Oklahoma Spending Transparency

Recent Developments

2011:

HB 1086, sponsored by Rep. Jason Murphey (R-31) and Sen. Clark Jolley (R-41), Chief Information Officer shall develop and maintain an online web presence at the web address “forms.ok.gov”.  The site shall allow public access to state financial information including financial records, tax and revenue reports, educational reports, contracts and payments on the part of the state, and bond indebtedness reports.

Introduced February 7, 2011 and assigned to the Committee on Government Modernization, which returned a favorable report on March 3, 2011.  Passed the full House on March 10, 2011 and transmitted to the Senate where it was referred to the Committees on General Government and Appropriations.  Returned with favorable recommendations from both committees on March 29, 2011 and April 11, 2011, respectively, and passed the full Senate on April 26, 2011.  Signed into law by the Governor on May 24, 2011.

Previously:

Introduced by Rep. Gus Blackwell (R-Goodwell) in February 2010, HB 3253, entitled the School District Transparency Act, requires the State Department of Education to develop a website showing itemized expenditures by the Oklahoma Cost Accounting System for each school district in the state. The website will be launched by January 1, 2011.

Passed House on March 2, 2010. Introduced in Senate and referred to Senate Committee on Appropriations on March 8, 2010; recommended Do Pass as amended on April 5, 2010.  The Senate failed to address the measure and the title was stricken.

Introduced by Rep. Ken Miller (R-Edmond) in February 2010, HB 3422, entitled the Government Accountability and Transparency Act of 2010, requires the Office of State Finance (OSF) to replace the state's "Open Books" website with a more expansive searchable online database called "Open Books 2.0." The database will list individual expenditures, regardless of amount, separate from aggregated amounts and in a standardized exportable format. The new website will launch by January 1, 2011. Within 18 months of the launch of Open Books 2.0, OSF will create an online archive for each fiscal year beginning with FY-11.

Governor signed bill on June 10, 2010.

Introduced by Sen. Randy Brogdon (R-Owasso) in February 2010, SB 1633, entitled the School District Transparency Act, requires the State Department of Education to develop and make available on its website a searchable database of school district expenditures. The website will be launched by January 30, 2011.

Passed Senate on March 1, 2010. Passed House on April 13, 2010. To Senate for concurrence. Governor signed bill on May 25, 2010.

Introduced by Sen. Anthony Sykes (R-Moore) in February, SB 1759 requires that the website developed by the Office of State Finance (pursuant to the Taxpayer Transparency Act) include expenditures data on the federal funds received by the Oklahoma state government pursuant to the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Introduced on February 1, 2010. Passed Senate on March 1, 2010. Introduced in House on March 16, 2010. Passed House on April 19, 2010.  Signed by the Governor on June 10, 2010.

Introduced by Sen. John Sparks (D-Norman) in January, SB 1933 requires than any transcript or other recording of any testimony and proceeding before a committee of the House or Senate be entered into a searchable online database, accessible through the website of each chamber.

Prefiled on January 14, 2010. Introduced on February 1, 2010 and referred to Appropriations, where it was awaiting review at the close of the legislative session.

The Oklahoma legislature voted in 2007 to pass spending transparency legislation. Governor Brad Henry (D) signed the bill into law in spite of criticism coming from the Chamber of Commerce regarding some of the disclosure requirements in the bill.  The sponsor of the legislation, State Sen. Randy Brogdon (R-Owasso), is working with the Department of Finance to make the website more comprehensive and add more detail than currently provided.

 

---

Spending Transparency Efforts

Website:
Oklahoma Openbooks
Live since September 2007

Legal Authority:
On June 4, 2007 Gov. Brad Henry (D) signed into law SB 1 sponsored by Sen. Randy Brogdon (R-Owasso).

Votes:
House: 92 : 0
Senate: 45 : 0
Conference committee at author's request.
House: 83 : 0
Senate: 43 : 0 

Fiscal Note:
Available here.
Note: The sponsor of the legislation reports that the software to build the website only cost $8,000, and the construction so far was done within existing revenues by re-allocating staff time.  

Agency Tasked With Implementation:
Office of State Finance
State Capitol
2300 N Lincoln, Rm 122
(405) 521-2141
(405) 521-3902 (fax)

Timeline:

• Website to be implemented no later than January 1, 2008 for aggregate information on expenditures, revnues, incentive payments, and tax credits.
• No later than January 2009, the website shall include search capabilities.
• As soon as practicable after Jan. 1, 2008, shall have detailed information on expenditure categories.

Covered Expenditures:

• Disbursements of state funds, whether appropriated or unappropriated, certain exclusions apply (see below).
• "Incentive payments" made under the OK Quality Jobs Program Act Saving Quality Jobs Act, OK Quality Act, OK Specialized Quality Investment Act and OK Quality Investment Act.
• Tax credits pursuant to the OK Income Tax Act against tax liability, certain exemptions apply.

Required Information:

For the expenditure of state funds or incentive payments:

• the name and principal localtion of the entity and/or recipient of the funds;
• the amount of state funds expended;
• the type of transaction;
• the funding or expending agency; and
• a descriptive purpose of the funding action or expenditure

For each tax credit information including, but not limited to:

• the name of each taxpayer to which a credit has been granted;
• the amount of such credit;
• the specific provision under which a credit has been granted.

Exempt Information:

• The transfer of funds between two state agencies;
• payments of state or federal assistance to an individual;
• child support payments;
• refunds issued by the Oklahoma Tax Commission resulting from the overpayment of tax;
• information relating to an individual's lace of residence, and information described in subsection D of Section 24A.7 of Title 51 of the OK statutes or by federal law relating to privacy rights.

Data Format Requirements:

•  searchable website allowing access to information at no cost;
• must included data for fiscal year 2007 and thereafter. Data must be updated no later than 120 days after the last day of the preceding year.

Expenditure Document Included?
Not required by act.

Salary Information Included?
Yes.
 

---

Local Spending Transparency Efforts

If you know of any local spending transparency efforts in Oklahoma or would like to get involved, please let us know.

 

---

State Think Tank Spending Transparency Efforts

Oklahoma Council on Public Affairs

The Oklahoma Council on Public Affairs has been promoting transparency in government spending and, together with Sen. Tom Coburn argued for the creation of a searchable online database for government expenditures, ultimately leading to the creation of Oklahoma Openbooks.

Elsewhere Around the Country: