Review of state spending nearer with launch of LOFT

Members of the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) Oversight Committee held the group’s first meeting Tuesday, convening briefly to name two subcommittees that will develop proposals regarding the hiring of an executive director and administrative rules to guide the entity’s work.

Trump deregulation gets praise, but officials say more needed

Officials in Oklahoma and elsewhere praise the progress President Trump has made on deregulation, but caution that much work remains.

LOFT may be used more by watchdogs than lawmakers

This year, lawmakers created the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT), which will audit agency budgets and evaluate the effectiveness of state programs and services, issuing published reports of resulting conclusions.

Supporters say the office will lead to better legislative oversight and more efficient use of taxpayer dollars. But officials in other states with similar programs say private-sector watchdogs, rather than politicians, often make better use of the resulting data.

Lawmakers cite constitutional problems with Ethics Commission regulations

Members of the Oklahoma Senate overwhelmingly rejected proposed Oklahoma Ethics Commission rules on Friday, saying the regulations violated constitutional rights.

Mazzei nomination advances after defense of tax cuts, savings

The Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved the nomination of former Sen. Mike Mazzei to serve as Gov. Kevin Stitt’s cabinet secretary of budget, less than a week after that appointment appeared in jeopardy.