A Little Under the Weather in OKC

Capitol Considerations 

by Senator Micheal Bergstrom

Other than the two-plus hours I spent on the Senate floor, in caucus, and in a meeting in my office on Monday, I was in bed in my apartment near the Capitol trying to recover from whatever the crud is that has me down.

I didn’t have much to say during caucus or on the floor, partly because I was trying to avoid contact with other members to avoid passing this on, and also because I was trying to save my voice for the meeting in my office.

I’m a little under the weather.

It would seem that the State of Oklahoma is as well.

Now if you listen to some, the State is not just sick but practically in a state of decomposition.

Admittedly we have some issues, but a lot of the comments about the state’s condition are overkill.

Some of our issues:

First, the Governor vetoed, using a very creative line item veto, the amended budget we sent her at the end of the first special session. This has resulted in some serious issues. We had gone into special session with the express purpose of restoring funding to three agencies, Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA), Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS), and the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS), which were stripped of much of that money. The CIRB fund (County Improvements for Roads and Bridges) had an extra $50 million swept from its revolving fund on top of the $30 million the legislature intended to use, and about $48 million in revenue from legacy wells was left undirected, not being used.

So, we must find a way to immediately restore funding to agencies like OKDHS and deal with some of the numerous other issues created by the veto, and do it this week. Eventually we need to restore the CIRB funding.

To give credit where credit is due; for weeks the Republican leadership has been meeting with the Governor, with leadership from the minority party, and with business and industry leaders to find a long-term solution to our budget issues. They seem to be making some progress. But that won’t be ready until probably January.

Moving onto the next issue. The Department of Health was using inappropriate, if not illegal, bookkeeping to hide its financial condition from the legislature and the Governor. This is being investigated. Hopefully it will be made right soon.

Remember the meeting I mentioned earlier? That was with Director of Corrections, Joe Allbaugh. Another issue is that our prisons are definitely sick.

Let’s see, serious overcrowding, dilapidated prisons like McAlester where we spend $41,000 per year on each inmate, and contraband like drugs and cellphones flooding the prisons, putting the guards and the inmates’ lives at risk. It still boggles the mind that we have prisons without fences around them, so prisoners just walk away from time to time. Director Allbaugh assured me that’s an issue he’s aiming to correct.

The director and I were able to discuss some common sense solutions to issues as well as legislation I am working on. It reminded me of the disease that is weakening our state. It might be called “catchup-itis.” You know, where we are constantly trying to catch up, to repair that which should have been replaced long ago, where the efficiencies we expected a decade ago might be instituted sometime in the future, and where the state finds itself being financially strangled by poorly planned and projected tax credits and rebates, that only get dealt with when it’s almost too late.

A few more days of mostly sleeping and I hope to be right as rain.

When we will actually take on the illness plaguing the State of Oklahoma? That, I don’t know, but hopefully soon.

I welcome your questions and concerns, so please feel free to contact my office at the State Capitol if you would like to discuss a particular issue or problem. Our office can be reached by phone at 405-521-5561 or by email at bergstrom@oksenate.gov. If you visit the Capitol, we are located in Room 527A.

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Statesmanship Please: Fixing the budget hole

Oklahoma State Senate

Senator Micheal Bergstrom

Senate District 1

November 7, 2017

Statesmanship Please
Capitol Considerations by Senator Micheal Bergstrom

What should have been an opportunity for statesmanship has spiraled into a comedy of politics. The Senate, once again, is trying to fix that.

After the Oklahoma Supreme Court overturned the cigarette fee that was passed by the legislature last session, the state found itself in a $215 million budget hole with three agencies (Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, the Oklahoma Healthcare Authority and the Department of Human Services) facing a more than $70 million budget shortfall each.

The governor called the legislature into special session not only to fill the shortfall but to tackle other issues including a teacher raise, sales tax on commercial vehicles, and ways to avoid future budget failures.

Okay.

Next the governor laid out a “Grand Bargain” with a myriad of tax increases while offering no real efficiencies or spending cuts.

It was a disaster.

After weeks of negotiations, the House and Senate leadership came up with what has been termed the “A-plus Budget Proposal,” which includes a $1.50 tax increase on cigarettes as well as increased taxes on other tobacco products, a six cent per gallon increase on motor fuels, a raising of the gross production tax (GPT) on oil and gas from two to four percent. There are also budget cuts for many agencies in the package.

