Oklahoma legislators Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, R-Altus, and Sen. Michael Bergstrom, R-Adair, are spotlighting efforts to streamline the state's administrative rules process and increase governmental transparency. In a recent interim study, Kendrix shared "One of the things we’ve been working on is trying to make this process more transparent, get more people involved in it, make it more accountable not only to us as legislators but also to the public, where more people are aware of the rules process—how it works, the notification process, the public comment process," in a statement obtained by Oklahoma House of Representatives.
During this study, the Office of the Oklahoma Secretary of State represented by Chris Coffman highlighted two online resources dedicated to improving transparency, despite these efforts still being under progress at the time, the websites aim to facilitate the public's understanding and engagement with the workings of their government.
Openmeetings.ok.gov, the first resource unveiled, promises Oklahomans the ability to track up-and-coming and past public meetings, survey a calendar of future meetings, and examine a directory of all agencies and public bodies that adhere to the Open Meetings Act. It also allows citizens to sign up for email or text notifications for new meeting notices and documents. The other, rules.ok.gov, serves as a comprehensive portal for proposed administrative rules, which once approved, carry the weight of the law. This 'one-stop rules portal' is accessible to the public, elected officials, and agencies at each stage of the rulemaking process.
Kendrix, who also chairs the House Administrative Rules Committee, and Bergstrom recognized the administrative rules process's significance to Oklahoma's communities and businesses, with Bergstrom noting, "Oklahoma’s administrative rules process has an enormous impact on our state’s communities and businesses, so it's essential that this process is both clear and accessible to everyone," as stated in an interview with the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Kendrix and Bergstrom plan to apply the insights from this study to further enhance the efficiency and accountability of Oklahoma's rulemaking process to the people.
