By Roger Thompson
State Senator Dist. 8
The 55th Legislative Session began on Monday, February 3, 2015.  Governor Mary Fallin delivered the State of the State address on Monday articulating some of the challenges ahead for the state.  As with her inaugural address, the governor outlined three areas she believes the state should focus. 
Governor Fallin placed an emphasis on education, prison reform and health care.  All of these are vital areas that demand our constant attention.
I believe each of these areas deserve to throughly evaluated and then action needs to be taken.  Too many times we study an issue and no action is taken leading us to celebrate the study instead of the implementation.
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I have been appointed to five committees.  I am serving as Vice Chair on the appropriations subcommittee of Transportation and General Government.   This committee will hold hearings and make recommendations on the budgets for 19 government agencies.  Those agencies are: Auditor and Inspector; Bond Advisor; Civil Emergency Management; Election Board; Ethics Commission; Governor; House of Representatives; Legislative Service Bureau; Lieutenant Governor; Office of Management and Enterprise; Merit Protection Commission; Military Department; Senate; Space Industry Development Authority; Tax Commission; Transportation Department and Treasurer.
I am also serving on the Business and Commerce, Judiciary, Education and Appropriations Committee.
Over the past several weeks, I have met with all of the Directors and Commissioners of the 19 agencies learning about their areas and also examining their budget request.  It is important to fund the core services for the state and yet it is also necessary to make recommendations to eliminate government programs that are not necessary and therefore wasting money.  Budget hearings will continue for the next month.
There is a need in Senate District 8 to bring more jobs to the area.  We are still asking every city to provide our office with a list of all available buildings.  I have already met with the Oklahoma State Commerce Department in an effort to keep District 8 before them.  They have asked for the integration of our list of buildings with their list to make sure that we are ready to move forward when an opportunity arises.  Bringing jobs to our district is very important.  We need manufacturing jobs.  Manufacturing jobs will produce 1.7 other jobs in the same community and therefore leading to more retail and need for housing.  Manufacturing in our base and we need to do all we can to enhance their ability to operate in District 8.  
One of the main issues this year will be the budget.  While the state of Oklahoma is required to have a balanced budget, it can be easily observed that we while we may be constitutionally balanced, we are not structurally balanced.  We need to live within our means as a state so that we do not have to balance the budget each year with one time appropriations from revolving funds.  I understand in the short term this is necessary, but in the long term, we need a more balanced structural basis to the state's budget.  It is also my belief that until we have sufficient means to fund our budget, we need to hold off on any more tax cuts.  
Please feel free to contact my office at the capitol if I can serve you in any way.  The office number is 405-521-5588 or you can email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..