New law gives Oklahoma’s Legislature a role in federal stimulus spending

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New law gives Oklahoma’s Legislature a role in federal stimulus spending

Sat, 05/08/2021 - 05:45
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May 5—A new law gives the Oklahoma Legislature some say in how state agencies, boards and commissions spend federal stimulus funds.

The law that had bipartisan support among legislative leaders prohibits state entities and offices within the executive branch from spending federal stimulus funds on long-term or recurring costs without legislative approval.

Gov. Kevin Stitt allowed HB 2932 to become law Monday without his signature, the first piece of legislation he declined to act on this year. The governor’s office did not respond Tuesday to a request for comment.

Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, who coauthored the legislation from House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, previously said he believes the Stitt administration will be welcoming to legislative input in the future.

The legislation comes after state lawmakers expressed angst last year about Stitt’s office being in charge of directing how the state would spend $1.26 billion in coronavirus relief funds. Typically, lawmakers are tasked with appropriating state funds, but oversight of CARES Act funds was largely left to the executive branch because of how the federal legislation was written.

The CARES Act, “did not allow for direct participation by the Legislature, which is directly responsible for funding many of the agencies which received and utilized much of these relief funds,” HB 2932 says.

Specifically, the law states government entities will have to seek the Legislature’s approval to use federal funds “in a manner that will or that will be likely to increase the demand for state-appropriated funds.”

Earlier this year, a legislative watchdog office criticized the Stitt administration’s handling of CARES Act funds, and warned some of those funds could be subject to federal claw back provisions. The governor’s administration has defended its spending decisions and said there’s documentation to detail how every dollar was spent.

“Setting aside the LOFT report that has already shown several examples of undocumented, questionable spending from the executive branch, the Legislature is the branch of government closest to the people and should absolutely be involved in how these dollars are spent with ample input from the public,” said House Minority Leader Emily Virgin, D-Norman.

Although Stitt formed a bipartisan task force of lawmakers to vet CARES Act projects, the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency report indicated legislative involvement in spending decisions was limited.