The Oklahoma Constitution newspaper publishes a Conservative Index on each member of Oklahoma’s state senators and representatives each year.

Their rating is based on the voting  record of each legislator.  Ten bills are selected that both the House and Senate voted on, that are considered to be over a variety of topics that  having a yes or no vote would distinguish a conservative from a liberal. If you vote as a conservative you would receive 10 points, liberal 0 points.  If you were not able to vote that day you would receive 3 points. 100 would be the most conservative and 0 would be most liberal.

There was only one 100 point Conservative Index legislators in the Tulsa area:  Rep. Tom Gann of Inola. There were three  90 point legislators: Representatives  Rob Hall, Derick Hildebrant and Gabe Wooley.

The Oklahoma Constitution used these bills with these explanations to rate the legislators.

(1) State Income Tax Reduction/End

House Bill 2764 by Rep. Trey Caldwell (R-Faxon) and Sen. Chuck Hall (R-Perry) reduces the state income tax rate by 0.25 percent and establishes a path to eventual elimination of the tax. It cuts Oklahoma’s top income-tax rate from 4.75 percent to 4.5 and puts the income tax on a gradual path to zero.  It passed the House 74-19 on May 20 and the Senate 34-11 on May 22. It was approved by the Governor on May 28, 2025. The YES votes in support of the bill is the Conservative vote.

(2) Initiative Petition Process Reform

Senate Bill 1027, by Sen. David Bullard (R-Durant) and House Speaker Kyle Hilbert (R-Bristow) makes reforms to the initiative petition process. The bill requires that initiative petitions gather signatures from a larger geographic swath of Oklahoma, although successful petitions could still visit far less than half the state. The number of signatures from any given county is capped at a set percentage of the number of votes cast in that county in the last general election for Governor. The effect of this reform is that signatures must come from at least 18 of Oklahoma’s 77 counties. It also requires paid signature gatherers to disclose their financial backers and mandates that only registered Oklahoma voters are eligible to gather signatures. It also will simplify the language of petition summaries, or gists, and requires that these summaries explicitly state whether a petition will have a fiscal impact. It also requires that those who sign a petition must first read the full ballot title for the proposed measure.

The bill gained final passage in the House 69-23 on May 7 and the Senate 39-7 on May 21. It was approved by the Governor on May 23, 2025. The YES votes in support of the bill is the Conservative vote.

(3) Protect Property with Firearms

House Bill 2818, by Rep. Jay Steagall (R-Yukon) and Sen. Darrell Weaver (R-Moore) clarifies the scope of and modifies penalties for certain crimes related to firearms. The measure provides for the justified defensive display of a firearm or other deadly weapon. It provides that the crime of unlawful pointing of a firearm does not apply to a person acting in self-defense or to home or business owners defending their private property. The bill passed the House 73-16 on March 25 and the Senate 39-7 on May 8. It was approved by the governor on May 14, 2025. The YES votes in support of the bill is the Conservative vote.

(4) Expand Film Production Subsidies

House Bill 2374 by Rep. Brian Hill (R-Mustang) and Sen. Kristen Thompson (R-Edmond) expands the Filmed in Oklahoma Act of 2021 by adding animation, commercials, documentaries, feature films, game shows, pilots, reality television, scripted television and talk shows to the definition of film and thereby making them eligible for rebates of a percentage of their production costs. Projects approved for the program may receive a rebate of 20-38% of their costs, depending on which percentage uplift opportunities for which the project qualifies. Oklahoma is currently spending up to $30 million annually on the program. The House passed the bill 80-11 on March 25 and the Senate 33-12 on May 6. Governor Stitt vetoed the measure on May 13, 2025. In his veto message Governor Stitt said: “The intent of the Filmed in Oklahoma Act was to attract more film-making efforts to our state. Any effort to water down the intent of the original bill and allow Oklahoma taxpayer funds to flow out of our state would be irresponsible.” The Legislature overrode the veto on May 29, voting 76-13 in the House and the 36-9 in the Senate. The NO votes, against overriding the governor’s veto, is the Conservative vote.

