Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, sparked controversy this week as he accused the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) of presenting misleading information regarding the costs of his proposed bill. According to a statement obtained by the Oklahoma State Senate, OMES claimed that Senate Bill 179, which would require state agencies to handle their own information technology services, could lead to the employment of 600 new full-time staff and potentially cost up to $586 million in the first year following its enactment and as much as $1.7 billion over five years.
The chair of the Senate Retirement and Government Resources Committee did not mince words during a recent committee meeting, "OMES is trying to deceive the Legislature and Oklahoma taxpayers with this illogical and obviously misleading financial estimate," Bullard said. He suggested that the agency resorted to scare tactics to sway opinion against the bill, which he believes can be implemented in a manner far more cost-effective than Office of Management and Enterprise Service estimate conveys. Despite the claims of the office, Bullard maintains that not only is this added expense unnecessary, but that it serves to hinder the legislative process, as stated by the Oklahoma State Senate.
Bullard’s bill aims to dismantle the Information Services Division within Office of Management and Enterprise Services, insisting that state agencies can manage their own IT services more efficiently. He argues that the estimated need for a sudden surge to 600 new employees stands as a stark overestimation aimed at obstructing the bill's progress, as reported by the Oklahoma State Senate.
Critics of Bullard's stance question the feasibility of his claims, fearing that the elimination of centralized IT services could lead to fragmentation and inefficiencies. Nevertheless, Bullard remains steadfast in his criticism of Office of Management and Enterprise Services, " It’s unacceptable behavior like this that makes me believe our state and our government agencies would be better off without OMES gumming up the works," as per the Oklahoma State Senate. Such disputes highlight the complex debates surrounding government reform and the allocation of state resources, as officials differ on how best to achieve efficiency and fiscal responsibility.
