Legislature To Discuss Health Emergency & Budget Shortfall

The state legislature will meet for the first time in weeks Monday. They’ll address the governor’s health emergency declaration, and try to fill a budget hole caused by COVID-19. 

State legislators will meet at 8 a.m. Monday morning and will likely work all day.  They have two goals. Either approve or oppose the governor’s emergency declaration and try to fill a roughly $416 million budget gap.

Back in 2004 in the wake of the 9-11 attacks the legislature developed certain guidelines giving the governor more flexibility to respond to a statewide emergency. This is the first time those guidelines have been triggered. 

The legislature is expected to approve them for 30-days.  

“The governor’s health emergency requires us to come into special session to either affirm that health emergency or terminate that health emergency. I am supportive of the health emergency and believe the governor does need those expanded authorities during these extraordinary times,” said Senator Greg Treat (R) President Pro Tempore.

Lawmakers are also expected to tap into the state’s $1.1 billion savings to shore up this year’s budget.

“What we don’t want to happen right now is for there to be some kind of a budget shortfall or a deficit during this crisis. We need one crisis at a time,” said Representative Jon Echols (R) Majority Floor Leader.

Here’s where it gets tricky. Lawmakers will have to vote using the social distancing standards set forth by the CDC.

“We’re going to try to have shifts of votes. We’re going to try to make sure that every question gets asked so you won’t see us moving as quickly as we normally do on opening and closing votes,” Treat said.

“We’ll be voting eight members at a time to make sure we always stay below that 10-person threshold. We’re trying to set a good example. If we ask the citizens of Oklahoma to do it, we need to do it too,” Echols said. “Last time the legislature met, it’s important to point out, we had a minimum of a five-person outbreak.”

The legislature will not take up the fiscal year 2021 budget next week. That could have a deficit of as much as $400 million.