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ROB MCCLENDON: HELLO EVERYONE; THANKS FOR JOINING US HERE ON
HORIZON.
WHEN LAWMAKERS RETURN TO THE STATE CAPITOL THIS FIRST FULL WEEK IN
FEBRUARY, THEY WILL START THE SECOND SESSION OF THE FIFTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE,
ALL THE SAME MEMBERS AS LAST YEAR, AND MANY OF THE SAME ISSUES ON THE TABLE.
BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2011, REVENUE GROWTH IS DOWN.
AND DID I MENTION IT'S AN ELECTION YEAR?
JUST A COUPLE OF THE ISSUES THAT WILL MAKE 23RD AND LINCOLN AS INTERESTING
AS ALWAYS.
ROB: WELL THE YELLOW BARRIERS ARE STILL UP AT THE STATE CAPITOL.
THAT'S BECAUSE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS APPROVED LAST
YEAR CAME TO SCREECHING HALT WHEN THE STATE SUPREME COURT STRUCK DOWN
THE MEASURE THAT WOULD HAVE FUNDED THEM.
SOMETHING ABOUT VIOLATING THE CONSTITUTION BY COMBINING TWO UNRELATED
ITEMS, THE MUCH NEEDED REPAIRS AT THE STATE CAPITOL WITH A CUT IN THE
STATE INCOME TAX, INTO A SINGLE BILL AND WHILE THERE ARE STILL SOME
PLACES HERE IN THE CAPITOL YOU MAY WANT TO WEAR A HARD HAT, THE SUPREME
COURT JUSTICES MAY HAVE DONE LAWMAKERS A REAL FAVOR.
REVENUE COLLECTIONS ARE DOWN THIS YEAR, SO STATE LAWMAKERS WILL HAVE ABOUT
170 MILLION DOLLAR LESS TO WORK WITH THIS SESSION.
AND IF LAST YEAR'S TAX CUT WOULD HAVE REMAINED IN PLACE THAT FUNDING GAP
LAWMAKERS NOW FACE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT 100 MILLION DOLLARS MORE.
AND SUCH A FINANCIAL SQUEEZE WOULD HAVE CAST EVEN MORE DARK CLOUDS OVER
THE STATE CAPITOL FURTHER LIMITING WHAT LAWMAKERS CAN ADDRESS THIS SESSION.
WELL STATE WORKERS HAVE GONE WITHOUT PAY RAISES FOR GOING ON EIGHT YEARS
NOW.
AND WHEN YOU CONSIDER, THAT ON AVERAGE STATE WORKERS MAKE ABOUT 20
PERCENT LESS THAN THOSE IN COMPARABLE POSITIONS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, STATE
LAWMAKERS KNOW THAT SUCH PAY DISCREPANCIES HURT NOT JUST EMPLOYEE MORALE, BUT
ALSO WORKER QUALITY.
LESLIE OSBORN: JUST LIKE IN ANY PRIVATE SECTOR JOB, WHAT YOU GET, WHAT YOU PAY
FOR IS WHAT YOU GET.
AND RIGHT NOW WE ARE NOT DOING A GOOD JOB OF RETAINING EMPLOYEES.
AND WE'RE NOT DOING A GOOD JOB OF HIRING THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST.
AND WHAT WE'VE GOT TO DO IS LOOK AT CAN WE MAYBE EVEN DO THIS WITH A
SMALLER WORKFORCE.
BUT WE'VE GOT TO HAVE AN UP-TO-DATE COMPENSATION SYSTEM.
ROB: LAWMAKERS LIKE REPRESENTATIVE LESLIE OSBORN ARE EXPECTED TO
LOOK AT BOTH COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS THIS SESSION.
BUT IF YOU'RE A STATE WORKER, DON'T COUNT ON GETTING A BIGGER CHECK
ANYTIME SOON.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE COSTS JUST CONTINUE TO RISE IN SOME KEY AREAS.
