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Cantrell
We spent the week finishing hearing Senate bills on the House floor. In total, the House passed 231 Senate bills. On Tuesday, the Governor signed 42 bills into law, including House Bill 3762.
HB3762 allows counties in a multi-county library system to seek a review of the system’s budget and estimated needs with a 2/3 vote from all participating county commissioners’ boards. The executive director or accounting lead is tasked with providing the requested data. The review site must be mutually agreed upon or based in the county with the highest funding contribution.
This week, House Bill 3761 and House Bill 3763 reached the Governor’s desk for consideration. When the Governor receives a bill, he can either sign it and make it a law, veto it and send it back to the Legislature, or do nothing. If he doesn’t do anything for five days during the legislative session, the bill becomes law without his signature.
Another measure the Governor signed is Senate Bill 518, which I am a co-author of. It adds a $750 fee for filing an initiative petition and extends the protest period for petitions from 10 to 90. The intention behind these changes is to ensure thatindividualshaveadequatetime to deliberate and make informed decisions, enhancing the fairness and reliability of the initiative process. As deadline week wraps up, we’re preparing to focus on the state budget. Last week, Speaker McCall and Chairman Wallace announced their proposal for the FY25 budget, which is about $12.63 billion. The House worked closely with agency heads for several months, making the budget reflect our constituent’s needs.
This year, the Senate has adjusted its budget process, adopting a model that closely resembles the one utilized by the House for several years. Despite some initial delays due to timing, progress is underway. In our commitment to transparency, the House has launched a user-friendly Budget Transparency Portal, accessible on the House website (okhouse. gov). This portal provides real-time updates on budget negotiations and developments.
Looking ahead, we have until the last Friday in May to present a general appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2025 to the Governor’s desk, with the fiscal year commencing on July 1. I will continue to provide updates on any significant developments as they unfold.
Again, thank you for electing me to serve District 49. It is truly an honor and privilege to represent you at the State Capitol. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any concerns at 405-557-7383 or josh. cantrell@okhouse.gov.
Rep.JoshCantrell,aRepublican, serves District 49 Oklahoma House of Representatives, which covers Carter, Love and Marshall counties.