Representative Judd Strom

R

District 10

Hi, I'm Judd Strom and I represent the people of Oklahoma's 10th District.


representative

News & Announcements

May 21, 2026
Recent Posts

Strom's Eight-Bill Package Addressing Government Spending Oversight Signed into Law

OKLAHOMA CITY – A bipartisan package of eight bills authored by Rep. Judd Strom, R-Copan, that will increase transparency in public contracts and prevent misuse of taxpayer dollars has been signed into law. The legislative package of bills was developed following concerns about gaps in government spending oversight and after an audit by State Auditor & Inspector Cindy Byrd identified $93.4 million in misspent expenditures. Strom, who serves as the Chairman of the House General Government Appropriations and Budget Committee, worked alongside lawmakers from both parties during the 2025 interim to identify ways to prevent similar issues from happening again. Other lawmakers included Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, R-Altus; Rep. Denise Crosswhite-Hader, R-Piedmont; Rep. Mike Dobrinski, R-Okeene; Rep. Preston Stinson, R-Edmond; and Rep. Andy Fugate, D-Oklahoma City. "I brought in lawmakers and from all over the State and political spectrum to work on this project. We all agreed that the people we serve deserve to be confident in the idea that their investment in this State is being handled responsibly," Strom said. "This was a heavy lift, but I appreciate the long hours and hard work that each member put in. I also appreciate the time and effort that the Auditor and her staff lent to us. We went back over years of documented waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars and asked, ‘What would have prevented this? What can we put in place to make sure this never happens again?" Governor Kevin Stitt signed all eight bills into law and said transparency is important to Oklahomans. "As governor, I have fought for transparency and accountability for Oklahoma taxpayers. The transparency laws passed this session further that goal," Stitt said. "Government works for the people, not the other way around, and these reforms help preserve the trust Oklahomans have in their state and local institutions." The legislation focuses on increasing transparency in state contracting, adding more safeguards to the procurement process, improving documentation requirements and helping prevent conflicts of interest and misuse of public funds. "Too often, lawmakers and taxpayers are left finding out after the fact that millions of dollars were mishandled or poorly tracked," Strom said. "These new laws put stronger safeguards in place on the front end so contract details are easier to access, and the public can better see where their money is going." The package also includes reforms related to government bidding practices. Lawmakers said the measures are intended to create a more transparent and competitive process while discouraging favoritism and poor-quality contracting. "This legislation helps eliminate the good-old-boy system by creating fairness in contracting," Strom said. "The honest contractors doing things the right way should not have to compete against bad actors benefiting from weak oversight." The new laws included in the package are: House Bill 3413 by Strom and Sen. Tom Woods, R-Westville, expands transparency in state agency contracting by requiring agencies to publicly list contractors, contract values and project status while disclosing consultant reports and staffing-related contracts. House Bill 3414 by Strom and Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City, directs the Office of Management and Enterprise Services to improve accounting systems related to service contracts, staff augmentation and documentation for digital and intangible assets. House Bill 3415 by Strom and Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, requires vendors to disclose subcontractors, tightens documentation standards, mandates post-project reviews and creates a public database of state contracts. House Bill 3418 also by Strom and Daniels updates the Public Competitive Bidding Act to refine procedures for public construction projects and ensure more consistent bidding practices, and criminalizes violations of the Central Purchasing Act. This law will take effect Nov. 1, 2027. House Bill 3416 by Strom and Sen. Jerry Alvord, R-Wilson, allows counties to seek quotes for certain smaller purchases while maintaining documentation and oversight safeguards. House Bill 3417 also by Strom and Alvord authorizes certain political subdivisions and public trusts to use real-time reverse auction bidding procedures for goods and services purchases. House Bill 3419 by Strom and Sen. Jack Stewart, R-Yukon, tightens ethics laws by making it a felony for officials, employees or contractors to use confidential government information for personal financial gain. House Bill 3420 by Strom and Sen. Carrie Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, tightens oversight requirements for negotiated contracts and requires additional public reporting of procurement activity. All measures take effect Nov. 1, except for HB3418, which takes effect Nov. 1, 2027.