The House asked the Senate to request the House run the package, which includes teacher pay raises next year.

The Senate passed a resolution requesting the House run the package.

Following an interesting round of musical chairs in its JCAB (House Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget), where multiple members walked the vote (walked away and didn’t vote) and nearly all Democrats voted nay, the House failed to pass the revenue bill out of committee.

The Department of Human Services (DHS) announced that the budget failure will force them to discontinue programs that help keep the elderly and those with developmental disabilities in their homes, and it has been discovered that the Department of Health has basically been running two sets of books and deceiving everyone about its fiscal condition. It now needs another $30 million.

So what happened next?

The House offered proposals that will use all of the state’s emergency funds and will leave us with a more than $600 million hole to fill in the next budget. It also doesn’t fix the funding issue at the Health Department.

We, in the Senate, decided to act like statesmen and stateswomen.

Despite the fact that many of us have issues with various aspects of the A-plus plan, we amended a bill the House had sent us previously with the language of the A-plus revenue bill with a truly bipartisan vote and we sent it back to the House asking them to put it up on the board and vote on it.

As I write this afternoon, the House has run the original bill in their JCAB committee earlier and voted 19-6 to put it up for a vote on the floor. I hope that is what happens.

       I welcome your questions and concerns, so please feel free to contact my office at the State Capitol if you would like to discuss a particular issue or problem.  Our office can be reached by phone at 405-521-5561 or by email at bergstrom@oksenate.gov.   If you visit the Capitol, we are located in Room 527A.

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Supreme Court Strikes Down Electric Vehicle Fee

Senator Bergstrom issues statement on Supreme Court’s ruling on electric, hybrid vehicle tax

On Tuesday, the Oklahoma Supreme Court struck down, in a 6-3 decision, a fee that would have been charged to drivers of electric and hybrid vehicles, declaring it an unconstitutional tax.

Senator Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair, agrees with the court’s decision.

“The Oklahoma Supreme Court made the right decision here,” said Bergstrom, “but it will cut this year's revenue by about another $400,000, which probably means more cuts in the budget.”

Bergstrom argues that since the legislation was clearly intended to replace revenue with the $100 fee on electric vehicles and $30 on hybrids, it should have required the same 75 percent support in both the House of Representatives and the Senate as required by the state constitution (as amended by the voters in 1992 with State Question 640) for tax increases.

“Those who drive electric vehicles on Oklahoma roads should help pay to maintain those roads, but they don’t since they do not pay fuel taxes like everyone else,” Bergstrom said. “However, this bill should have been passed as a tax and not as a fee.”

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More To Governing Than Just Raising Taxes

Capitol Considerations 

by Senator Micheal Bergstrom

           

       There is more to governing than just raising taxes.

Now don't misunderstand me, Oklahoma has to pay its bills, but just opening the tax spigot is not the answer.

Recent press reports revealed that Governor Fallin presented the state's legislators her grand bargain, a package of more than $560 million in new taxes so the state can pay its bills.  It is neither grand nor a bargain. It also does not align with her stated goals in her call of the legislature into special session.

(The special session was recessed after three days and, hopefully, will only be returning when there is a realistic proposal for legislators to vote on, which means the cost to taxpayers is also on hold.)

In the governor's call, she wanted to address "the immediate budget shortfall created by the loss of the $215 million cigarette fee revenue" due to a state supreme court decision overturning the fee. She called for long-term solutions for future budget shortfalls, "consolidation and other efficiencies in all areas of state government," a revision of the 1.25 percent sales tax on commercial vehicles, and a teacher pay raise.

All excellent objectives. So how did the grand bargain address those matters?

Her plan called for taxing all forms of tobacco at higher rates, increasing the initial gross production tax (GPT) on new wells from 2 percent to 5 percent, raising the income tax rate on those earning $250,000 or more, raising motor fuel taxes six cents a gallon, taxing a variety of "luxury services," and eliminating the wind manufacturer tax exemption.

Almost all of these taxes require a 75 percent vote in both houses to pass.

And by the way, for those who see raising the GPT as the salvation for our budget, raising it to 5 percent adds just over $21 million to the state's coffers and taking it all the way to 7 percent would only yield about $35 million. It is not the panacea many are claiming it to be.

