Seven weeks are now complete for the 2017 Legislature!
LEAD Academy Visits State Capitol
 

We enjoyed working with the members of our inaugural AFR LEAD Academy this week during their second session, which included a visit to the Oklahoma State Capitol. These young leaders heard from various committee chairs about the state budget situation and many other ag policy topics. They toured the Capitol and visited legislators offices. Be sure to mark your calendars for "AFR Day at the Capitol" on May 9th! We will have details in our next newsletter.


Public Safety Protection Districts
After a 10-9 vote in committee and the suspension of two House rules, the full House of Representatives passed  HB 1374 this week by a vote of 54-35. This bill would authorize municipalities to call for the creation of Public Safety Protection Districts, funded by increases in property taxes of up to 5 percent, for the operation and maintenance of police, fire, jail and emergency medical services. This is one of many possible ad valorem tax increases being considered this year.

 

Teacher Pay Raises Advanced, Not Funded
The State Senate  SB 618 this week, which would provide a 4 percent ($1,500/year) teacher pay increase in 2017 and another 4 percent in 2018. However, the measure does not address how the raises would be funded. The bill's author stated during floor debate that an increase in the fuel tax would be his preferred funding source. Earlier this session the House of Representatives passed a three-year phased in, $6,000 raise in teacher salaries, with no funding mechanism identified. This week House Speaker Charles McCall told reporters he has a written plan to fund these increases, but is not ready to make it public yet. 

Senate Moves To Repeal Income Tax Reduction Trigger
Last week the Senate approved SB 170, which would repeal the individual income tax cut trigger on the books to potentially reduce the rate from 5.0 percent to 4.85 percent. This action comes after state budget deficits of $600 million, $1.3 billion and $878 million over the course of the last three years. As staggering as those numbers are and as damaging as the recent cuts to state programs have been, this bill is still expected to face a chilly reception when it arrives in the House of Representatives for consideration. The Tulsa World's editorial writers weighed in on the need for SB 170 on Thursday.

Sen. Shortey OUT, Sec. Lopez & Exec. Dir. Cunningham IN 
Six days after he was charged with three felonies stemming from an incident with an underage boy in a hotel room, Ralph Shortey officially resigned on Wednesday from the south-OKC Senate seat he had occupied since 2010. In more upbeat news, Governor Fallin appointed former Commerce Secretary Dave Lopez to serve as Secretary of State and as her  senior adviser on policy, economic and legislative issues. Finally, the Oklahoma Water Resources Board named Julie Cunningham as the agency's next executive director. Cunningham, a 22-year veteran of the state's water agency, had been serving as the interim executive director since the departure of J.D. Strong in October 2016.

 

Last Trump Cabinet Vacancy - AGRICULTURE!
Despite a prolonged wait and an executive proposal to slash his future agency's budget, Sonny Perdue cheerfully appeared before the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee this week and charmed his way through a confirmation hearing more smoothly than any of his fellow Trump cabinet secretaries. After this bump-free meeting, he could be confirmed by the full Senate in early April. Click below to read National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson's comments about the former Georgia governor.

 

For more information contact:

 

Steve Thompson |  steve.thompson@afrmic.com | 405-218-5563

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