Senate Appropriations Committee Approves Bills

Bills to combine state agencies and create a new agency to modernize state government passed a Senate committee today.

The Senate Appropriations Committee also advanced Governor Henry's bill to earmark some natural gas tax revenue to the EDGE research fund. Henry wants to build the fund to $1 billion as a way of creating high-paying jobs.

One measure approved by the committee would merge the state Medical Examiner's Office with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. Senator Kenneth Corn said an effort to consolidate the agencies could endanger the state’s ability to convict criminals. “If we’re going to consolidate the agency, it would be better for us to spend more time studying the issue and find a better place than OSBI,” said Corn, D-Poteau. “We need to find a place that preserves the independence of the evidence, rather than having the evidence provided to a jury by the very agency conducting the investigation.”

Another bill would transfer the duties of the Criminal Justice Resources Center to the attorney general and the OSBI.

The committee also voted to transfer administration of a rural grant program known as REAP from the auditor and inspector to the Department of Commerce.

Senate Co-President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee of Oklahoma City sponsored the bill to create the Office of Accountability and Efficiency, which would conduct performance reviews of state agencies.

Share |