Page 13 - 2021 JAN/FEB Outdoor Oklahoma Magazine

Knowledge is the name Do other state agencies have liaisons?
of the game in making
high-level decisions. So, the All state agencies have either a designated legislative
Oklahoma Department of liaison or have staff tasked with coordinating legislative
activities in some capacity. This ensures that all state
Wildlife Conservation’s leg- agencies are responsive to the Legislature, and have the
islative liaison, Corey Jager, capacity to advance legislative initiatives for their agen-
works to inform lawmakers cies when needed.
about ODWC’s activities.
Formerly a human dimen- Has the Wildlife Department always had
sions specialist, Jager shares some insights a liaison?
about her current role.
Yes and no. The Wildlife Department in recent history
has tasked agency leaders with duties to liaise with the
Legislature. While this got the job done, ODWC was lacking
What is a legislative liaison? a coordinated effort with our legislative communications
and legislative initiatives. The Wildlife Department created
The point person between the State Legislature and a dedicated legislative liaison position about four years ago,
the agency. A liaison offers guidance to legislators on and I’ve filled the position since its creation. Having one per-
how bills might impact an agency, its employees or son serve as the liaison helps streamline communications
constituents. Liaisons also help coordinate responses with legislators, ensure requests receive timely responses,
to legislative requests, such as constituent questions, and most importantly that there is a person assigned to
provide testimony at legislative hearings, and help lead legislative initiatives from start to finish.
communicate legislative changes back to the agency
for implementation.
What are some topics that you might
address with Legislators?
Why is the State Legislature a consideration
for the Wildlife Department? One of the biggest misconceptions about the Wildlife
Department is that we receive appropriations from the
Because the Wildlife Department’s overarching pow- Legislature (state tax dollars). The Wildlife Department is
ers are defined by the Legislature, in Title 29 of the one of a few state agencies that receives ZERO state tax
Oklahoma State Statutes. Legislators may create, mod- appropriations. In fact, the Wildlife Department remains
ify or repeal laws, including laws within Title 29. While almost entirely funded through the sale of hunting and
the majority of bills filed are related to things like educa- fishing licenses and excise taxes on hunting and fish-
tion, health, and the budget, there are always a handful ing equipment. Because most of our revenue is directly
of bills that can impact ODWC, its employees and con- tied to license sales, I often speak with legislators about
stituents. During the 2020 legislative session, there were the impact of legislative proposals that change licens-
over 2,000 bills filed, of which about 30 were proposed ing, whether it be adding or removing licenses, adding
changes to Title 29. In particular, Title 29 houses all of exemptions or discounts, or altering fees.
ODWC’s licensing language
— types of licenses, fees,
exemptions, penalties, Corey JaGer/oDWC
etc. As the primary source
of funding for our agen-
cy, we must work with
the Legislature to ensure
licensing changes are not
detrimental to hunter and
angler participation, as
well as wildlife conserva-
tion funding. Additionally,
the Legislature often has
various oversight duties
for state agencies. State
laws require that ODWC,
as well as other agencies,
report on activities within
the agency, our budget,
and topics of importance Newly elected state legislators hear ODWC Director J.D. Strong speaking during a Wildlife 101 presentation at
to the Legislature. the State Capitol.
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