ABLE director seeks pay increases, digitization dollars and security upgrades

Director Clabes told the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee the agency that licenses and enforces statewide alcohol and related laws needs modest appropriations to remain competitive and modernize operations.

Clabes introduced executive staff and said the agency returns about $13 million to the General Revenue Fund while requesting roughly $6 million back in appropriations. He asked for two principal personnel items: a pay adjustment broken down in the request summary (about $590,000 in appropriations, with an additional $80,000 requested in some proposals to reach an average pay level comparable with other agencies) and $680,000 total to bring civilian and commissioned staff closer to peer agencies.

On records, Clabes said the agency began digitizing historical files and requested $150,000 to finish the project. "We're almost I think we're a little bit over halfway through," he said, and noted Department of Libraries retention rules affect whether paper copies must be kept.

Clabes also requested $100,000 for security upgrades at a leased building (secure vestibule, cameras and bulletproof glass to protect reception staff) and $100,000 for operational equipment — hand‑held radios, e‑ticket devices and a drone for event coverage. He said his fleet has been recapitalized through a governance fund and the agency is not requesting vehicles in this hearing.

Clabes described a rented centralized storage facility in Oklahoma City that holds seized property (roughly $3,000/month) and said the agency plans to auction some surplus alcohol with proceeds going to the state. He closed by thanking the committee and offering to provide supporting spreadsheets and slides.

The committee asked technical questions about retention of digitized records, storage costs and lease amounts; Clabes said licensing revenue is cyclical and explained how cash flow and seasonality affect carryover and one‑time spending.