Author: Steve Lewis

A wild ride for first-term legislators (Capitol Update)

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. As a postscript to this year’s legislative session, I’ve been thinking about what it would be like… Read more [More...]

It shouldn’t be this hard to get something done to fund basic services (Capitol Update)

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. As a non-voting participant in the process, from a distance and only on the issues in which… Read more [More...]

New budget marks a return of line-item appropriations (Capitol Update)

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. When Republicans took full control of the legislature, both House and Senate, they began a process of… Read more [More...]

Will the history of SQ 640 repeat itself? (Capitol Update)

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. For those who remember, history in some respects is poised to repeat itself. The events unfolding now… Read more [More...]

Next year’s Legislature will look different (Capitol Update)

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. No matter what happens in the elections — which promises to be plenty — the legislature next… Read more [More...]

Despite all the complaining about SQ 640, legislators avoid votes to reform it (Capitol Update)

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. This past week was important in determining what legislators will be able to accomplish this session. It… Read more [More...]

The race is on for next year’s House and Senate leaders (Capitol Update)

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 is a sign of the times that there is a leadership race going on in both… Read more [More...]

Try, fail, repeat, success? (Capitol Update)

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. With what was termed the last hope for raising revenue this session, HB 1033XX, failed… Read more [More...]

As legislative session begins, the first business is cleaning up last year’s budget mess (Capitol Update)

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. The legislative session started Monday, and it may be one of the most difficult ever. Legislators must… Read more [More...]

‘Step Up’ revenues are only the first step needed to fix Oklahoma’s budget problems (Capitol Update)

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. The House and the Senate appropriations committees have continued their budget hearings looking at agency requests for… Read more [More...]