with Sen. Chris Kidd

 Oklahoma has received some good news in recent weeks.  In 2004, the state had the 49th worst highway bridge system in the nation with nearly 1,200 (of 6,800) considered structurally deficient.  That number has decreased to only 86 highway bridges needing major rehabilitation or replacement, which are all scheduled in ODOT’s Eight-Year Plan. Oklahoma now ranks 9th nationally according to the Federal Highway Administration giving the state a Top Ten status for the first time in state history.

 The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has also approved Oklahoma for the Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program, which will provide an additional $300 a week for unemployed Oklahomans. This replaces the $600 per week that workers received under Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), which expired the last week of July. 

 If you’re still waiting for unemployment for dates prior to August, you’ll receive the $600 extra and then the $300 will kick in for dates after that.  Again, please contact my office if you’re having trouble securing your unemployment.  We’re here to help you however we can.

 Our state economy is slowly recovering.  Unemployment rates are lowering, and our July General Revenue Fund (GRF) collections came in nearly $69 million or 9.5% above the monthly estimate at $790.5 million. This was also $290.8 million higher than July 2019 collections. While this was mainly caused by the delayed income taxes and deferred first-quarter payments, it’s still promising news. We must proceed cautiously, though, as the energy and business sectors continue to struggle.  There are still companies facing closure and some considering furloughs and layoffs. On the flipside, there are also companies expanding and relocating to Oklahoma.  Leaders have been working hard in recent years to ensure Oklahoma is a business-friendly state and has the workforce and other assets needed to attract companies.

 One area that needs improvement is our broadband capability statewide. This past session, we approved the Rural Broadband Expansion Act, which created a council to study access around the state.  One of the first things companies look at when considering relocation is a state’s connectivity.  It has also become painfully obvious this year with so many citizens trying to file for unemployment online, people teleworking and many schools going virtual that Oklahoma needs to improve its broadband access. In today’s digital world, everyone must have access to the internet. The 13-member council will work to create a strategic plan to improve connectivity statewide. They will submit their annual report and recommendations by January 31.

 The Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) also announced its work plan for the current fiscal year, which was approved by its legislative oversight committee. LOFT was created in 2019 to provide the legislature with more in-depth evaluations of state agency budgets and program performance without duplicating work conducted by legislative staff. 

The work plan is modeled on a similar one in Mississippi and will be divided into three categories including –

1)  Rapid response evaluations (90-100 days) – special requests from the oversight committee to inform immediate funding or policy decisions for the legislature.

2)  Priority program evaluations (6-8 months) – part of the work plan included in the annual report provided before the beginning of the legislative session.

3) Secondary program evaluations (long-term) – analysis of large state agencies and programs based on funding and impact.

 LOFT will conduct 7-12 evaluations each year. This fall, they’ll be evaluating the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC), the Board of Equalization, and the Department of Health and use of COVID funding by state health programs.  They’ll also analyze state agency and higher education institutions’ COVID funding allocation, reimbursement and utilization. 

 The office has a full schedule in the coming months, and I look forward to reading their findings in January. The work plan is available at www.okloft.gov.                                                                    

 In closing, please be sure to participate in the 2020 Census. The deadline for self-reporting is Wed., Sept. 30.  Your participation will determine federal funding for your local community, county and the state for vital government programs like healthcare, education and transportation.  You can fill yours out at www.2020Census.gov or by calling 1-844-330-2020.

 Thank you again for the privilege of serving our district and the State of Oklahoma in the Senate. If I can be of any assistance, you can reach me at (405) 521-5563 or Chris.Kidd@oksenate.gov.

 This year has been one for the books. Between falling energy prices and the COVID-19 outbreak, our state has been through the ringer, which is unfortunate because last year our economy was the strongest it’s ever been. But just as Oklahomans do, we picked ourselves up by the bootstraps and carried on.  It hasn’t been easy, but we’re on the road to recovery.

  For those of you still waiting on unemployment, please know that my office is here to help however we can. 

  The Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) announced this past week that they will be completely taking over the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission’s (OESC) IT division and business practices. OMES has been working tirelessly in recent weeks to help improve OESC’s antiquated website and computer systems, but finally decided consolidation was necessary.  OESC will still make sure claims are processed and paid, but OMES will do the actual work.

  OMES Director Harpe says that all Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claims will be processed within two weeks.

   I know it’s easier said than done but please continue being patient. This isn’t the state employees’ fault who are answering calls and emails. The technology was created to handle the normal 2,500 or so weekly claims.  It simply couldn’t handle the 440,000 Oklahoma claims that have been filed during this crisis. 

  As for legislative news, the Senate officially adjourned this past Friday. Nearly 200 bills were signed into law.  Please check out the Senate website at www.oksenate.gov to learn more about those.

  I do want to mention that our retired public employees are finally getting a much-needed and well-deserved cost-of-living adjustment after 12 years. Those who have been retired for more than five years will see a 4% increase while those retired 2-5 years will get a 2% bump.  This includes those in the Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement System, the Oklahoma Police Pension and Retirement System, the Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges, the Teachers’ Retirement System of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System and the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Retirement System.

  While many of my Senate and House bills were still working their way through the process when the pandemic hit, only two ended up moving forward this session.  Both were signed into law and the others we’ll revisit next session.

   SB 1349 updates statutory language within the Oklahoma Public Health Advisory Council Modernization Act to reflect recent legislative changes. The State Board of Health is changed to the State Commissioner of Health as the oversight authority.

  SB 1748, the Patient Disclosure Act, creates a method for patients to be treated for an emergency before they’re asked for payments by all hospitals and know whether their emergency conditions will be paid for by their insurance.  It would require prominent disclosure to patients before medical services are provided.

  Besides approving a balanced budget and passing essential legislation, the Senate also confirmed nearly 200 executive nominations to state boards and commissions. I was honored to carry Lawton resident Keely Cox’ nomination to the State Textbook Committee. Keely will do an outstanding job on this committee. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to participate in the virtual confirmation meeting because my amazing wife, Lindsey, was in labor. 

  We are so excited to announce the birth of our beautiful baby girl Kacey Lou Kidd.  She was born on May 13th at 6:26 p.m. weighing 7 lb. 1 oz. We’re smitten and are so grateful for all the messages, thoughts and prayers.

  Thank you again for the privilege of serving our district and the State of Oklahoma in the Senate. If I can be of any assistance, you can reach me at (405) 521-5563 or Chris.Kidd@oksenate.gov.