Learning from other states

Like many other professions, it is important that we, as legislators, along with our legislative staff, stay up to date on how other states are handling important issues. I believe one of best ways we can learn is by attending regional and national conferences during the interim, which is why I was excited to attend my very first legislative conference two weeks ago. It was interesting to see what other states are facing and be able to hear their elected officials discuss how they tackled problems at their Capitols.

These discussions allow our legislature to be more efficient with taxpayer dollars and not waste time trying to “reinvent the wheel” when it comes to creating public policy. Learning from other states’ successes, failures, and pending legal matters gives us a clearer path to policy development and strategy moving forward in the advancement of Oklahoma’s values and future.

The Council of State Governments (CSG) is our nation’s only organization that serves all three branches of state government and was founded in 1933. The CSG is broken up into smaller groups of states; Oklahoma is part of the Southern Legislative Conference (SLC), consisting of 15 states.

This is the largest regional gathering of state legislators, legislative staff, and government officials in the country. This annual meeting provides policymakers an opportunity to work with regional and national experts about the most critical and relevant state government policy issues facing the southern region.

Legislators and staff had the ability to attend various committee meetings during the conference to discuss areas of interest. As I’ve mentioned before, our President Pro Tempore Greg Treat appointed me to the SLC Human Services and Public Safety Committee toward the end of session, so I attended those committee meetings as part of my appointment and was able to make a presentation to the committee members regarding Medicaid expansion and the McGirt decision’s impact on Oklahoma. Other available committee meetings included conversations about agriculture, rural development, economic development, transportation, education, energy, and fiscal affairs.
During those meetings, legislators discussed how state governments, schools and the energy sector are operating under COVID-19, cybersecurity and unemployment claims, rural broadband access, improving and expanding the south’s infrastructure, federal energy changes, public pension reforms, the impacts of juvenile records on future education and employment opportunities, human trafficking, and the security of America’s energy grid. This was a great learning experience for me, and I look forward to next year’s SLC meeting, which will be held right here in Oklahoma.

I hope you know that every day that I am able to represent you makes me even more grateful than the previous day. It is truly the honor of a lifetime to have opportunities, such as attending the SLC conference, to learn more about how to best represent you at the Capitol.

Over the next few weeks, I would love to discuss topics that are important to you. If you have questions or ideas for articles, please call my office, write letters, or email me with suggestions. I’m happy to use your ideas and guidance to formulate legislative updates for you, and I look forward to hearing your questions, concerns, and areas of interest.

If you have any questions or concerns on legislative matters, please contact me at the Capitol. Please write to Senator Jessica Garvin, State Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd. Room 237, Oklahoma City, OK, 73105, email me at Jessica.Garvin@oksenate.gov or call (405) 521-5522.