20 resolutions, 411 bills OK’D by Fallin
The books are closed for the year — the law books, that is.
With Gov. Mary Fallin’s veto of Senate Bill 954 on Thursday, the fate of the final pending piece of 2013 Oklahoma legislation was determined. were either appropriations bills or budget limitation bills.
“No budget is perfect. I would have loved to see more money go to common education, but we had to fund the other core functions of government,” Jolley said. “I’m very proud of the budget we came up with.”
Jolley said he also is proud of Senate Bill 847, which creates a state pension stabilization fund.
In years when state revenues exceed the amount certified for legislative appropriation and the constitutional limits of the state’s “rainy day” fund, the excess funds will go into the fund to help deal with the state’s $11 billion unfunded pension liability.
“That could make a huge difference over time,” Jolley said.
Jolley introduced 51 bills and joint resolutions, meaning he had a success rate of 35.3 percent.
Anderson gets 2 vetoes
On May 6, Fallin vetoed two bills written by Sen. Patrick Anderson, R-Enid, making him the only lawmaker with more than one veto in 2013.
Anderson’s Senate Bill 101 would have created a state task force on state services for adults with Asperger’s syndrome and autism.
In a veto message, Fallin said the proposed task force would duplicate efforts of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Panel for Developmental Disabilities, which she created in March.
Anderson’s Senate Bill 1111 would have created a special fund to reduce unfunded pension liabilities.
In her veto message on that bill, Fallin said the fund was a good idea in theory, but the legislation did not provide a revenue source, so it would not “truly impact the state’s unfunded pension liability.”
She said she preferred the solution in Jolley’s SB 847, which she signed the same day she vetoed Anderson’s proposal.
Anderson and Fallin have had a semipublic feud since November.
He has complained the governor has refused to take his calls or meet with his constituents concerning the planned closing of the Northern Oklahoma Resource Center, a state care center for people with developmental disabilities. The facility is located in Anderson’s district.
After Anderson issued a news release chiding Fallin for her tepid response to “Obamacare,” senior members of the governor’s staff discussed refusing any meetings with the Enid senator, according to emails obtained by the Tulsa World.
Fallin signed five other Anderson bills into law. Anderson introduced 99 bills and joint resolutions this year, meaning he had a success rate of 5.1 percent.