The process will begin soon for legislators to recommend to the governor how they believe the state of Oklahoma should spend nearly two billion dollars in new federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Transcript:
Dick Pryor: This is Capitol Insider, your weekly look inside Oklahoma politics, policy and government. I'm Dick Pryor with eCapitol news director, Shawn Ashley. Shawn, the Joint Committee on Pandemic Relief Funding has a big job ahead. That is, to make recommendations to the governor about how the state should allocate the nearly one point nine billion dollars in federal money the state will receive under the American Rescue Plan Act or ARPA. This is a long and involved process. How will it work?
Shawn Ashley: According to the process outlined at the committee's inaugural meeting in July, ideas and project proposals which the committee will begin receiving around October 1st, will be assigned to one of four working groups for initial consideration. Now currently, those working groups are holding public meetings to sort of get a lay of the land. Tuesday and Wednesday, for example, the Health and Human Services Working Group heard from health, human services and mental health agencies and organizations about how the pandemic has impacted them and those they serve.
Eventually, the working groups will be joined by members of Governor Kevin Stitt's cabinet, and they will review those ideas and proposals that are submitted and recommend them to the full joint committee for its consideration. Those endorsed by the full committee will advance to a panel made up of legislators and four members of Governor Stitt’s senior staff for further review. And proposals that survive that review will go on the governor's staff who will make the final spending decisions. Now, keep in mind, this money does not come into the state until next year, 2022. And the state has until 2026 to spend all one point nine billion dollars.
Shawn Ashley: That's the process. Do we know the priorities for how this money is intended to be spent?
Shawn Ashley: The federal government has yet to adopt the final rules, but the interim rules broadly call for the money to be used to support the public health response to the pandemic, respond to the pandemics negative economic impact, provide premium pay for essential frontline workers, offset revenue losses and invest in infrastructure, among other things.
Dick Pryor: What are the state's goals for the use of the federal ARPA money?
Shawn Ashley: To meet the federal guidelines, the committee has to adopt a set of goals for the funding and use. That was a point of contention. At Wednesday's meeting, the committee's members appeared to agree on two of the three proposed goals - building a stronger, more innovative and more diverse economy for Oklahoma and investing in physical and digital infrastructure to expand opportunities across the state. Representative Jay Steagall, a Republican from Yukon, however, objected to a proposal to amend the goal of enhancing capabilities of services for the well-being of all citizens, especially the most vulnerable to include language that adds “in those most impacted by COVID-19.”
Senator Julia Kirt, a Democrat from Oklahoma City, said some Oklahomans were impacted more by the pandemic than others and suggested that the goals recognize that. Representative Cindi Munson, another Democrat from Oklahoma City, agreed. And so too did Representative Kyle Hilbert, a Republican from Depew who suggested the language be added to the goal. Steagall suggested amending the goal differently. Rather than adding to it, he suggested removing the language concerning the most vulnerable and not including the language regarding the most impacted by COVID-19. That, he said, would ensure that there are no special groups.
Dick Pryor: Shawn, we frequently hear criticism from legislators and the governor's office about what they call federal overreach. We just heard it again in response to President Biden's plan to require businesses with more than one hundred employees to mandate vaccinations or weekly COVID testing. Are there any overreach objections to accepting the federal ARPA funding?
Shawn Ashley: Not that I have heard. In fact, co-chairs Roger Thompson and Kevin Wallace, who lead the legislature's appropriations committees, have said this money can be transformative not just for the state government, but for individuals within Oklahoma, as well.
Dick Pryor: The extent of federal authority has also come up in another context: election laws. Interim studies were held to consider how the federal For the People Act might affect Oklahoma election procedures. Another study examined absentee voting. Why did lawmakers hear in those studies?
Shawn Ashley: Oklahoma State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax expressed concerns about the For the People Act. Now, you know, from the interviews we've conducted with Secretary Ziriax and listeners know from hearing those interviews that he is one who is not quick to comment on pending legislation. But in this case, he has said the federal legislation would result in the federalization of election administration policy that would negatively impact the state’s ability to administer fair and secure elections in Oklahoma.
Secretary Ziriax noted it also would permit a number of things that currently are not allowed under Oklahoma law, such as ballot harvesting, where individuals are able to collect large numbers of absentee ballots from places like nursing homes, mandatory drop boxes for absentee ballots, and requiring the state to accept late absentee ballots.
Representative Denice Crosswhite Hader, who requested the study, said, “This is where, in my opinion, the federal government is doing more than they should be.” The study on absentee voting focused on what Representative Andy Fugate said were edge cases where the current absentee voting laws impose barriers to individuals casting their ballots.
The committee heard from individuals and groups who talked about the requirements that absentee ballots be notarized, in particular, that pose problems for the disabled, who may have difficulty traveling to a notary, minority communities where there simply are not as many notaries and voters in rural areas where notaries are becoming harder to find. And then again, you may have that transportation issue.
Dick Pryor: What comes of these interim studies?
Shawn Ashley: Interim studies often serve as the springboard for legislation that will be considered in the upcoming legislative session. During a recent day and a half study on medical marijuana, for example, a number of members saw issues they would like to see addressed in that arena. And the chair of the committee suggested at the end of it that we would likely see another omnibus medical marijuana bill in the 2022 legislative session.
Dick Pryor: Thanks, Shawn.
Shawn Ashley: You're very welcome.
Dick Pryor: And that's Capitol Insider. If you have questions, e-mail us at news@kgou.org and contact us on Twitter @kgounews and @ecapitol. You can also find us online at kgou.org and ecapitol.net. Until next time, with Shawn Ashley, I'm Dick Pryor.