Still, it would seem that the governor's long-term solution for future budget shortfalls is to raise taxes. The only efficiency in her plan is a down the road forced consolidation of the administrations of smaller schools throughout the state.

Where are the "efficiencies in all areas of state government"?

Yes, we need to pay our bills, but this plan is not the solution.

       I welcome your questions and concerns, so please feel free to contact my office at the State Capitol if you would like to discuss a particular issue or problem.  Our office can be reached by phone at 405-521-5561 or by email at bergstrom@oksenate.gov.   If you visit the Capitol, we are located in Room 527A.

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Is Everyone Feeling Special?

Capitol Considerations 

by Senator Micheal Bergstrom

           

       The special session has set sail.

The question is, will this ship accomplish its mission, or be so tossed and battered by the storms of political squabbling that it returns to port with nothing in its holds?

On Monday, the Governor of the Great State of Oklahoma had the legislature convene for an extraordinary session to deal with the $215 million budget shortfall created by the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the cigarette fee. (A good decision, by the way.) She also requested that we deal with inefficiencies in state government, clarify exemptions on the new 1.25 percent sales tax on vehicles, come up with the money for a teacher pay raise, and work on solutions to problems in the budgeting process.

On Wednesday we recessed until further notice with nothing to show for our efforts.

Well, that’s not entirely true. While many are complaining about the money being spent on the special session, the first two days were necessary and expected to be uneventful. Oklahoma’s constitution does not allow the legislature to vote on bills during the first two days of session. So now those days are out of the way.

Anything else to report?

Not much.

I have filed two bills for this session. The first is a soft cap on the payouts for wind generation tax credits. That is, electricity produced from zero-emission facilities. The cap begins at $50 million for the first two years and gradually steps up in the following years until the credit is paid in full. In other words, if there are $75 million in credits claimed during those years, they would receive 67 percent of the claim, and then use the remaining credit in future years.

This limits the state’s liability so we can budget without fear of surprises (since it is possible for claims to exceed $100 million a year), yet still pay over time the full amount of credits promised the wind industry.

The second bill cuts by 25 percent, for two years, many business tax credits.

Both bills are works in progress, but the idea is to help us fund necessary government services while keeping the budget in check, at least a little.

Other bills have been filed that I am hoping leadership will consider in order to try to get the budget even more under control. Next regular session I hope we will be returning to line item budgeting to force department heads to make cuts that are appropriate, and not the ones that cause pain to the state’s citizens.

Hopefully common sense will prevail during this session.

      I welcome your questions and concerns, so please feel free to contact my office at the State Capitol if you would like to discuss a particular issue or problem.  Our office can be reached by phone at 405-521-5561 or by email at bergstrom@oksenate.gov.   If you visit the Capitol, we are located in Room 527A.

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Budgets are an issue, Federal and State

Capitol Considerations 

by Senator Micheal Bergstrom

           

           Budgets.

           I’m spending a lot of time looking at budgets.

           Here in Oklahoma there is the state budget, which must now be balanced since the Oklahoma Supreme Court has overturned the cigarette fee that was passed during the last legislative session. It is a $215 million hole, and it is a hole in funding to three agencies, which, when we consider the loss of matching federal funds, will result in a $500 million budget failure.

           For those agencies, Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA), Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS), and the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) and for the Oklahomans these agencies serve, this will be a devastating shortfall if not corrected. That is why we will be returning for a special session on September 25.

           I have also been looking at the federal budget.

            From September 12-15, I was in Phoenix, Arizona attending the Balanced Budget Amendment (BBA) Planning Convention as a delegate. This gathering prepared the rules and guidelines for a future Article V Convention of the States for proposing an amendment.

           Just one amendment. A balanced budget amendment.

           The national debt just surpassed $20 trillion and it is projected to increase by a trillion dollars a year for the next decade. We are borrowing trillions of dollars from foreign countries. We have had the Federal Reserve Bank printing money to pay our bills. We have looted all of our Federal trust and pension funds, including our military retirement funds, to pay for our government. This is just not sustainable.

           Since Congress has failed to restrict its spending, it is up to the states to act, and that is what we are doing. Article V of the United States Constitution provides two methods for proposing amendments to the Constitution. It may be either a resolution adopted by two-thirds of both houses of Congress, or by the states at a convention called for that purpose. At this time 27 states, including Oklahoma, have signed on to the convention, with seven more needed for the convention to be called.

