Senate Republicans Protect Taxpayers Dollars From Special Interest Groups

The Oklahoma State Senate approved House Joint Resolution 1014 late Wednesday, which prevents outside interests groups from mandating certain government funding and allows for taxpayer dollars to be spent efficiently and a budget to be balanced in a bipartisan fashion.

House Joint Resolution 1014 sends to a vote of the people a resolution that would protect the Legislature from being forced to make expenditures for any function of government using a predetermined formula, or based on expenditure levels of any other state government or entity. The resolution would allow voters to amend Oklahoma’s constitution to prevent unfunded mandates that force drastic cuts in government with the absence of voter insight in state finances.

Majority Floor Leader Todd Lamb sponsored HJR 1014 and says citizens in other states should not determine how the Oklahoma legislature spends taxpayer dollars.

“The people sent us here to do a job,” Lamb said. “A mandate that would determine our state’s funding based on another state’s expenditures, would limit us in our representation to our constituents that sent us here to make decisions on their behalf in how we appropriate state dollars. Our expenditures should be based on what is best for Oklahoma and not based on funding in other states.

“Representative Leslie Osborn has worked diligently in the House to ensure taxpayer dollars are protected and spent efficiently and I thank her for her dedication.”

Oklahoma citizens will have the opportunity to vote on this legislation in the form of a state question in the 2010 General Election.