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The First Word 05.31.2024
The legislative session ends with dramatic fights over budget transparency as both leaders in the House and Senate leave due to term limits. The Governor and House leadership wanted further tax cuts (the state portion of the grocery sales tax was eliminated earlier in the year with a fiscal impact of ~$420M annually to the budget) reducing the income tax by .25% however the Senate leadership would not agree.

Governor Stitt did express his displeasure about some of his appointees not being confirmed.
"There's some weird stuff happening on that," Stitt told reporters.
Some key nominations left unconfirmed by the Senate Stitt highlighted Friday included Secretary of Health and Mental Health Corey Finch, Secretary of Human Service Deborah Shropshire, Oklahoma Department of Commerce Executive Director Heather Turner, Alex Gray to the State Board of Education, Leigh Gaddis for reappointment to the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission and Audrey Harrah Katigan to the Oklahoma Department of Libraires Board of Directors.
Director Gatz was confirmed by the Senate.

Below is a breakdown of ODOT's budget:

  1. FY 2025 General Appropriations: SB1125
 
ROADS Fund – Section 74 (page 29)
$590M
 
STF & HCM – Section 75 (begins on page 29)
$216,239,461
-$195,039,461 – transfer to HCM
$21,200,000
-$5,000,000 – transfer to Public Transit Revolving Fund
$16,200,000 – Lake & Industrial Programs (Directive to use funds for industrial areas experiencing major developments and lake & waterway access areas was included.) 
Special One-time Funding – Section 76 (page 30)
$30,104,250
-$16,200,000 – MKARNS Infrastructure Revolving fund (implementation of SB1429)
-$12,000,000 – IFTA replacement
 $ 1,904,250 – Possibly for Public Transit Revolving Fund (As requested.)
 
RETRO – Section 77 (page 30)
$200,000,000
 
  1. ODOT Authorization for Bonding/TIFIA for $500M: HB2915


Important MidStates Annual Meeting:

We have 10 registrants from 8 firms for our meeting in Kansas City MO June 12-14 2024 ACEC Midwest States Conference (acecmo.org)

If you wish to participate via virtually for the Oklahoma meeting June 14th 1pm-330pm-Please email Evan evanhandy@acecok.org and he will be able to provide you with a link and sign in code.
The Annual Meeting in Washington DC was a success with important meetings sharing the message of fixing the R&D tax credit problem, IIJA and Workforce challenges.

Thank you to everyone who attended to make this another successful event and Evan did an excellent job navigating the complex schedules of our Congressional members so we could engaging with them and their staff.

Reminder! Sign up your interns for the State Capitol Tour with Trait Thompson, Executive Director of the State Historical Society.

ACEC OKLAHOMA Intern State Capitol Tour
Oklahoma City, OK
June 24 Time 1:30
Emerging Leaders Program (former Leadership for Engineers)
We are excited to announce our Emerging Leaders Program for 2024. It is not a requirement to be an engineer to take this leadership journey.

ACEC Emerging Leadership Program 2024
Session One- Tulsa
Aug 22-23
Session Two- OKC
Sep 12-13
Session Three- Stillwater
Oct 3-4

Emerging Leaders '24 Applications are OPEN! The fee is the same as last year $1,995.00
PAC Giving

Thank you for your generous support of our PAC's. We are about to enter an election year and your contribution will be critical in electing legislators supportive of our agenda.
From ACEC National:


Final passage of the FAA reauthorization bill will be welcome good news as it includes most of the priorities that ACEC outlined on behalf of the engineering industry early in the process.  Here are some of the key provisions:
  • Provides $4 billion in annual Airport Improvement Program funding for Fiscal Years 2025-2028, an increase of $650 million per year above current levels.
  • Authorizes an additional $200 million annually for airport resilience and runway safety grants.
  • Amends existing Design-Build authority to include Construction Manager At-Risk and Progressive Design Build and creates a pilot program for five Integrated Project Delivery projects.
  • Establishes a $350 million reimbursement program for airport sponsors to replace firefighting equipment and foam associated with PFAS, including costs for cleaning and disposal of equipment and wastewater treatment.
  • Advances the development of a comprehensive system and strategy for safely integrating Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft into the national airspace, including
  • a regulatory pathway and standards for operations beyond-visual-line-of-sight;
  • a risk-based approach in reviewing waiver requests under part 107;
  • a grant program to support the use of UAS when inspecting, repairing, or constructing critical infrastructure; and,
  • renewal and expansion of UAS test ranges.
 
Click here for a section-by-section summary of the bill from the committees.



Discover what your firm can do to prevent equipment theft
Effectively managing and securing expensive equipment is critical for engineering firms to prevent losses that can negatively impact projects and profitability, making this webinar a must-attend for firms looking to safeguard their assets.
Register for this webinar presented by the ACEC BIT and The Hartford to learn:

  • Statistics on the frequency and types of equipment losses experienced by firms enrolled in the program
  • How equipment tracking allows firms to maintain accountability over their assets
  • The costs of replacing lost/stolen equipment in terms of actual replacement costs and project delays
  • Physical and digital methods for tracking equipment
  • Available resources in the Risk Engineering Library that help your firm develop policies and procedures
 
Topic: Equipment Management: Tips for preventing loss and theft
Date: June 12, 2024
Time:  4:00PM Eastern Time | 1:00PM Pacific Time

Upcoming Events


ACEC Midwest States Conference
Kansas City, MO
June 12-14

ACEC OKLAHOMA Member Summer Intern State Capitol Tour
Oklahoma City, OK
June 24 1:30 PM

ACEC OK Board and General Membership Meeting
OKC, OK
August 20th
3pm Board and 4pm General Membership
Save the Date


ACEC OKLAHOMA Emerging Leaders Session One
Tulsa, OK
August 22-23
Save the Date

Oklahoma City, OK
Sept. 19-20
Save the Date

ACEC OKLAHOMA Emerging Leaders Session Two
Oklahoma City, OK
Sep 12-13
Save the Date

ACEC OKLAHOMA Emerging Leaders Session Three
Stillwater, OK
Oct 3-4
Save the Date

ACEC Fall Conference
New Orleans, LA
October 20-23
Save the Date

Board and General Membership Meeting
November 6
3pm Board and 4pm General Membership
Tulsa OK

EEA Entries Due
December 5

2025 Board and General Membership Meeting / EEA Awards
Tulsa, OK
​​​​​​​Feb 6
Save the date
Mike Thompson
President & CEO
220 N.E. 28th Street, Suite 135
Oklahoma City, OK 73105