Steve Lewis served as Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1989-1990. He currently practices law in Tulsa and represents clients at the Capitol.
By: Steve Lewis
April 8, 2019 // Updated: April 8, 2019
It seems a little earlier than usual, but you can tell when thoughts start turning toward adjournment of the Legislature by increased talk about the budget. Because the Legislature runs on a timetable of deadlines, the substantive law and policy… Read more [More...]
By: Steve Lewis
April 1, 2019 // Updated: April 1, 2019
It came to light recently that the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) is out of money and needs an emergency $16 million to avoid furloughing employees. Obviously, this isn't going down well with legislators who just went through the same thing in 2017 with the Oklahoma State Department of Health only to later learn that the shortfall wasn't really a shortfall. Senate Appropriations Chairman Roger Thompson has filed a bill splitting out the information technology functions of the agency. [More...]
By: Steve Lewis
March 18, 2019 // Updated: March 18, 2019
A defining issue for this legislature and Governor Stitt's leadership in his first session could be a remarkable advancement in criminal justice reform. [More...]
By: Steve Lewis
March 11, 2019 // Updated: March 11, 2019
Last week the Legislature turned its accountability focus toward state government, with leadership announcing agreement between the House, Senate and the Governor on five bills to reorganize the governance of five larger state agencies...It will be interesting to see how things work when the power brokers that have been given new powers strongly disagree with each other. It could be a prescription for "gridlock," which would be the opposite of "turnaround." [More...]
By: Steve Lewis
March 4, 2019 // Updated: March 4, 2019
With the passage of the first committee deadline, it's interesting to observe the bills the two top legislative leaders have filed. If they decide to throw the full weight of their office behind a proposal, it is likely to become law, at least in some form. [More...]
By: Steve Lewis
February 25, 2019 // Updated: February 25, 2019
The firehose effect of early session continued last week with members scrambling to get their bills heard in committee before this Thursday's deadline. By this Friday, the number of active bills will be reduced considerably. One of the big items that got the spotlight was a $1,200 teacher pay raise passed in the House and sent to the Senate. [More...]
By: Steve Lewis
February 18, 2019 // Updated: February 18, 2019
This year's crop of bills reflects the priorities of an unusually large group of new and almost new legislators. The priorities include a willingness to work on social issues that in the past may have been overlooked. [More...]
By: Steve Lewis
February 4, 2019 // Updated: February 4, 2019
Like most others, I’m feeling positive about the new legislative session. It’s sort of like just before the first game of the season every year. No wins, no losses, but lots of possibilities with expectations running high. We are fielding… Read more [More...]
By: Steve Lewis
January 28, 2019 // Updated: January 28, 2019
What is it about airplanes and state government? Governor Stitt announced, as one of his first official executive orders last week that he would order the sale of the state airplane. The governor, a pilot and successful businessman doing business… Read more [More...]
By: Steve Lewis
January 14, 2019 // Updated: January 19, 2019
Steve Lewis served as Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1989-1991. He currently practices law in Tulsa and represents clients at the Capitol.
It looks like we may be in for a wholesale change in the way state government works… Read more [More...]
OKPOLICY.ORG
It seems a little earlier than usual, but you can tell when thoughts start turning toward adjournment of the Legislature by increased talk about the budget. Because the Legislature runs on a timetable of deadlines, the substantive law and policy… Read more [More...]
It came to light recently that the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) is out of money and needs an emergency $16 million to avoid furloughing employees. Obviously, this isn't going down well with legislators who just went through the same thing in 2017 with the Oklahoma State Department of Health only to later learn that the shortfall wasn't really a shortfall. Senate Appropriations Chairman Roger Thompson has filed a bill splitting out the information technology functions of the agency. [More...]
A defining issue for this legislature and Governor Stitt's leadership in his first session could be a remarkable advancement in criminal justice reform. [More...]
Last week the Legislature turned its accountability focus toward state government, with leadership announcing agreement between the House, Senate and the Governor on five bills to reorganize the governance of five larger state agencies...It will be interesting to see how things work when the power brokers that have been given new powers strongly disagree with each other. It could be a prescription for "gridlock," which would be the opposite of "turnaround." [More...]
With the passage of the first committee deadline, it's interesting to observe the bills the two top legislative leaders have filed. If they decide to throw the full weight of their office behind a proposal, it is likely to become law, at least in some form. [More...]
The firehose effect of early session continued last week with members scrambling to get their bills heard in committee before this Thursday's deadline. By this Friday, the number of active bills will be reduced considerably. One of the big items that got the spotlight was a $1,200 teacher pay raise passed in the House and sent to the Senate. [More...]
This year's crop of bills reflects the priorities of an unusually large group of new and almost new legislators. The priorities include a willingness to work on social issues that in the past may have been overlooked. [More...]
Like most others, I’m feeling positive about the new legislative session. It’s sort of like just before the first game of the season every year. No wins, no losses, but lots of possibilities with expectations running high. We are fielding… Read more [More...]
What is it about airplanes and state government? Governor Stitt announced, as one of his first official executive orders last week that he would order the sale of the state airplane. The governor, a pilot and successful businessman doing business… Read more [More...]
Steve Lewis served as Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1989-1991. He currently practices law in Tulsa and represents clients at the Capitol.
It looks like we may be in for a wholesale change in the way state government works… Read more [More...]
