A Classic Example

Monday on the House Floor we spent the entire morning debating HB 2388 by Rep. Guy Liebman. The measure is a classic example of an idea that went viral. What started out as one of those funny emails that said “why should I have to take a drug test to earn money at my job and people don’t have to take a drug test to get welfare?” That simple statement was emailed and facebooked across the nation and it has kind of grown it’s own legs because now it’s a good possibility that it may become law. The democrat amendment to the bill was also a classic “gotcha” move which said that all candidates for state and local office would have to take a drug test, which nobody seemed to mind. It was an interesting discussion. The bill passed 82-6 and is now on its way to the Senate. Some other issues that have been discussed in the House of Representatives this week include:

House Votes to Fund Bridge Repair, Increase Safety.
State lawmakers have voted to dramatically reduce the backlog of bridges needing repair or replacement in Oklahoma.
House Bill 2248 would increase road funding in the coming fiscal year. Current law calls for an annual increase of $37.5 million in road funding. House Bill 2248 would hike that amount to $56.7 million, directing an additional $19.2 million to the Rebuilding Oklahoma Access and Driver Safety Fund.
The bill directs that the fund continue receiving an additional $56.7 million each year until the total increase equals $550 million.
House Bill 2249 would direct 16 percent of vehicle licensing fees and penalties to the County Improvements for Roads and Bridges Fund, and increases that amount to 20 percent by 2013.
The CIRB program is currently funded with 15 percent of the motor vehicle taxes and fees. House Bill 2249 would increase the estimated annual funding for the CIRB program from approximately $80 million to more than $105 million.
Currently, 706 of nearly 6,800 bridges on the state highway system are identified as structurally deficient. Of the 706 bridges, 413 are currently scheduled to be replaced in the next seven years, but 293 remain unfunded. Many of those bridges will be replaced if House Bill 2249 becomes law.
The two bills are part of Gov. Mary Fallin’s announced transportation agenda for the 2012 session.
House Bill 2248 passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives on an 86-2 vote.
House Bill 2249 passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives on an 89-1 vote.
Both bills now proceed to the state Senate.

House Approves Law Enforcement Pension Reforms.
Lawmakers have voted to put the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Retirement System on a path to long-term stability.

House Bill 2952 increases both the state and employee contributions to the OLERS plan by 1 percentage point apiece. The combined impact of those changes will provide an extra $1.42 million to the system annually.
OLERS employee contributions, as well as the employer contributions, have not been increased since the early 1980s.
The legislation also eliminates “half-based pay” for new employees. That practice allows a retiring member to use a higher base salary when calculating the final retirement benefits. Moreover, pay raises authorized for active members automatically produce a COLA of half the amount for retirees. As a result, “half-based pay” produces a special benefit unique and more generous than what occurs in all other systems.
Under House Bill 2952, benefits for all new members of the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Retirement System will be calculated using the same formula as members of other state pension plans: years of service, actual pay and the pre-determined multiplier.
As recently as 2001, the OLERS system was more than 100-percent funded. However, since that time its financial status has continually deteriorated.
Currently, the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Retirement System is 75-percent funded, and its financial standing is expected to continue to decline if no changes are made. Under House Bill 2952, the system will be 96-percent funded within 30 years.
House Bill 2952 passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives on an 84-3 vote. It now proceeds to the state Senate.

Open Carry Bill Gains House Approval.
Oklahomans may soon have the right to openly carry a firearm under legislation approved by the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
House Bill 2522 would allow any individual who obtains a license to carry a firearm under the Oklahoma Self Defense Act to carry the weapon either openly or concealed.
Under the bill, the lawful open carrying of a handgun pursuant to the Oklahoma Self Defense Act could not be designated by any municipality or other political subdivision as disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace or a similar offense against public order.
House Bill 2522 passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives on an 85-9 vote and now proceeds to the state Senate.

If you would like to contact me at the Capitol, feel free to call 1-800-522-8502 or email me at donarmes@okhouse.gov

And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:
If you don’t like how things are done, change it. You’re not a tree.-Jim Rohn