February 11, 2020 With the first week of session and the Governor’s State of the State address under our belts, the 57th Oklahoma Legislature’s second regular session is underway.
I’m still going over the details of the Governor’s budget proposal and changes he’d like to see take place in our state government. Overall, I’m encouraged by his commitment to modernize state government and cut red tape. There are so many services and programs that need to be updated, made more efficient and cost effective.
I’m looking forward to partnering with the Governor on lowering regulatory barriers and creating a government that allows for more economic growth, job creation and that is responsive to taxpayers. We need to help our businesses grow, not over burden them with unnecessary regulations.
This week, we have a full schedule of committee meetings both in the mornings and after session each day. Again, you can watch all committee meetings and floor proceedings live on our website.
All of my bills have been assigned so they’ll start being scheduled. You can find the committee schedule on our site and sign up for email updates. Our staff also sends out meeting notices on Twitter @OKSENATEINFO as well as press releases and other important information.
In closing, I want to remind everyone to be on the lookout for your Census form. The Census will be taking place in April, but they are hiring part-time employees now for anyone interested. It’s estimated that Oklahoma lost over $1 billion in federal funding because of low participation in the 2010 Census. This affects all of us – our communities, our roads, our schools, our healthcare, everything. Not only federal funding based on the results of our states’ Census results but so is our congressional representation and companies use Census data when deciding where to relocate or open new business locations.
Please visit www.census. gov to learn more about how your participation will impact the state, how to apply for a Census job or find any other Census information.
At the State Senate, I can be reached by writing to Senator Chris Kidd, State Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd. Room 420, Oklahoma City, OK 73105, emailing me at kidd@ oksenate.gov, or by calling (405) 521-5563 and speaking to my assistant Suzanne Earnest.
MAKE IT COUNT OKLAHOMA! Census Day is April 1 and Oklahoma needs a full count. An undercount in the census of just 2 percent can cost the state $1.8 billion in lost federal money over the next 10 years. Fill out your census form, Oklahoma. Learn more at: www.2020census.gov.