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<v Speaker 1>Good morning, good morning, good morning, and welcome, welcome, welcome.

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<v Speaker 1>Idious time now for our community connection right here on

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<v Speaker 1>K one, the one.

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<v Speaker 2>You trust, and we're going to the big city, Oklahoma.

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<v Speaker 1>City, the Capitol. We have John B. Keen, our representative

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<v Speaker 1>here today. John, you brought a friend.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you, Tom, Yes, I did.

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<v Speaker 3>This is a This is an exciting day for me,

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<v Speaker 3>actually for Representative strawmas Well and Senator Daniels. We have

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<v Speaker 3>one of the really great leaders of our state here.

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<v Speaker 3>We have a Speaker of the House, Kyle Hilbert. Hey, Kyle,

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<v Speaker 3>who I'm just an honor for me to get to

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<v Speaker 3>serve under him at the down at the Capitol.

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<v Speaker 2>He's a great leader.

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<v Speaker 3>We talked about some things he's done that's changed from

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<v Speaker 3>the former leadership, and it's just doing things his own way,

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<v Speaker 3>and he's been very, very positive. So I'm thrilled to

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<v Speaker 3>have him up in District eleven and District ten, Oklahoma.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, great and Kyle, welcome a born. I understand you

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<v Speaker 1>guys been kind of putting the pedal to the metal

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<v Speaker 1>getting things done in this session.

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<v Speaker 4>Absolutely, so yesterday was our first committee deadline, So there

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<v Speaker 4>were thirty two hundred bills filed back in January, and

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<v Speaker 4>all bills that didn't make it through the committee process

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<v Speaker 4>or are now dead for the session. And so yesterday

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<v Speaker 4>was a big day. So we funneled bills down. Now

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<v Speaker 4>there's about a thousand pieces of legislation left that we'll

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<v Speaker 4>start vetting through as we go through the floor process.

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<v Speaker 2>But we've really been out of sprint.

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<v Speaker 4>And rezum Caine here to my right, he's our Vice

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<v Speaker 4>share of Appropriation, So him and our budget chairman, as

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<v Speaker 4>well as their counterparts in the Senate, really working hard

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<v Speaker 4>to put together a good budget for the taxpayers of Oklahoma.

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<v Speaker 1>Well this sounds good, you know, I know that this

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<v Speaker 1>is kind of a different time. We had all that

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<v Speaker 1>monopoly money, as Senator Daniels would call it. It was

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<v Speaker 1>coming in from Marpa. Now we're kind of going on

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<v Speaker 1>our own.

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<v Speaker 2>Absolutely.

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<v Speaker 4>So there's two big things that are impacting our budget

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<v Speaker 4>this year, of course, that we're watching is last year

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<v Speaker 4>we passed the largest tax cut in the history of

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<v Speaker 4>the state of Oklahoma by eliminating the sales tax portion

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<v Speaker 4>of grocery tax. We saw with the Biden inflation and

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<v Speaker 4>everything else that was impacting everybody when they're at the

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<v Speaker 4>grocery stores the impact of the price of everything, and

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<v Speaker 4>we wanted to reduce that. So now all Oklahoma's are

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<v Speaker 4>paying four and a half percent less at the grocery store,

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<v Speaker 4>which is great, but that also impacts our budget, right

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<v Speaker 4>since that was the largest tax cut in state history.

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<v Speaker 4>But also the monopoly money you referenced is all filtering

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<v Speaker 4>out of our economy now, so that federal money that's

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<v Speaker 4>been propping up our state is gone, and so we

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<v Speaker 4>just want to be diligent and wise about how we

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<v Speaker 4>go about our tax policy for the state.

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<v Speaker 1>Now, speaking of taxes, we'd like to go to zero,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, individual income tax, but it's going to take

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<v Speaker 1>a while to get there. You can't do that with

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<v Speaker 1>an ax. You got to do that with a scalpel,

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<v Speaker 1>don't you. And I think you just kind of outlined

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<v Speaker 1>it a little bit here by removing one tax and

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<v Speaker 1>what are you going to do in order to keep

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<v Speaker 1>things rolling?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah? Absolutely.

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<v Speaker 4>In recent years, we've done a lot of tax cuts.

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<v Speaker 4>I referenced the grocery tax cut. We've reduced income tax

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<v Speaker 4>in recent years from five to four point seventy five percent,

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<v Speaker 4>eliminated the franchise tax, eliminated the marriage penalty.

