Some items not counted
The World analysis looked exclusively at bills and joint resolutions that were filed with the secretary of state and signed or vetoed by Fallin. Simple resolutions, concurrent resolution and legislative actions that weren’t considered by Fallin were not counted.
State Rep. Gus Blackwell, R-Laverne, passed more pieces of legislation into law — 24 — than any other lawmaker. Fallin vetoed one of Blackwell’s bills.
That numerical success is a bit deceptive, Blackwell said.
As chairman of the House Administrative Rules and Government Oversight Committee, Blackwell is responsible for legislation dealing with so-called sunset provisions on state agencies, boards and commissions.
Those state entities have to re-justify their existence every few years, and a separate piece of legislation is required each time the Legislature decides to continue an agency’s existence.
Blackwell’s committee also has to consider any agency’s proposal to change administrative rules, especially those that raise fees. Each set of rules requires a separate piece of legislation.
All but two of Blackwell’s bills and resolutions involved either sunset consideration or administrative rules. While much of that legislation was relatively routine, Blackwell said, it involved a good deal of work and represents an important role of the Legislature.
“A sunset law makes sure the Legislature has continual oversight over every agency, board and commission,” Blackwell said. “Most of the time when government creates something, it exists forever. This is a way to make sure their function is still needed, and if not, to streamline government.”
Last year, the Legislature decided to eliminate three or four agencies, he said.
Annually, Blackwell’s committee also reviews a stack of administrative rules that goes from the floor to the ceiling, he said.
While the committee didn’t end up rejecting any of the rules submitted by state agencies this year, he said it was ready to overturn one controversial state Department of Education rule. That proposal would have taken education standards out of the rule-making process and bypass legislative oversight in the future.
Faced with opposition to the idea, the education department withdrew the proposal.
“It was going to be a pretty big fight,” Blackwell said. “They decided they didn’t want the bloodshed.”
Blackwell introduced 70 bills and joint resolutions, giving him a success rate of 34.3 percent.