‘Senate Minutes’ with Senator Chuck Hall

After a week of marathon floor sessions to hear a slew of bills, the Legislature has reached the halfway point in this legislative session. March 27 was the deadline for bills to be heard in their chamber of origin, meaning Senate bills had to be heard by the full Senate and House bills had to be heard by the full House. Of the more than 3,000 bills filed before this session started, just over 300 Senate bills and 439 House bills remain alive and moving through the process. This halfway point is critical because it allows both chambers to start considering each other’s proposals. This is when the real back-and-forth between the two chambers begins, as lawmakers debate and amend bills before they can potentially reach the governor’s desk. Both legislative chambers will also ramp up our work to build a state budget. The Senate, through the Appropriations Committee, will craft a proposed state spending plan for next year while House budget leaders come up with their own proposal. As Appropriations Chairman, I’ll begin negotiating more with my House counterparts on specifi c budget items while also working with representatives from the governor’s office. Unlike the federal government, the Oklahoma Legislature is required to pass a balanced budget each year. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate and the House to finalize a spending plan before the end of this session.