased the House passed House Bill 2632, otherwise known as the Patient’s Right to Pharmacy Choice Act. This will help ensure our local pharmacy owners are treated the same as those owned by pharmacy benefit managers when it comes to offering the same low prices for prescriptions and communicating openly with their customers. This has not been the case in the past.

I hope everyone enjoys the beginning of Spring this week. Thanks again for allowing me to serve Northwest Oklahoma. Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or call me at 405-557-7339. May the Lord bless you and our great State.