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<v Speaker 2>We used to our tax code used to.

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<v Speaker 4>Be structured in such a way that it was a

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<v Speaker 4>benefit to file as a single taxpayer versus marriage.

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<v Speaker 2>And that's not pro family values for Oklahoma.

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<v Speaker 4>So we've eliminated that, and so we've made a lot

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<v Speaker 4>of good progress, but again we want to be responsible

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<v Speaker 4>about it, and like you said, not an axe or

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<v Speaker 4>a chainsaw, but taken a scalpel to be really strategic

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<v Speaker 4>in how we go about our budgeting.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh great, great, Now we've got a lot of other

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<v Speaker 1>bills besides money going on. What are some of the

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<v Speaker 1>ones that are on your radar that you're looking at.

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, So education is of course always a hot topic.

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<v Speaker 4>And one piece of legislation that we've already passed off

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<v Speaker 4>our house floor was to reduce cell phone use in.

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<v Speaker 1>Schools and Johnny had a little to do with that.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, yes he did.

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<v Speaker 4>And so you know when you look when you talk

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<v Speaker 4>to young people today and you see them sitting around

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<v Speaker 4>somewhere probably inside, they're oftentimes not even having conversations with

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<v Speaker 4>each other because they're all sitting on their cell phones.

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<v Speaker 4>And so we also see that in our schools, and

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<v Speaker 4>so the goal of our legislation is to let kids

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<v Speaker 4>be kids and let teachers teach and get those cell

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<v Speaker 4>phones out of schools. But there's also a critical piece

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<v Speaker 4>in that I firmly believe I grew up in Depu, Oklahoma,

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<v Speaker 4>thirty three people in my graduating class.

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<v Speaker 2>And what's going to work at Deep High School.

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<v Speaker 4>It's going to look different from Bartlesvill High School, it's

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<v Speaker 4>going to look different from Tosa Public schools. And so

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<v Speaker 4>we're allowing local control on how you implement this because

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<v Speaker 4>that piece is really important.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, that's good. Flexibility is always good, especially when you

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<v Speaker 1>have a great idea. You don't want to see it

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<v Speaker 1>to go south because it didn't fit quite everybody's cheeksaw puzzle.

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<v Speaker 2>Absolutely.

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<v Speaker 4>And I also want to say, and I always want

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<v Speaker 4>to point this out when I'm talking about this subject.

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<v Speaker 4>We talk about kids, but we as adults need to

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<v Speaker 4>own it too. How many times have you been to

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<v Speaker 4>a restaurant and it's late at night, it's dinner, and

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<v Speaker 4>you see two people who are very clearly on a

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<v Speaker 4>date and they're not talking to each other, they're looking

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<v Speaker 4>down at their cell phone. So that's my challenge to

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<v Speaker 4>all the listeners is get off your phones. Have conversations,

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<v Speaker 4>talk to people.

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<v Speaker 1>The first thing I'm doing when I retire, that thing's

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<v Speaker 1>going in there. I've told that to everybody. Okay, and Johnny,

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<v Speaker 1>you've been working really hard here on the money part

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<v Speaker 1>too as well. What do you got to say about

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<v Speaker 1>your leader here? Has he really been keeping you guys

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<v Speaker 1>in liner? You guys been just kind of all on

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<v Speaker 1>the same page since the get go.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, he does he runs a tight ship, but

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<v Speaker 3>he empowers us to do our jobs, and that's the.

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<v Speaker 1>Really best of both works.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I really appreciate that about him.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, if you're a chairman or vice chairman of

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<v Speaker 3>a committee, he says, do your work, and he trusts

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<v Speaker 3>us to understand the topics and you know, if we

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<v Speaker 3>need him, we bring recommendations. He's got our back. So

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<v Speaker 3>he's terrific in that in that manner. So, yeah, we're

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<v Speaker 3>working hard. I think that there's a we talked about

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<v Speaker 3>it at the very first of this session. It's kind

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<v Speaker 3>of a it's a it feels different in the Capitol

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<v Speaker 3>this year with the new leadership on both sides of

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<v Speaker 3>the Rotunda and the Senate. In the House, that new leadership,

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<v Speaker 3>there's better, there's better conversations going on between the Senate

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<v Speaker 3>and the House than there have been the two years prior.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm delighted to see that.

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<v Speaker 3>I think that's only going to result in better policy

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<v Speaker 3>and going forward.