          In Phoenix we created a model set of rules, set up a standard for the next convention, and re-established a mechanism for the states to come together and exercise their authority to restrain the federal government.

        We are on the path to a financial disaster that will make the Great Recession of 2008 seem like an economic speed bump in comparison.

         That is why states like Oklahoma are stepping forward to force Congress to change its behavior. We must do this to protect our children, grandchildren and future generations from a crippling national debt, and I’m proud to be a part of this process.

        In my next column I will address the other budget I’m trying to understand and the special session we are preparing for in the Oklahoma legislature.

I welcome your questions and concerns, so please feel free to contact my office at the State Capitol if you would like to discuss a particular issue or problem.  Our office can be reached by phone at 405-521-5561 or by email at bergstrom@oksenate.gov.   If you visit the Capitol, we are located in Room 527A.

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With Federal Budget Out of Control, States Move Toward Article V Amendment

Bergstrom attends Balanced Budget Amendment Planning Convention

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Micheal Bergstrom is in Phoenix, Arizona as a delegate attending the Balanced Budget Amendment (BBA) Planning Convention, which commenced on September 12 and is scheduled to complete its work on September 15. The gathering is preparing the rules and guidelines for a future Article V Convention of the States for proposing amendments.

“The national debt just surpassed $20 trillion this week, and it is projected to increase by a trillion dollars a year for the next decade. This is just not sustainable,” said Bergstrom, R-Adair. “Since Congress has failed to restrict its spending, it is up to the states to act, and that is what we are doing.”

Article V of the United States Constitution provides two methods for proposing amendments to the Constitution. It may be either a resolution adopted by two-thirds of both houses of Congress, or by the states at a convention called for that purpose. Currently, 27 states, including Oklahoma, have signed on to the convention, with seven more needed for the convention to be called.

“What we are preparing for is a convention which will focus on only one amendment, one that will limit our federal government from spending more than it takes in,” Bergstrom said. “At this time, we are spending more than our nation’s gross domestic product (GDP), which is the size of the U.S. economy. We are borrowing trillions of dollars from foreign countries. We have had the Federal Reserve Bank printing money to pay our bills. We have looted all of our Federal trust and pension funds, including our military retirement funds, to pay for our government.”

“We are on the path to a financial disaster that will make the Great Recession of 2008 seem like an economic speed bump in comparison,” added Bergstrom.

In 1990, foreign entities owned six percent of the nation’s gross debt. That has climbed to more than 34 percent. The United States is beholden to China, Japan, Russia and many other countries for loans that finance the government.

“Congress has put our nation in a dangerous position, where we are subject to the political influence of other nations over U.S. foreign and trade policy because of its willingness to run up an insane amount of debt and take money from nations who do not have our best interests in mind,” Bergstrom said. “That is why states like Oklahoma are stepping forward to force Congress to change its behavior. We must do this to protect our children, grandchildren and future generations from a crippling national debt, and I’m proud to be a part of this process.”

The Oklahoma delegation consists of state Senators Micheal Bergstrom, Nathan Dahm and Julie Daniels as well as Reps. Mark Lepak and John Bennett, former Rep. Gary Banz and attorney Mark Nuttle. 

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For more information, contact:Sen. Bergstrom: (405) 521-5561

Senator Bergstrom joins Congressman Mullin and Representative West in addressing area Realtors

Senator Bergstrom joins Congressman Mullins, 

Representative West as local panelists

Representative Josh West, Chuck Perry, Senator Micheal Bergstrom and Congressman Markwayne Mullin

State Senator Micheal Bergstrom joined Congressman Markwayne Mullin and Representative Josh West as panelists for the Northeast Board of Realtors’ meeting held Tuesday, August 22 in Grove. They were invited by ReMax Grand Lake owner and broker, Chuck Perry to weigh in on state and federal issues affecting real estate in Oklahoma.

"Gatherings like this give me an opportunity to be made aware of the needs of my constituents," said Bergstrom, R-Adair.   "As someone who is focused on economic development and the areas of business, commerce and tourism, I am always looking for suggestions on how to make my district and the state more successful in these areas. Gatherings like this help me to hear those ideas.”

Bergstrom added he appreciated Perry’s invitation to participate in the forum with his fellow legislators, noting the importance of staying aware of the issues affecting his district and others around the state.

