Alva Review-Courier -

On Monday, May 4, members of the House and Senate returned to the Capitol to resume floor work on the 2020 legislative session. We still have a number of policy bills to address, executive nominations to complete, and we must finalize the 2021 fiscal budget, which will begin on July 1, 2020.

I shared the information presented to the State Board of Equalization last month – we’re facing significant reductions in revenue due to low energy prices and the economic impact of the pandemic. Unlike the federal government, Oklahoma has a constitutional requirement to write and pass a balanced budget. We must make some very difficult decisions moving forward in order to fulfill that mandate.

With our return to the building, the public is also allowed back inside to view the sessions in person if they wish with numerous safety measures are in place. Social distancing must be observed in the building. No large groups, tours or events will be taking place at this time, and meetings with members of the Legislature must be by appointment to further assist social distancing efforts. Staff from the OU Health Sciences Center will be conducting brief, non-invasive health screenings for those who wish to enter the building. Lobby areas for both the House and Senate will remain closed, though the visitors galleries will be open, though with social distancing.

Everyone in the building is encouraged to use masks, and cleaning crews will follow specific guidelines from the CDC for cleaning and disinfecting within the Capitol.

For those who wish to observe the session and committee meetings from home, livestreams will still be available, along with committee and floor agendas, bill status and other information on our website at http://www.oksenate.gov.

The governor announced last week that the state was now able to open up COVID-19 testing to any Oklahomans who want to be tested, even if they aren’t showing symptoms. This is important, because we know that individuals can carry the virus and infect others even though they may not exhibit symptoms, such as coughing, trouble breathing or fever. You can contact your own health care provider or call any of the county health departments offering drive-through testing – appointments are usually required. In Beaver County, call 580-625-3693; in Harper County, call 580-921-2029; Major County, 580-227-3362; Texas County, which also serves Cimarron County, 580-338-8544; in Woods County, 580-327-3192; and in Woodward County, which also serves Ellis and Dewey Counties, call 580-256-6416. If you still are having difficulty getting tested, please contact my office.

Finally, I wanted to update everyone on our national, state and local response rates to the U.S. Census. This is so important to you, your family, our communities, counties and our state. Billions of federal dollars for hospitals, schools, roads, water systems, nutrition programs and many more services are distributed based on population. If you don’t respond to the census, then all of those services will be underfunded for the next 10 years. We can’t afford to leave that money on the table, especially as we deal with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of May 2, the national average response rate was 56.3%, and for Oklahoma, it was 50.5%. Looking at the counties in Senate District 27:

Beaver County – 18.1%

Cimarron County – 10.2%

Dewey County – 20.1%

Ellis County – 25.3%

Harper County – 20.7%

Major County – 47.9%

Texas County – 35.0%

Woods County – 47.6%

Woodward County – 45.9%

Among local communities:

Boise City – 10.6%

Guymon – 47.8%

Beaver – 28.0%

Woodward – 50.0%

Shattuck – 29.3%

Fairview – 57.4%

Alva – 51.1%

Seiling – 9.8%

Buffalo – 22.6%

It only takes a few minutes to complete the census, and you can respond by mail, over the phone by calling 1-844-330-2020, or online at 2020census.gov. Please, let’s all do our part to make sure Oklahoma gets a full count this year.

It is my honor to serve you in the Oklahoma State Senate. You can reach me by calling 405-521-5626 or emailing [email protected].