House and Senate spar over budget

“Budget talks” are the main focus at 23rd and Lincoln this week.

House and Senate budget teams met with the governor’s staff on Monday attempting to reach some resolve in the budget negotiations.

House leaders and the governor are still calling for an income tax cut, but Senate leadership has not budged.

There was some agreement on education figures during the meeting, and both sides said they would support the governor’s call for a $45 million appropriation to fund emergency management operations to clean up from several tornadoes that damaged various areas of the state recently. Those were positives, but there’s still a long way to go toward consensus.

It looks like the Senate now plans to hold Appropriations subcommittee meetings to determine their stance on other areas of the budget.

We have just over three weeks to go before the Legislature is constitutionally required to sine die, so here’s hoping a budget agreement can be reached soon.

We are still hearing a few bills that made their way back across the rotunda with Senate amendments. The House must vote to accept or reject these. If we don’t accept their amendments, a bill’s author can request the legislation be sent to conference committee to iron out final details.

If members of conference committee agree to final language, the bill returns to both chambers for fourth reading and final passage. Many bills die in this process, but some make it through to be signed into law. It’s always worth a shot to try to save good legislation.

Last week, Mike Sanders, the director of the state Broadband Office, addressed our Rural Caucus about where we stand with funding on getting high-speed internet to most every rural address in Oklahoma. I was pleased to hear that approximately $16 million has been allocated to Latimer County for the connection of 1,318 homes and business. Pittsburg County is receiving approximately $8.2 million to connect 685 homes and businesses. This is just the first round of funding. It is time we get rural Oklahoma on equal footing with our city counterparts as far as broadband access.

As always, thank You for allowing me to serve you. I can be reached at (405) 557-7381 or by email at jim.grego@ okhouse.gov.

Jim Grego serves District 17 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes Latimer County and part and Pittsburg County.