"I appreciate having the opportunity to discuss the issues of our state and my district. This forum provided a chance for me to hear about how federal regulations are reducing opportunities for Oklahomans,” said Bergstrom.

For more information, contact Sen. Micheal Bergstrom at (405) 521-5561 or by email at bergstrom@oksenate.gov.

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Oklahoma Supreme Court Strikes Down Cessation Fee

Sen. Bergstrom issues statement on ruling on smoking cessation fee

Senator Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair, issued a statement Thursday regarding the Supreme Court’s ruling striking down the cigarette fee and declaring it an unconstitutional tax:

"As I sat in the courtroom and listened to the arguments in the Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday, I came to the conclusion that the smoking cessation fee we passed last session was in serious trouble. This morning the court ruled that the fee was unconstitutional.

“The court made the right decision. That means, however, that $215 million must be cut from the budget, primarily from the Department of Human Services, the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, or we have a special session to fix this.

"I expect we will go into a special session. This is too important. It must be addressed, and preferably sooner than later."

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Confused By Labels

Capitol Considerations 

by Senator Micheal Bergstrom

Confused By Labels

Here are three bills I voted for that are being labeled as liberal.

TANNING

In SB 765 minors are restricted from using indoor tanning facilities.

Skin cancer is increasing dramatically, especially in younger people. Tanning beds are one of the causes. We don't let minors buy cigarettes because we want them to be adults before they opt to start breathing in carcinogens, so why would we not want a similar restriction to help keep our children from getting melanoma?

Some argue that by voting for this bill lawmakers were saying, "people can't handle their own decisions and the state needs to protect them from their own stupidity." Would they be upset if a bill were proposed to allow minors to decide if they want an abortion?

There are times when we need to restrict access of minors to products or services.

REAL ID

HB 1845 brings Oklahoma into compliance with the federal REAL ID Act. It allows Oklahoma residents to get a drivers license for use in boarding airplanes and entering military facilities. Once the federal law is fully implemented you will either have to have a passport or a REAL ID compliant license to board a plane. Those who work at Fort Sill or Tinker AFB or other military installations will have to have this to go to work.

The bill allows Oklahoma citizens to opt out and get a non-compliant license.

AUDITING

Out-of-state businesses doing business in Oklahoma often fail to accurately report their income or collect appropriate taxes in our state. HB 1427 approves auditors to inspect the books of those companies. When other states started doing this, businesses suddenly chose compliance rather than face stiff penalties. This should bring tens of millions of dollars to the state. Money that is owed Oklahoma.

I consider these bills to be relatively conservative and a common sense approach to the issues. What do you think?

I welcome your questions and concerns, so please feel free to contact my office at the State Capitol if you would like to discuss a particular issue or problem. Our office can be reached by phone at 405-521-5561 or by email at bergstrom@oksenate.gov. If you visit the Capitol, we are located in Room 527A.

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DHS, Sexual Predators & Finding Cuts

Capitol Considerations by Senator Micheal Bergstrom

DHS, Sexual Predators & Finding Cuts

DHS CUTS

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) director, Ed Lake, is proposing some significant cuts in services despite the state Senate having sent him a clear message when it passed Senate Bill 848 by a 42-3 vote telling him to make reductions in administrative areas if there was a revenue shortfall.

For the record, DHS received a budget increase, not a cut, from the legislature, and there has not been a revenue failure.

Still, the director contends he is going to have to make about $30 million in reductions. Even if that is the case, he has opted to cut in some areas that he should not. He does have some flexibility in other areas of his budget.

Director Lake is proposing cuts in senior nutrition that will eliminate 277,000 meals and close 30 nutrition centers, and he plans to reduce the funding for developmental disabilities services which helps keep those with disabilities in their homes. An example of a program that will be hurt by this is the Home of Hope in Vinita.

Such reductions in funding seem short-sighted.

It is my hope that Director Lake will reconsider these cuts.

(After finishing this column, news reports came out that some funds are being returned to agencies because a projected revenue failure did not occur. OKDHS is receiving $4.2 million, almost enough to fully fund the cuts cited above, if the Director chooses to do so. I suggest my readers contact OKDHS and urge him to use the funds in that way, and restore the funding to senior nutrition and developmental disability services.)

