Sensing the coming storm

Many Oklahomans have learned over the years to predict stormy spring weather. During the early afternoon hours prior to an evening outbreak, we can sense impending storms by the atmosphere, humidity, color of the sky or the heaviness in the air.

A few years of experience with the Legislature allows one to predict upcoming legislative storms. During the middle part of May, the experienced observer can walk through the Capitol and almost immediately sense the rising tension which occurs every year in late May as the legislative session comes to a close.

During this time, the building’s fourth floor open area becomes gripped by paranoia as lobbyists cluster in groups between the House and Senate chambers. These lobbyists are playing a dramatic game of legislative chess.

Some are desperately strategizing how to insert new law into an existing bill. By this point in the session, the number of existing bills has significantly decreased and a bill germaine to the subject matter being advanced by the lobbyists acquires a high premium. Experienced lobbyists are experts at identifying these valuable legislative vehicles and convincing legislators to insert their proposed language. Those who are especially manipulative will prey on new legislators who are unaware of the true impact of the proposal but are flattered to be included in the importance of last-minute legislative action. Of course, it is reasonable to question the motive of those who would wait until this late into the session to propose a new law. It is much harder to vet an idea only a few days prior to adjournment, as opposed to having an entire session of deliberation.

Other lobbyists are playing a game of defense. They are working hard to catch any last-minute attempt to change the status quo and get the word out about impending efforts to harm their interests.

The lobbyists quietly strategizing and huddled together in groups all across the fourth floor creates an eerie atmosphere that is unique to mid-May.

During the last week of session, all of this changes as the quiet strategizing gives way to a vigorous storm of legislative activity. The proposals secretly composed during the previous two weeks are brought to the floor for final legislative action during marathon sessions of the House and Senate, which leaves legislators exhausted and Oklahoma taxpayers at great risk.

As the week comes to a close, the exhausted legislators are anxious to go home and many are in no mood to provide deliberative consideration to the many bills that stand in the way of adjournment.

Coincidentally, mid-May is the time of the year when both types of impending storms may occur at the same time. I once observed this phenomena. As I left my office and walked through the fourth floor rotunda, I could clearly sense the impending legislative storm that would soon occur. The normal hustle of the building had subsided and I could see the groups of Oklahoma’s powerful lobbyists huddled together.

As I stepped outside, I could sense that severe weather would fire up by nightfall and knew that either inside and outside the building, I wouldn’t escape the inevitable storm.

Whenever a legislative session progresses into the last weeks of May, taxpayers should consider this as their severe weather warning.

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