Safeguarding Taxpayer Dollars
April 9th, 2010
DURANT, Okla. – Hello again, everyone! Currently, the Senate is working on House bills approved by representatives, while the House of Representatives is working on Senate bills.
Some bills have already passed both the House and Senate and been sent to the governor. Almost all of those received strong bipartisan support, and all but one has been signed into law.
This week, the governor issued his first veto of the 2010 session, and he made a wise choice. The bill, Senate Bill 1342, would have weakened training requirements for some school treasurers. It was a bill I opposed when it came before the Senate in February.
It is a bad bill because it would have reduced effective oversight of some taxpayer dollars. Under existing law, every school district treasurer is required to get at least 12 hours of training on school finance law, ethics, accounting and the duties and responsibilities of the job. Also, school treasurers are required to get 12 hours of continuing education every three years.
In some cases, county treasurers also serve as treasurers for school districts. SB 1342 would have made school finance training voluntary for county treasurers who also serve as school district treasurers. Despite the measure having broad support in the Senate and House of Representatives, I opposed it.
When asked by the governor’s office why I voted “no,” I shared my concern the bill would weaken oversight of taxpayer dollars directed to educate children. School district funding is extraordinarily complicated, and the required training – while not an undue burden – is very important to protect our tax dollars.
In his veto message to the Legislature, Governor Henry shared those same concerns. “Senate Bill 1342 could impair accountability and undermine public trust by eliminating important training requirements for government officials sworn to administer and protect school funds,” the governor wrote.
“Given the complexities of school finance, undergoing 12 hours of specialized training once every three years is not onerous for any public official, and retaining the requirement would be in the best interest of the people of Oklahoma.” I agree completely, which is why I opposed the measure when it came before senators.
Safeguarding taxpayer dollars should be among our top priorities. Clearly, this bill should not become law. I will work to encourage my colleagues to join me in voting “no” should any attempt be made to override the governor’s wise and courageous veto.
If you have concerns on any issue, please do not hesitate to contact me. My Capitol phone number is (580) 924-2221 or (405) 521-5586. You can send me an email through my website at www.gumm.us. Also, you can follow me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jpgumm and on Twitter at twitter.com/jpgumm.
As always, thank you for giving me the opportunity to work for you in the Senate. It is an honor to be your voice at the State Capitol.
Thanks for reading this week’s “Senate Minute.” Have a great week, and may God bless you all.