SEXUAL PREDATORS

Senator James Leewright and Representative Kyle Hilbert have authored an update to House Bill 1124 to include the residency of the victim of a sex crime to the list of places that are protected by a “zone of safety”. Currently the “zone of safety” is defined as a 500 ft. area around locations that sex offenders are not allowed to loiter. However, if the bill passes, the zone around a victim’s residence could be extended to 1000 ft.

Existing statutes are intended to protect potential victims from sexual predators, but this bill’s intent is to protect those who have already been victimized. As the bill is written, it would require the predator remain, or perhaps even live, at least 1,000 feet from the victim. I hope that buffer zone is extended even further as the bill moves forward. For some people, it would be better if the buffer was 1,000 miles and not just a few minutes’ walk.

FINDING CUTS

In my last column, I asked my constituents to offer specific suggestions on where waste exists in the state's agencies' budgets. I received two responses. One recommended I speak with State Auditor Gary Jones. I have done this, several times. The second response from a gentleman from Vinita provided solid, specific suggestions that I plan to look into. Thanks. I'm always open to good ideas.

I welcome your questions and concerns, so please feel free to contact my office at the State Capitol if you would like to discuss a particular issue or problem. Our office can be reached by phone at 405-521-5561 or by email at bergstrom@oksenate.gov. If you visit the Capitol, we are located in Room 527A.

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Victims of Sexual Assault Should Not Have To Reside Near the Predator!

Adair legislator supports bill to further protect abuse victims

OKLAHOMA CITY –   A bill that closes a loophole in state statute allowing sex offenders to reside near their victim has the full support of Adair state senator Micheal Bergstrom.  HB 1124, authored by Rep. Kyle Hilbert and Sen. James Leewright, aims to amend Oklahoma law to include the residency of the victim of a sex crime to the list of places that are protected by a “zone of safety”.  Under current Oklahoma statute, the “zone of safety” is defined as a 500 ft. area around locations that sex offenders are not allowed to loiter. However, if the bill passes, the zone around a victim’s residence could be extended to 1000 ft.

  “Existing statutes are intended to protect potential victims from sexual predators, but this bill’s intent is to protect those who have already been victimized, who have been molested, been harmed and suffered at the hands of one of these offenders,” Bergstrom said.        

The loophole was discovered when convicted Oklahoma sex offender Harold English moved into a home next door to his victim, Danyelle Dyer. Since that time, Dyer has advocated for a change in state law.  

 “I was surprised to learn that 44 other states currently face a similar loophole in their own statutes.  As the bill is written, it would require the predator remain, or perhaps even live, at least 1,000 feet from the victim.  I hope that buffer zone is extended even further as the bill moves forward through the legislative process,” Bergstrom said.  “For some people, it would be better if the buffer was 1,000 miles and not just a few minutes’ walk.  I support Senator Leewright and Representative Hilbert’s work on this bill. I’m glad to see them taking steps to protect victims from further harm.” 

HB 1124 is set to be heard when the 2018 session gets underway, beginning in committee and working its way through the legislative process.

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Taking Control of State Spending: You Can Help

Capitol Considerations by Senator Micheal Bergstrom

Taking Control of State Spending

When it came to the state's budget this past session, whether it was in the phone calls to my office or the emails I received, there were two things I heard over and over:

"You must raise taxes!"

"You must cut spending!"

Generally speaking, it was a call to raise taxes and spend more, or it was a demand that spending be cut, and sometimes cut taxes.

Let's focus on the idea of cutting spending.

There are some things the state government must oversee and funds must be allocated for them. Education, public safety, child advocacy and protection, our prison system, senior nutrition, roads and bridges and a wide variety of other programs must be sustained and properly funded.

But, at what levels must each program be sustained, and what is proper funding?

Are there programs that should be eliminated or agencies that should be merged?

Are there duplicative services that can be eliminated?

How can we make an agency or program more efficient and eliminate waste?

I am no expert on the budgets of all the programs and agencies in the State of Oklahoma's government, though I am continually striving to learn more.

So here's my request to you.

Help me.

Don't just complain that the state needs to "live within its means," a refrain I saw in many emails, but tell me how to get there. Agency budgets are available online. Dig into your favorite areas of the state's budget and tell me line items to eliminate, programs that need to be reduced or eliminated, and other ways to cut spending.

Give me concrete, specific examples I can investigate and possibly take action on. Make a logical argument for your position.

Who knows how many bills I could author to cut waste, with your help.

