Many if not most states have some sort of revolving fund(s) for courts that does not require re-appropriation each year but may be used by the courts for general operations or some specific purpose. The Oklahoma State Judicial Revolving Fund is a specific-purpose fund: funds are to be used for an alternative dispute resolution system (12 Okl. St. § 1809) and “to perform the duties imposed upon the district courts by law, and upon the Supreme Court and Court of Civil Appeals pursuant to Section 1310.1 of Title 20 of the Oklahoma Statutes. ” (20 Okl. St. § 1310.2).

HB 2174 authorizes the Administrative Director of the Courts to use the State Judicial Revolving Fund for all expenses related to the district courts, Court of Civil Appeals and the Supreme Court. The bill will allow the Administrative Director of the Courts to use the funds where there is the greatest need, with approximately $1 million from the State Judicial Revolving Fund utilized for Supreme Court Expenditures.

HB 2174 was introduced May 11 and sped quickly through the House which approved it on May 13 on an 88-3 vote. Things fell apart somewhat in the Senate. It bypassed committee hearings and went straight to the Senate floor where it was rejected 19-25 on May 17. On May 19 it was brought back to the floor and adopted on a 37-7 vote.

The break down of the May 17 vote on HB 2147 is interesting  when compared to the vote count on efforts to end merit selection (SJR 36) or require senate confirmation of those chosen by the governor through the existing merit selection process (SB 621), both of which while passed in the Senate went nowhere in the House.

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