OKLAHOMA CITY – In the midst of a late-night floor session yesterday, the Oklahoma Senate’s much-anticipated budget resolution was filed and is now publicly available.
The resolution will be up for a floor vote on Monday, March 18 during the Senate’s afternoon session that begins at 1:30 p.m.
Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said he is proud of the end result of the new process.
“The new budget transparency process has gone better than anticipated and marks a significant step toward enhancing accountability and public trust in the Senate’s fiscal decision-making process,” Pro Tem Treat said. “All 33 meetings were open, livestreamed and have established a framework that promotes accessibility and a proactive approach to budgeting that will bring further accountability to government. I appreciate the diligent work and all the hours Senators put into this process, especially the staff who were essential to this process. I hope this will be built upon in the future and will continue to promote engagement and responsibility.”
Pro Tem Treat announced the plan for the new Senate budget process in December. The process was a first of its kind for the Oklahoma Senate. While it will not be the final budget number for the state’s next fiscal year, the process that was undertaken was a behind-the-scenes look at how the state budget is negotiated in a transparent process.
The pro tem and others who were part of the process will be available after the resolution is voted on for media interviews on Monday.