The Senate approved Senate Bill 1139 to find may ways to compensate Oklahoma teachers. Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, said the ongoing teacher shortage is evidence that additional reforms must be made to keep professionals in the classroom. “For almost two decades, I taught in schools where good teachers were shorted on good pay while average…
The full Senate has approved Senate Bill 1544, which would prevent public, charter or virtual schools across the state from partnering with an individual or entity that performs, induces, or provides abortions. Authored by Sen. Roland Pederson, R-Burlington, the measure aims to prevent organizations, like Planned Parenthood, from instituting curriculum and normalizing sexual activities, behavior,…
The House passed bills to empower district attorneys to investigate election fraud. House Bill 2974, authored by Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Roland, requires the State Election Board to perform an annual query to determine how many individuals are registered at the same residential address. If more than ten registered voters share a single residential address, the…
The House approved two bills repealing the franchise tax and updating the interest rate for delinquent taxes. House Bill 3131 repeals the franchise tax and was authored by Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, R-Altus. Corporations pay a tax on retained capital, and the tax is assessed whether the corporation makes a profit or not. Currently, the franchise…
The Senate gave unanimous approval to Senate Bill 1547, which would make virtual public meetings a permanent fixture. The bill, authored by Sen. Brent Howard, R-Altus, would modify the Open Meetings Act to require public bodies such as school boards, local municipalities, and state agencies to stream and post all public meetings online if they…
Senate Education Committee chairman Adam Pugh wants Oklahoma to think outside the box when it comes to students earning credits for graduation. The Edmond Republican wrote Senate Bill 1623, the Learn Everywhere Act, to make public school students eligible for extended learning opportunities outside the classroom. “There are a number of opportunities outside of the…
The Senate approved to a bill to modernize and standardize services receive at local tag agencies. Sen. Chuck Hall, R-Perry, is the author of Senate Bill 1605. “The pandemic, along with software issues and other challenges implementing the issuance of REAL IDs, underscored the need to modernize and standardize how we deliver services to citizens,”…
Oklahoma could soon join the other 33 states that honor America’s military by not taxing their retirement pay, following the Senate’s unanimous approval of Senate Bill 401. The measure is authored by Air Force veteran Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, and Sen. Brenda Stanley, vice chair of the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee. Currently, Oklahoma’s…
February tax receipts to the Oklahoma Treasury show Oklahoma’s economy continues to expand, but the Russian invasion of Ukraine raises many concerns including inflationary pressure, State Treasurer Randy McDaniel said. February gross receipts of $1.06 billion are up by almost 12% compared to the same month of last year. That is a record high for…
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Compared to the beginning of 2021, more U.S. Protestant churches are gathering in person and more churchgoers are filling the pews. The return to pre-pandemic attendance levels has stalled, however, in recent months. The Latest Lifeway Research study found, despite a new variant wave of COVID-19, 97% of U.S. Protestant churches met…