Capitol Comments by Senator Mark Allen In just a few short weeks, the Coronavirus pandemic has turned “normal” life upside down in much of the United States, and many changes have taken place right here in Oklahoma. On Tuesday, Governor Kevin Stitt ordered all non-essential businesses in counties with a confirmed positive COVID-19 case to close for 21 days to help slow the spread of the virus.
Essential businesses like grocery stores, gas stations and pharmacies will remain open. T
he governor also issued a “safer at home” policy for vulnerable populations until April 30, requiring them to remain at home except for essential travel to places like the grocery store, pharmacy or doctor.
State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister originally closed all Oklahoma schools until April 6, but additionally proposed schools move to a distance learning program for the rest of the year, meaning school buildings will still be closed. The State Board of Education approved this plan on Wednesday. According to Superintendent Hofmeister, distance learning methods will vary based on the needs and resources of each school district, allowing schools to have local control to best serve the needs of their students. The federal government has also approved Oklahoma’s request to suspend state testing for the school year.
The Oklahoma Tax Commission recently announced that the state tax return deadline would be extended to July 15, mirroring the new federal tax return deadline. They’re also allowing most tax payments to be deferred until July 15, allowing Oklahomans extra time to pay their tax bill during these uncertain times.
The Senate has been temporarily closed to comply with Centers for Disease Control recommendations to avoid groups of people larger than 10. Although we have not physically been at the Capitol, we have still been working remotely to fulfill our constitutional duty of writing and passing a balanced budget.
The COVID-19 outbreak and lower than expected oil prices will definitely impact our current budget, as well as the next. Fortunately, the legislature set aside $200 million last year in the Revenue Stabilization Fund, bringing the combined state savings account to approximately $1 billion. This is the largest savings balance in state history, and these reserves will help us continue to fund core services while we weather this storm.
If you are looking for more information regarding COVID-19, I encourage you to visit coronavirus.health.ok.gov for the latest state case numbers and health recommendations. If you have been impacted by COVID-19 and are looking for resources, please visit covidresources.ok.gov for social service, business service, consumer protection, election and other state resources.
Finally, I’d like to remind you to take part in the 2020 census. If you haven’t already, you should receive an invitation with a code to take the questionnaire online. Data collected from the census determines how billions of dollars in federal funding are allocated to states, including funding for core services like education, health care and transportation.
Oklahoma had one of the lowest response rates in the nation when the census was last taken in 2010 – let’s secure a better future for our state by getting an accurate population count. Thank you for allowing me to serve you, and please take care of yourself. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic together
. You can reach me or my executive assistant, Sarah Sands, at 405-521-5576 or Mark.Allen@oksenate.gov
-30- MAKE IT COUNT OKLAHOMA! Census Day is April 1 and Oklahoma needs a full count.
An undercount in the census of just 2 percent can cost the state $1.8 billion in lost federal money over the next 10 years. Fill out your census form, Oklahoma. Learn more at: www.2020census.gov.
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