I welcome your questions and concerns, so please feel free to contact my office at the State Capitol if you would like to discuss a particular issue or problem. Our office can be reached by phone at 405-521-5561 or by email at bergstrom@oksenate.gov. If you visit the Capitol, we are located in Room 527A.

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A Call for DHS to NOT play politics

Press Release on June 12, 2017

Bergstrom urges OKDHS to use stalled legislation as agency budget guide

OKLAHOMA CITY – Following a challenging legislative session where the nearly $1 billion budget shortfall was a top concern, State Senator Micheal Bergstrom sent a letter this week to the director of the state Department of Human Services (DHS), urging the agency to continue to protect the programs outlined in Senate Bill 848, even though the legislation stalled before lawmakers adjourned for the year.

     The measure passed in the Senate with a 42-3 vote, but time ran out in the session before it could be passed in the House. Regardless, Bergstrom (R-Adair) is requesting DHS director Ed Lake to use the components of SB 848 as a “common sense” guide to prioritize spending as he leads the agency into the next year. In his letter to Lake this week, Bergstrom urges a reduction in administrative expenses, and not cuts to essential services, in the event of a revenue shortfall this year.

     “I commend Director Lake and his staff for their diligence in working to meet the needs of Oklahoma citizens,” Bergstrom said. “The job of each agency, as well as that of the legislature, is to meet the needs of our citizens, especially those who are most vulnerable. With that in mind, it is critical that agencies like DHS do everything possible to protect the funding and implementation of the services referenced in SB848, such as, but not limited to, Senior Nutrition, Child Welfare Services, Developmental Disability Services, the Pinnacle Plan, and the Child Abuse Multidisciplinary Account. These programs have far-reaching benefits to our families and communities.”

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For more information, contact Sen. Micheal Bergstrom at 405-521-5561 or Bergstrom@oksenate.gov.

Issues in the wake of Oklahoma's newest budget

Capitol Considerations 

by Senator Micheal Bergstrom

When the Oklahoma legislature locked down the budget on Friday, May 26, it may have filled a budget hole for the fiscal year beginning in July, but it left a few problems in its wake.

As things stand right now . . .

* Legislators are facing a built-in budget deficit next session of $200 million to $400 million.

* Oklahoma's prison system is at 109 percent capacity.

* We approved fees or taxes that may not be constitutional.

Since we failed to make significant budget cuts and did not put in place sufficient new, recurring revenue streams, next year we will be facing another budget shortfall, although, hopefully, not as difficult to deal with as this year's.

We did make progress in the area of criminal justice reform, but we have a long way to go. Prison overcrowding, if it continues, is going to be opening the door for a Justice Department investigation, and lawsuits. The Department of Corrections is calling for three more prisons while the public seems to want a reduction in the number of nonviolent criminals going to prison. We must deal with this.

Then we have our taxes and fees.

Needless to say, when voters passed State Question 640 years ago, they wanted to limit the legislature's ability to raise taxes. It's worked. With a 75 percent super-majority vote required to pass a tax increase in both chambers, doing so is almost impossible.

The problem is, that after years of significant cuts and a series of revenue failures, there were some agencies we couldn't cut. I'll admit that after just months on the job, I was not expert enough to know where to seek cuts in critical agencies like Common Education, Department of Corrections, Department of Public Safety and the Department of Human Services.

So we either have to pass fees or remove exemptions from existing taxes, since that only requires a 50 percent plus one vote.

One of the increases we ended up with is SB 845. This is a new $1.50 cessation fee on each pack of cigarettes. We want smokers to quit and young people to not start, so we are raising the cost of smoking. It doesn't hurt that it will help fill about $215 million of our budget hole.

I voted for the bill, and am sorry I did.

Originally this was going to be a tax, but it couldn't get passed in the House of Representatives, and suddenly it appeared as a fee. Now I don't have a problem with it as either a tax or a fee since it's going toward health care and will help pay for the treatment of Oklahoma citizens with smoking related diseases.

The problem is whether or not it is constitutional. If the courts see the fee as a tax then the bill will be tossed out, that funding will be gone, and our shortfall will be even greater.

Obviously, we could have and should have done better.

I welcome your questions and concerns, so please feel free to contact my office at the State Capitol if you would like to discuss a particular issue or problem. Our office can be reached by phone at 405-521-5561 or by email at bergstrom@oksenate.gov. If you visit the Capitol, we are located in Room 527A.

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