This was a deadline week for the state Legislature. All bills had to advance out of their chamber of origin in order to stay alive this session. The House passed 440 measures over to the state Senate, and will receive321measures from that chamber to consider.
The next month will be devoted to hearing Senate bills, first in committee and then on the House floor.
One of the bills I was able to send over the Senate this week was House Bill 1664, which would allow a board of county commissioners to attend conferences, trainings, press and social events, and proceedings of the Legislature, even if a quorum is present, provided that no official action is taken. Sometimes these boards are so small, it only makes sense to allow this.
For counties with a budget board, county commissioners and other elected officials would be allowed to discuss budgetary matters provided that a quorum of the county budget board is not present and no official action is taken.
Additionally,themeasurewould allowtheIndependentLivingCouncil to conduct meetings and executive sessions via videoconferencing. All members of the council must be audible and visible, and meeting notices must identify which members will be appearing remotely and which will be physically present. Any documents provided to the members for the regular meeting must be made immediately available to the public. Lastly, any votes taken during a videoconferencing meeting must be recorded by a roll call vote.
This measure was supported by the Oklahoma Press Association.
Also this week, the House updated budget numbers in its online transparency portal, detailing the House position on how the FY26 budget should be crafted.
The portal, known as Budget HQ, was created in 2024 in an effort to bring transparency to the state budgeting process both for the full House membership and the public. The numbers are a starting point for negotiations with the Senate and governor over the FY26 budget.
House budget leaders have been working with the Senate and governor to determine areas on the budget where we agree and where we differ. The one constitutional requirement of the state Legislature is that we achieve a balanced budget each year. We have until May 30 to do that this year. We’re hopeful we can accomplish this task before then.
On that front, we got some good news in the state this week as our credit rating was upgraded to AA+ fromAA-andfromstabletopositive, by S&P Global Ratings. We were noted for our disciplined financial management and our consistently positive financial results. It shows our dedication to funding pension liabilities and responsibly maintaining healthy reserve balances to cushion against potential economic uncertainty.
Remember, if I can help you with anything, please do not hesitate to reach out: (405) 557-7383 or Josh. Cantrell@OKHouse.gov.
Josh Cantrell serves District 49 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes Love County and parts of Carter and Marshall counties.