Alva Review-Courier -

The holidays are behind us now, and the new year has begun. I wish each of you health and happiness throughout 2020.

As we get closer to the start of the new legislative session in February, I’ve continued holding town hall meetings throughout the district. I want to express my sincere thanks to those who have taken the time to attend to share your views and ask questions about not only the legislation we considered during the 2019 session but the proposed legislation and issues that will likely take center stage in 2020.

Currently, my fellow members and I are working with staff to complete the process of writing and filing legislation that will be heard when we reconvene on Feb. 3. As these measures begin moving through the committee process and toward the floor for votes by the full Senate, I’ll update you on those bills that could have the greatest impact on northwestern Oklahoma in particular.

One area that will impact not only District 27 but all of Oklahoma is the budget. As legislators, writing and passing a balanced budget is without a doubt the most important responsibility we’re given under Oklahoma’s Constitution. When you think about it, it affects every single man, woman and child in our state. The budget determines the quality of our schools, our transportation infrastructure, public safety, health, mental health and scores of other programs.

Just before Christmas, the State Board of Equalization met to make its initial certification as to how much money would be available to appropriate in the next budget year. The results were not really a surprise. National and state data had already confirmed that the economy has been slowing over these past months, largely due to lower than projected oil and gas prices The figures voted on by the Equalization Board indicated Oklahoma would basically result in a flat budget for Fiscal Year 2021 – they certified more than $8.3 billion for FY ’21, which represents an increase of nearly $9.4 million, a difference of 0.1 percent.

Any growth is a positive, but it is important to note that even before we begin the process of making appropriations to state agencies, we are facing some $200 million in obligations that must be met including ad valorem reimbursement for schools, increased costs for teacher health care benefits and the bond debt on the Capitol.

Nevertheless, we will continue to prioritize services, programs and available resources while continuing to work diligently to identify efficiencies, eliminate waste and duplication. At the end of the session, we’ll have provided the funding to ensure the services our citizens depend on and approved public policy that will strengthen our state for years to come.

This is your State Capitol, and I look forward to welcoming you to the Senate. You can reach me by calling 405-521-5626 or emailing [email protected].