This week was very busy hearing Senate bills on the House floor. The coming week will be even busier. We have until May 8 to pass measures from the opposite chamber. Those that were amended must return to their chamber of origin for final consideration. Those unamended are sent straight to the governor for his consideration of signing them into law.
I passed several bills this week that now sit on the governor’s desk.
Senate Bill 403 would allow county purchasing agents to select the next lowest bidder in certain cases if the original bidder is unable to fulfill an awarded contract.
Sometimes, a bidder may win a contract with the county, but by the time the bidding cycle is over, they can no longer provide the goods or services. The new bidder would have to agree to complete the work at or below the original bid price.
This would save counties from having to spend 45 to 60 days to put out for another bid. Everything a commissioner does is time-sensitive for the benefit of the residents of the county. This bill would allow us to complete road and other projects in a much more timely manner.
Senate Bill 405 would authorize the board of county commissioners to work with ambulance service districts to minimize costs for the entities and the people they represent.
Both of these bills passed unanimously in the House. lso this week, legislators heard from the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) about the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Concerns about the department’s financials arose earlier this year, so House leadership formed a select committee to dig into the issues. We’ve held three meetings now talking to the new director and others to see if we can determine why the department is suddenly in need of supplemental funding and why existing contracts for services were canceled.
This week, we learned from LOFT that the agency has longstanding issues with the proper accounting of funds. LOFT shows a shortfall of $33.6 million with at least $27.4 million of that unexplained. The agency is in process of identifying available funds through a budget review. In the meantime, the department has asked for a $6.2 million supplement to finish the current fiscal year.
We’ll continue investigating to make sure we have answers about thespendingoftaxpayerdollarsand to chart a better and more transparent path forward for this agency.
Working groups under the Joint Committee for Pandemic Relief Funding held public meetings this week to get project updates and to ensure spending is on track for the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding that was appropriated several years ago.
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.