$45 Million Emergency Tornado Relief Measure Approved

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma House of Representatives unanimously passed Senate Bill 249, a measure that will provide relief in response to the May 2013 tornadoes.

Governor Mary Fallin applauded passage of the emergency aid legislation. SB 249 will direct $45 million from the Rainy Day Fund to the Office of Emergency Management for immediate tornado relief. These funds will match a portion of the federal funds that have been allocated to local governments for their relief efforts. The funds will be administered by the Oklahoma Office of Emergency Management and used to reimburse local governments for relief efforts related to natural disasters, including the May 19 and May 20 tornadoes.

“The tornadoes that struck several Oklahoma communities this week were absolutely devastating,” said Fallin. “We are currently in an all-hands-on-deck effort to recover and rebuild. My thanks go out to our Legislature for helping to ensure that communities hit hard by storm and tornado damage will have the support they need moving forward.”

Money from the fund will match 12.5 percent of federal dollars spent to reimburse counties, cities, and towns for infrastructure damages that occur under a presidential disaster declaration. It will also be used to cover extraordinary response costs incurred by state agencies while responding to natural disasters.

“We lost 26 Oklahomans and hundreds continue to suffer due to this tragedy,” said Representative John Echols, R-Oklahoman City. “It is of the greatest priority that we come together as a legislature and provide help when our people are most vulnerable. We are a strong state made of strong people. We will overcome this tragedy and we will rebuild.”

“Tragedy has once again fallen upon our great state,” said Rep. Paul Wesselhoft, R-Moore. “Communities have been destroyed and lives have been ended, all too soon. The world has been watching and Oklahoma and has proven that we are a brave people able to unite and rise above this challenging time. I give my thanks to my fellow lawmakers for their votes.”

News outlets are predicting the total dollar amount in damage to exceed the May 3, 1999 tornado, which was greater than $1 billion. Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John Doak has made early predictions that damage could be well over $2 billion.

“The devastation that has fallen upon my district and this state is indescribable,” said Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore. “Oklahomans are facing a great hardship and the road to recovery will be long. I applaud my fellow lawmakers for their united compassion.”

“The people of Oklahoma have placed their trust in us as elected officials,” said Rep. Jason Nelson. “With that trust comes the responsibility to do what is right. By opening our hearts and through God’s guidance, I believe this chamber’s unanimous passage of this measure reinforces our commitment to the people of this state. This legislature is united. We are Oklahomans.”

Senate Bill SB 249 passed unanimously in both the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the Oklahoma State Senate. It was authored by Senate Pro Tem Brian Bingman and Representative Jason Nelson.

SB 249 will now go to the desk of Gov. Mary Fallin to be signed into law.

Governor Signs Community Service for Child Support Bill

OKLAHOMA CITY – Gov. Mary Fallin recently signed into law a measure that officials hope will encourage parents to stay up to date on their child support payments.

Rep. Jon Echols
R-Oklahoma City

House Bill 2166, by state Rep. Jon Echols and state Sen. Brian Crain, authorizes courts to require individuals who are willingly unemployed and who owe child support to work two eight-hour-days per week in a community service program administered by the county commissioners.

“This bill will encourage personal accountability among able bodied parents,” said Echols, R-Oklahoma City. “Your children, whether they live with you or not, are your responsibility alone. If a person cannot or will not provide the financial support the court has required of them, there needs to be consequences.”

Crain said every parent has a responsibility to take care of their children.

“It is saddening and infuriating that people are more interested in their money than their family,” said Sen. Crain, R- Tulsa. “This creates a method for the judiciary to protect the children and hopefully instill right-thinking in the dead-beat parent.”

Oklahoma County Commissioner Brian Maughan, whose SHINE community service program inspired the legislation, said giving judges the authority to sentence deadbeat parents to community service will provide a potent new tool to encourage them to meet their child support obligations.

“Working two days a week picking up litter or painting over graffiti might just provide the motivation some of these non-paying parents need,” said Maughan. “We are ready and eager to start enrolling any parent sentenced by the judges in SHINE as a way to encourage them to get to work and live up to their responsibilities.”
Maughan said other counties have inquired about ways to emulate the successful SHINE program, and that the new legislation will add to that urgency.

“This is a model program that can save jail costs, teach offenders important lessons about personal responsibility and improve our community at the same time,” said Maughan. “I am grateful to Rep. Echols and Sen. Crain for sponsoring this important bill and to Gov. Fallin for signing it.”

HB 2166 passed overwhelmingly out of both chambers of the Legislature, including votes of 97-1 in the House and 47-1 in the Senate.