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OK House Government Reform Proposals Advance Quickly

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 8, 2017

Government Reform Proposals Advancing Quickly

OKLAHOMA CITY – The House Government Modernization committee is moving quickly to advance an agenda of increasing government transparency and cutting costs to Oklahoma taxpayers.

During their first meeting of the legislative session, held earlier today, the committee approved numerous modernization, efficiency and transparency measures.

Initiatives approved today include legislation by House Floor Leader Jon Echols to sunset state agencies. His House Bill 1461 seeks to duplicate the work of the innovative Texas Sunset Commission. He believes it will be an effective tool for shrinking the size of Oklahoma state government.

Freshman state representative and committee member Mike Osburn is wasting no time in advocating for new efficiencies. Osburn’s House Bill 1234, his first to win committee approval, allows for the digitization of paper documents. Once digitized, government entities will be relieved from the significant cost of warehousing the millions of old documents.

Rep. Chuck Strohm won approval for his proposal to give the public better purview of school district finances. His House Bill 1509 makes school district financial documents available for online access.

House Bill 2248 by Rep. David Brumbaugh creates an “open records one stop shop” through which members of the public will request public records without having to navigate the maze of varied state government bureaucracies which currently oversee these requests.

Freshman Rep. Avery Frix won approval for his first bill, House Bill 1599, a needed modernization of the bonding requirements on public construction contracts.

“The large volume of reform proposals demonstrates a heartfelt commitment by our colleagues to increase transparency and reduce the burden of government upon the taxpayer,” explained committee Vice Chair Tom Gann, R-Inola. “It’s been our privilege to assist them in advancing their ideas for reform. Their ideas, if approved by the Legislature, will have a positive impact upon Oklahomans for many years to come.”

The approved modernization bills now await consideration by the entire House.

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