2020 Sine Die

From the Desk of the Executive Director

The 2020 Legislative Session was like no other. The COVID-19 emergency brought an abrupt halt to what otherwise was shaping up to be a banner year for the League. Our two highest rated priority bills were on a track for approval and virtually a lock to be signed by the Governor. Both measures made it out of their originating chambers and were awaiting to be scheduled for final approval before the virus struck. The Legislative leadership made the tough decision to only hear certain bills for the remainder of session. Their main priority was to get a budget passed and disagreements with the Governor made that task very difficult. A number of bills were vetoed and then overridden by the Legislature. Although, the session was exciting for political observers, the overall outcome was disappointing and lacking any real substance.

The Sine Die is OML’s annual report featuring a legislative wrap-up of the bills that were enacted, defeated and vetoed. You will be able to access the full bill content in this report by clicking on the bill number. Sometimes the most challenging task is working to defeat bad legislation, but with your quick action alerting your legislators, OML was successful in doing just that on several pieces of legislation which are also included in this report. One of the most popular features of the Sine Die report continues to be the section that provides a breakdown by municipal department and the bills that may impact that department.

In an organization the size of the Oklahoma Municipal League, there will often be different views of issues by our members. One of the roles of the Legislative Committee is to direct the League in making decisions on issues and the course of action to take. This brings great weight and importance to the committee. All legislative committee recommendations are forwarded to the OML Board. As the policymakers of the League, the OML board will consider for approval the recommendations from the Legislative Committee. Thanks to our Chair Joan Riley and Vice Chair Jane Abraham as well as every member of the OML Legislative Committee; their tireless efforts and contributions this past session are valuable and much appreciated.

We will continue our efforts to communicate effectively with legislators, mayors, city managers, town administrators, councilmembers, clerk-treasurers, and all other municipal officials to ensure continued success. It is important to stay in contact with your local legislators during the interim and continue to communicate the municipal message.

Together we provide a strong voice for Oklahoma municipalities. The number one ingredient for success at the legislature and state agencies is a united collective municipal voice. Thank you so much for your efforts to make this another successful legislative session.

Sincerely,
Mike Fina
Executive Director