Lawmakers push for increased transparency in OSDE spending

At the state Capitol, lawmakers are continuing their push for transparency at the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) with a new bill aimed at publicly reporting the department's expenditures.

House Bill 1621, which has undergone several amendments, now requires the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) to create a public portal where the OSDE will submit and report its expenditures for each fiscal year. The goal is to increase transparency and accountability across all state agencies, starting with the OSDE.

However, House Democrats voted against the bill in committee, arguing it is unnecessary. House Minority Leader Cindy Munson stated that the bill does nothing to hold the State Superintendent accountable and instead takes advice from an out-of-state advocacy group rather than addressing the actual needs of Oklahomans.

If successful, the bill’s author, Rep. Rob Hall (R-Tulsa), hopes to expand it to other areas of state government. The bill passed out of the House Committee with only three votes against it and will now move to the full House for consideration.