Mar 24, 2026
Recent Posts

House Passes Government Oversight and Ethics Reform Package

OKLAHOMA CITY – A bipartisan package of reforms aimed at strengthening oversight of taxpayer dollars and reinforcing ethical standards in state and local government passed the House floor today and now heads to the Senate for further consideration. The initiative is led by Rep. Judd Strom, R-Copan, who worked with members of both parties after concerns surfaced about gaps in government spending oversight. Lawmakers also collaborated with State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd following an audit that identified $93.4 million in questionable expenditures over the past year. "I appreciate the House’s support and recognition of the need for these bills," Strom said. "Ultimately, the responsibility to act falls on us as lawmakers, and as chair of the General Government Committee, I take that responsibility seriously. These measures are about identifying inaccuracies, addressing them directly and eliminating fraud, waste and abuse within our agencies. When we approve funding, we must ensure those dollars are going exactly where they are intended. I look forward to advancing these measures to the Senate and working with Senate authors to get them across the finish line and signed into law." Lawmakers who worked alongside Strom on the bills include Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, R-Altus; Rep. Denise Crosswhite-Hader, R-Piedmont; Rep. Mike Dobrinski, R-Okeene; Rep. Preston Stinson, R-Edmond; and Rep. Andy Fugate, D-Oklahoma City. The reform package includes the following measures: House Bill 3413 would expand transparency in state agency contracting by requiring agencies to publicly list contractors, contract values and project status. It would also mandate posting consultant reports and disclosing whether contracts are for outside services or to supplement staffing. The Senate author of the measure is Sen. Tom Woods, R-Westville. House Bill 3414 would direct the Office of Management and Enterprise Services to improve accounting systems to distinguish between service contracts and staff augmentation clearly. It also requires permanent documentation for digital and intangible assets purchased by agencies. The Senate author of the measure is Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City. House Bill 3415 would require vendors to disclose subcontractors, set stronger documentation standards and mandate post-project reviews to confirm work was completed on time and within budget. The bill also creates a publicly accessible database of state contracts. The Senate author of the measure is Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville. House Bill 3418 would update the Public Competitive Bidding Act by refining procedures for public construction projects, clarifying definitions and ensuring consistent bidding practices, including for school district contracts. The Senate author of the measure is also Sen. Daniels. House Bill 3416 would allow counties to seek quotes for certain smaller purchases instead of always using a lengthy bidding process, while maintaining safeguards and documentation requirements to prevent misuse. The Senate author of the measure is Sen. Jerry Alvord, R-Wilson. House Bill 3417 would clarify that cities and towns must follow state competitive bidding laws and may not adopt local rules that weaken or bypass those standards. The Senate author of the measure is also Sen. Alvord. House Bill 3419 would strengthen state ethics laws by making it a felony for current or former state or local officials, employees or contractors to use confidential government information for personal financial gain. Convictions could include prison time, fines and a prohibition on holding public office or entering into state contracts. The Senate author of the measure is Sen. Jack Stewart, R-Yukon. House Bill 3420 would amend the Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act to strengthen oversight when contracts are negotiated rather than competitively bid. It would require stronger justification, clearer documentation and public reporting of procurement activity, and directs OMES to publish purchasing reports online for public review. The Senate author of the measure is Sen. Carrie Hicks, D-Oklahoma City. A video of Strom presenting the bills on the House floor is available here .

Mar 5, 2026
Recent Posts

Legislative Package Strengthening Oversight of Public Funds Advances from Committees

OKLAHOMA CITY – A bipartisan package of reforms aimed at strengthening oversight of taxpayer dollars and reinforcing ethical standards in state and local government has passed House committees and is now eligible to be heard on the House floor. The initiative is led by Rep. Judd Strom, R-Copan, who collaborated with members of both parties after concerns surfaced about gaps in government spending oversight. The group worked closely with State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd, after an audit revealed $93.4 million in questionable expenditures over the past year. Strom said the findings showed the need for stronger safeguards to ensure public funds are properly documented, transparently reported and used for their intended purposes. "When I read that audit, it was frustrating," Strom said. "Serving as chair of the General Government Committee, I knew we couldn’t ignore it. We sat down with the State Auditor to pinpoint breakdowns in contracting and procurement and began working on solutions that safeguard taxpayer dollars, cut unnecessary costs and prevent abuse. The people footing the bill deserve full confidence in how their money is being handled." After several months of collaboration, lawmakers advanced the measures to address ongoing concerns about government spending. The lawmakers say the proposals would create greater uniformity and clarity when contracts involving public funds are violated, helping ensure stronger accountability for the use of taxpayer dollars. Strom met regularly with Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, R-Altus; Rep. Denise Crosswhite-Hader, R-Piedmont; Rep. Mike Dobrinski, R-Okeene; Rep. Preston Stinson, R-Edmond; and Rep. Andy Fugate, D-Oklahoma City. The group worked closely with Byrd, whose office conducted a detailed review of contracting practices, procurement systems and accountability laws to identify weaknesses. "The people of Oklahoma expect their government to operate in the open and within clear guardrails," the lawmakers said in a joint statement. "As a group, we took a hard look at how public dollars move through the system and where transparency could be strengthened. These bills are about closing gaps and making sure accountability is built into every step of the process. They also establish clear guardrails so that once lawmakers appropriate funds, agencies are not simply free to spend that money however they choose. Taxpayers deserve nothing less." Byrd said the lawmakers who are working on these bills are doing a great service for the taxpayers of Oklahoma. "If the bills are signed into law, it would be a great step forward in accountability," Byrd said. "I have spent the last seven years blowing the whistle on government mismanagement but our current laws are not designed to hold bad actors accountable. I highly commend each of these lawmakers for demanding the financial guardrails Oklahoma desperately needs. Even our greatest problems can be solved when our leaders unite behind a singular purpose.” The reform package includes the following measures: House Bill 3419 – Would strengthens state ethics laws by making it a felony for current or former state or local officials, employees or contractors to use confidential government information for personal financial gain. Convictions could include prison time, fines and a prohibition on holding public office or entering into state contracts. House Bill 3413 – Would expand transparency in state agency contracting by requiring agencies to publicly list contractors, contract values and project status. It also mandates posting consultant reports and disclosing whether contracts are for outside services or to supplement staffing. House Bill 3414 – Would direct the Office of Management and Enterprise Services to improve accounting systems to clearly distinguish between service contracts and staff augmentation. It also requires permanent documentation for digital and intangible assets purchased by agencies. House Bill 3415 – Would require vendors to disclose subcontractors, sets stronger documentation standards and mandates post-project reviews to confirm work was completed on time and within budget. The bill also creates a publicly accessible database of state contracts. House Bill 3416 – Would allow counties to seek quotes for certain smaller purchases instead of always using a lengthy bidding process, while maintaining safeguards and documentation requirements to prevent misuse. House Bill 3417 – Would clarify that cities and towns must follow state competitive bidding laws and may not adopt local rules that weaken or bypass those standards. House Bill 3418 – Would update the Public Competitive Bidding Act by refining procedures for public construction projects, clarifying definitions and ensuring consistent bidding practices, including for school district contracts. House Bill 3420 – Would amend the Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act to strengthen oversight when contracts are negotiated rather than competitively bid. It would require stronger justification, clearer documentation and public reporting of procurement activity, and directs OMES to publish purchasing reports online for public review. All of the bills are now eligible to be considered on the House floor.