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS OFFICIALS SAY THEY WILL NEED MORE THAN A HALF A
BILLION DOLLARS, THIS YEAR ALONE, TO ADDRESS PRISON OVERCROWDING AND
UNDERSTAFFING, TWO AREAS THAT LAWMAKERS, LIKE SENATOR ROB STANDRIDGE,
SAY WE CAN NO LONGER IGNORE.
ROB STANDRIDGE: THE SOLUTIONS ARE NOT SIMPLE.
AND WE HEARD THAT THROUGHOUT TESTIMONY THAT THESE LIVES ARE COMPLEX
JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE'S.
THE ADDICTIONS ARE COMPLEX, WHERE THEY CAME FROM, WHERE THEY'RE
LEADING.
SO I THINK WHAT WE WANT IS REALLY A HOLISTIC APPROACH FROM A STATE LEVEL.
ROB MCCLENDON: HAVING RESISTED EFFORTS TO USE MORE ALTERNATIVE
SENTENCING FOR OFFENDERS WITH LESSER CRIMES, LAWMAKERS NOW FACE A
DILEMMA, PAYING MORE AND MORE FOR INCARCERATION MEANS HAVING LESS AND LESS
FLEXIBILITY TO DO WHAT MANY CAMPAIGNED ON, CUTTING TAXES.
BUT THAT HASN'T STOPPED A GROUP OF REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS FROM THE
OKLAHOMA HOUSE AND STATE SENATE FROM OFFERING LEGISLATION THAT WILL
LOWER OKLAHOMA'S INDIVIDUAL INCOME TAX RATE TO 4 PERCENT WITHIN FOUR
YEARS.
HOUSE BILL 3291 AND SENATE BILL 1849 WOULD EACH LOWER THE STATE'S INDIVIDUAL
INCOME-TAX RATE BY A HALF-A-POINT TO 4.
75 PERCENT COME NEXT JANUARY.
IT WOULD THEN TICK DOWN ANOTHER QUARTER OF A PERCENTAGE FOR THE
FOLLOWING 3 YEARS, WINDING UP AT 4 PERCENT.
ALSO UP FOR DEBATE THIS SESSION IS A PROPOSAL TO MAKE PERMANENT A TAX BREAK
SET TO EXPIRE NEXT YEAR.
CURRENTLY THE ENERGY INDUSTRY RECEIVES A 6 PERCENT REDUCTION IN ITS
GROSS PRODUCTION TAXES WHENEVER IT USES HORIZONTAL OIL AND GAS
DRILLING.
NOW PUT IN PLACE IN THE 1990S WHEN SUCH PRACTICES WHERE EXPERIMENTAL AND
VERY COSTLY, HORIZONTAL DRILLING IS NOW INDUSTRY-STANDARD, AND
MUCH LESS RISKY.
AND WHILE GOVERNOR FALLIN HAS MADE NO INDICATION OF WHETHER SHE WILL SUPPORT
EITHER PROPOSAL, SHE HAS SAID SHE PLANS TO PROPOSE HER OWN TAX REDUCTION
PLAN.
NOW ALL TOGETHER, MEMBERS OF THE OKLAHOMA HOUSE AND SENATE HAVE FILED MORE
THAN 2,400 BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS TO CONSIDER IN THE 2013 LEGISLATURE.
ROB MCCLENDON: NOW WHEN REPUBLICANS TOOK CONTROL OF BOTH LEGISLATIVE
CHAMBERS AND THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE IN 2010, MANY IN THAT PARTY
CAMPAIGNED ON THE BELIEF THEY COULD GET MORE DONE BECAUSE FROM A POLICY
PERSPECTIVE THEY WERE FROM SIMILAR MINDSETS.
BUT AS ONE FORMER DEMOCRATIC LEADER TOLD ME, THERE IS PLENTY TO
DISAGREE ON EVEN IF YOU ARE IN THE SAME PARTY.
WHEN WE RETURN, WE CONTINUE OUR LEGISLATIVE PREVIEW WITH A LOOK AT
EDUCATION.