Committee backs bill to fund law‑enforcement coordinators for 11 regional COGs

The House Public Safety Committee voted to recommend HP 2,993, a measure to fund a dedicated law‑enforcement coordinator in each of the state's 11 Councils of Government, the bill's sponsor said.

Representative Hardin told the committee the position would work with rural sheriff and police departments to pursue grants, equipment and training. "We're looking at probably a 1.1 to $1,300,000 impact, for the COG to run the operation," the sponsor said, describing the expense as roughly $100,000 per COG per year to fund a coordinator's salary and travel.

The sponsor said the appropriation sought would fund the coordinator positions rather than pass money through to local governments. "That position ... is going to be responsible for this is going to go looking for rural law enforcement to see if they can help them with equipment, money, training," the sponsor said.

Scott Harding, who identified himself as executive director of the Eastern Oklahoma Development District, told the committee the money would be appropriated to fund positions rather than be distributed as grants and that the structure of COGs usually assigns one coordinator to an area that may include both metro and rural counties.

Some members pressed the sponsor about whether metropolitan counties contained in certain COGs (such as Tulsa or Oklahoma City) could receive a disproportionate share; the sponsor and the EODD director said the intent is for coordinators to target rural pockets within their COG area.

A motion to recommend the bill out of committee carried; the chair announced the committee vote as 7 yeas and 2 nays and said he would report the bill out with approval.

What happens next: The committee recommended HP 2,993 to the next stage. Any appropriation would be decided in the budget process, and the sponsor and staff said fiscal analysis will follow.