Sen. Thompson appointed to national committee on fiscal affairs and operations

State Sen. Roger Thompson has been selected to represent the Oklahoma State Senate with another national appointment. Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Schulz has chosen Thompson to serve on the Fiscal Affairs and Government Operations Committee of the Southern Legislative Conference (SLC) of the Council of State Governments (CSG).

The SLC includes the states of Alabama; Arkansas; Florida; Georgia; Kentucky; Louisiana; Mississippi; Missouri; Oklahoma; North Carolina; South Carolina; Tennessee; Texas; Virginia; and West Virginia.

Thompson is the chair of the Oklahoma State Senate’s Appropriations Subcommittee on Finance and has authored and carried some of the more complex and crucial measures this session impacting fiscal policy and government operations—key areas that are the focus of this SLC panel.

“Being engaged with legislators from other states gives us a chance to learn more about how they are addressing some of the very same issues we’re facing here in Oklahoma,” said Thompson, R-Okemah. “One of the unique aspects of CSG is how it groups states in regions, meaning within SLC, we are working with peers from states that are similar to Oklahoma in terms of their economies and other key areas. It makes it easier to adapt good legislation and adopt best practices from those states to the benefit of our citizens.”

Earlier this year, Thompson was appointed to serve on the National Conference of State Legislatures Task Force on State and Local Taxation. Just last month, Thompson was chosen as the Oklahoma State Senate’s representative to the state’s Streamlined Multi-Sales and Use Tax Agreement Governing Board.

“These appointments place more demands on my time and attention, but each ultimately gives me greater insight, experience and expertise I can draw from as I serve the citizens of Senate District 8,” Thompson said. “I appreciate the confidence Pro Tempore Schulz has placed in me and look forward to utilizing what I learn for the betterment of this district and for our state.”