State Sen. Bergstrom leads interim study on Administrative Rules process

An oft-overlooked but vital role for the Oklahoma Legislature is government oversight, especially in the approval or disapproval of administrative rules - how regulations are implemented by government agencies. I'm glad to see this getting some much-needed attention.

Bergstrom Leads Interim Study on Administrative Rules Process

OKLAHOMA CITY (Oct. 23rd) - On Wednesday, Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair, alongside Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, R-Altus, chaired an interim study with the Administrative Rules Committee to examine the current process agencies use to submit rules and how those rules are reviewed by the committee.

"It's important that we take a close look at each rule to ensure it serves a real purpose and doesn’t create unnecessary burdens,” Bergstrom said. “We also have to consider whether they have negative economic impacts or restrict individual freedoms. Above all, we must ensure they uphold constitutional principles."

During the study, experts in this field testified about the challenges within Oklahoma’s current system. They discussed how the rulemaking process could be streamlined and refined to better serve the state’s citizens.

“There has been a recent growth in interest across the county of how to hold the regulatory state in check,” Kendrix said. “We had several presenters today testify about reforms they have helped to implement around the country. If we are going to be one of the best states in the nation, we must fix the failings in our process that allows the unelected bureaucracy to regulate our constituency. We want the government to be ‘Of the People, By the People, and For the People’ not ‘of the bureaucracy, by the bureaucracy, and for the bureaucracy.’ We look forward to seeing more involvement from the legislature and our constituents moving forward as we look to implement some of the reforms presented today.”

The recommendations from this study will help inform future legislative efforts aimed at refining Oklahoma’s administrative rulemaking process to ensure clarity, efficiency, and accountability across state agencies.