Not long after both chambers of the Legislature passed a balanced budget and adjourned in May, the governor called the Senate into a June special session to confirm his new appointee to the Oklahoma State University Board of Regents. Shortly after the Senate began the special session, the governor rescinded his appointment and nominated a local attorney to serve on the OSU Board of Regents instead. Oklahoma’s Constitution gives the Senate the authority to “advise and consent” on many of the governor’s appointees to various positions within state government.
Vetting each nominee is a job my fellow senators and I take seriously. We review each appointee’s qualifications and get to know them before we take a confirmation vote in committee and then as a full chamber. This is a rigorous process, and not all nominees are confirmed. In the spring, the Senate confirmed more than 140 nominees — or the vast majority of the people the governor appointed to positions within state government. When the Senate reconvenes the special session on July 15, the Senate Education Committee will hear from the governor’s appointee and vote on her confirmation. If her nomination advances, I expect the full Senate will also vote on her confirmation and adjourn the special session the same day.
The Senate is gearing up to hold interim studies through the late summer and fall so senators can dig into complex policy topics like transportation funding, supply and demand for affordable housing in Oklahoma, regulating social media to protect kids and cutting red tape to help entrepreneurs and small businesses flourish. Inviting local and national experts to discuss these issues and others helps inform us as we consider what legislation to file next year.
The state budget for the current fiscal year took effect July 1. As chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I’ve already started working on the next budget by touring state agencies to discuss their financial needs and budget efficiencies. Agencies have until October to submit their budget requests for the upcoming fiscal year. Then the budget process will ramp up as Senate fiscal staff and I delve into the dollars and cents at each agency.
I also serve on the Oversight Committee for the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency, or LOFT, a nonpartisan agency that digs into state finances and makes fiscal policy recommendations. The committee met in June to hear a report about federal funding for K-12 schools. The committee will meet again in August to discuss a LOFT report reviewing the Oklahoma Health Care Authority’s funding sources.
I have been honored to serve in Senate leadership this year. Even though the Senate is entering a time of transition, my leadership duties remain unchanged. Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat will leave office in November, which means the Senate Republican caucus will soon elect a new leader for the Legislature’s upper chamber. In the meantime, the Senate is operating like usual because the president pro tempore leads the chamber year-round, not just during legislative sessions. My caucus will elect a new leader when we reconvene for the special session to ensure a smooth transition between now and November.
As always, it’s an honor and a privilege to serve the people of Senate District 20.
Please feel free to contact my Capitol office with any questions or concerns you may have about legislation or other issues impacting our state at 405-521-5628 or email Chuck.Hall@oksenate.gov.
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