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<v Speaker 1>That sounds to me like there's been some improvement in communication,

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<v Speaker 1>in streamlining in some of the things that you do.

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<v Speaker 3>Oh.

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<v Speaker 2>Absolutely so.

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<v Speaker 4>One of the things that we did we changed our

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<v Speaker 4>House process to where we have a two tiered process

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<v Speaker 4>on most of the legislation. Now we've always done that

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<v Speaker 4>on appropriations bills, but now on policy bills as well.

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<v Speaker 4>Legislation went through a policy committee as well as a

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<v Speaker 4>polic oversight committee. And the reason we did that is

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<v Speaker 4>it shouldn't be easy to change the law in the

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<v Speaker 4>state of Oklahoma. There should be and we want more sunlight,

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<v Speaker 4>we want more transparency, and that's been a good thing.

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<v Speaker 4>We actually we had a town hall this morning in Via, Oklahoma,

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<v Speaker 4>and Senator Daniels, the floor leader in the Senate, said

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<v Speaker 4>that for the first time, I think she said in

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<v Speaker 4>living memory, the Senate still has more bills alive than

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<v Speaker 4>the House.

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<v Speaker 2>So our process worked.

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<v Speaker 4>We did a good job of funneling legislation, and you know,

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<v Speaker 4>but I think the end goal is to put out

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<v Speaker 4>good result from taxpayers.

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<v Speaker 1>Well Gate, speaking of that, you got the clock ticking

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<v Speaker 1>till we get done with session. What's in your windshield

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<v Speaker 1>here coming up in the next couple of weeks.

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, So our next big deadline is March twenty seventh,

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<v Speaker 4>So that's the big date to watch. So over the

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<v Speaker 4>course of the next three weeks, the House will be

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<v Speaker 4>hearing all those bills that came out of committee on

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<v Speaker 4>our side, our counterparts in the Senate will be doing

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<v Speaker 4>the same and then trying to navigate through what that

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<v Speaker 4>looks like. I mean, we talked about the budget a

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<v Speaker 4>little bit. All these policy bills they end up having

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<v Speaker 4>fiscal impacts as well, and so what does that end

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<v Speaker 4>up doing to the budget? How do you work that

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<v Speaker 4>all in a lot of good negotiations. As represent Kine said, though,

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<v Speaker 4>the relationship and the House of Senate, it couldn't be better.

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<v Speaker 4>I can't remember a time it's been better in my

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<v Speaker 4>nine years in office. And that doesn't mean we agree

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<v Speaker 4>on everything. Frankly, it wouldn't be good government if we

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<v Speaker 4>agreed on everything. But we can disagree better and have

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<v Speaker 4>good conversations about how to move the state forward.

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<v Speaker 1>ALRIGHTY want to thank you for being here. Is there

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<v Speaker 1>anything you'd like to add?

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<v Speaker 4>Sure, I would say one other thing that we're really

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<v Speaker 4>talking about is administrative rules. And I know administrative rules

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<v Speaker 4>are not something that are the hottest topic, and everybody

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<v Speaker 4>stays up late at night reading administrative rules. But we're

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<v Speaker 4>in legislative session February through May. We pass statutes. When

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<v Speaker 4>we leave session, then the bureaucracy, the agency heads, they

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<v Speaker 4>take those rules, those laws that we passed, and then

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<v Speaker 4>interpret them.

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<v Speaker 2>What do those mean?

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<v Speaker 4>And sometimes agencies and government has a tendency to scope,

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<v Speaker 4>creep and grow and go beyond the legislative intent that

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<v Speaker 4>we originally pass. And so we're really taking a close

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<v Speaker 4>look on administrative rules because those have impacts on people's

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<v Speaker 4>everyday lives. And if it has a substantial financial impact

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<v Speaker 4>on the state on Oklahomas, then now we're making it

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<v Speaker 4>where they're administrative rules have to come back to the

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<v Speaker 4>legislature for an up or down vote for legislative approval

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<v Speaker 4>by elected officials instead of just unelected officials determining the

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<v Speaker 4>law of.

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<v Speaker 2>The land in Oklahoma.

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<v Speaker 1>I dogs by time.

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<v Speaker 2>That's right. The Rains Act, that's great, that's great Thank you.

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<v Speaker 1>Gentlemen, John B. Thank you, and thank you Gut for

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<v Speaker 1>coming in. Appreciate it.

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<v Speaker 2>Great to have you.

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<v Speaker 3>Thank you.

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<v Speaker 2>Nice education today,