(5) End Higher Education DEI

Senate Bill 796, by Sen. Adam Pugh (R-Edmond) and by Denise Crosswhite Hader (R-Yukon), codifies an existing Executive Order by Governor Stitt to ensure Oklahoma’s higher education institutions focus on academic excellence and equal opportunity for all students. The bill prohibits institutions within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education from using state funds, property or resources to support Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) positions, programs or activities. The legislation also bars institutions from mandating participation in education or training that grants preference based on race, color, sex, ethnicity or national origin. Additionally, the measure prohibits the requirement of loyalty oaths, ideological statements, DEI declarations in hiring, or the disclosure of pronouns. “Our higher education institutions should focus on providing quality education and workforce development opportunities rather than engaging in politically driven initiatives,” Sen. Pugh said. The bill passed the Senate 39-8 on March 27 and the House 77-18 on May 6. It was approved by the governor on May 10, 2025. The YES votes in support of the bill is the Conservative vote.

(6) Ban Adult Performances for Minors

House Bill 1217 by Rep. Kevin West (R-Moore) and Sen. David Bullard (R-Durant) makes it unlawful for any political subdivision of this state to allow, permit, organize, or authorize the viewing of an adult performance which contains obscene material, on public property or in a public place where a minor, as part of the general public, will be exposed to view such adult performance. It passed the House 79-17 on March 25 and the Senate 39-8 on May 1. It was approved by the governor on May 9, 2025. The YES votes in support of the bill is the Conservative vote.

(7) Adoptive and Foster Parent Rights

Senate Bill 658 by Sen. Julie Daniels (R-Bartlesville) and Rep. Denise Crosswhite Hader (R-Yukon) prevents the Department of Human Services (DHS) from requiring adoptive or foster parents to affirm non-biological, self-declared gender identity declarations by those placed in their care. Specifically, the new section of law says that the DHS shall not: “Deny a current or prospective adoptive or foster parent any authorization necessary to be eligible to adopt or foster based, in whole or in part, upon the parent’s sincerely held religious or moral beliefs, or intent to guide, instruct, or raise a child consistent with those beliefs, regarding sexual orientation or gender identity.” It ensures that eligible adoptive or foster parents aren’t excluded from consideration based solely on their religious or moral beliefs regarding sexual identity or gender orientation. It passed the Senate 38-7 on February 26 and the House 68-19 on May 6. It was approved by the Governor on May 10, 2025. The YES votes in support of the bill is the Conservative vote.

(8) Prohibit Closing of Businesses

Senate Bill 672 by Sen. Julie McIntosh (R-Porter) and Rep. Kevin West (R-Moore) prohibits the governor from closing any business during a pandemic without documented scientific evidence that the nature of the business actually contributes to the spread of the disease. The governor would still have the ability to close businesses during a pandemic to protect public health if there is scientific evidence that a particular business is a contributor to the spread of the disease. The governor would have to give notice and the opportunity for a hearing for any business determined to be nonessential or determined to be detrimental to public health. This would give the business a course of action to plead their case and possibly stay open. It passed the Senate 38-8 on March 26 and the House 74-15 on April 21. It was approved by the Governor on April 23, 2025. The YES votes in support of the bill is the Conservative vote.

(9) Secure Roads and Safe Trucking

Senate Bill 20 by Sen. Kendal Sacchieri (R-Blanchard) and Rep. Jonathan Wilk (R-Goldsby) creates the Oklahoma Secure Roads and Safe Trucking Act of 2025. The measure requires any person holding a non-domiciled commercial driver license or non-domiciled commercial learner’s permit to also possess a valid work visa and provide proof of citizenship to validate his or her identity while operating a motor vehicle. Such a person shall present his or her birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or passport. It also mandates that commercial vehicle operators demonstrate sufficient proficiency in the English language to converse with the public, understand traffic signs, respond to official inquiries, and complete necessary reports.The bill directly aligns with President Trump’s Executive Order signed earlier this year, which reinforces state authority to enforce immigration and transportation laws as part of a broader crackdown on illegal labor and unvetted foreign workers. It passed the Senate 36-10 and the House 71-13 on May 22. It was approved by the Governor on May 27, 2025. The YES votes in support of the bill is the Conservative vote.

(10) Municipal Liens on Property

House Bill 2147 by Rep. Mike Lay (R-Jenks) and Sen. Brenda Stanley (R-Midwest City) creates the Municipal Code Lien Enforcement Act which allows any fees, penalties, or abatement costs imposed against a property for violations of a municipality’s housing and building codes to be enforced as a lien if they equal or exceed $1,500. The measure provides that a municipal code lien is superior to all other liens except those for taxes. It passed the Senate 27-19 on May 8 and gained final passage in the House 58-29 on March 25. It was vetoed by the Governor on May 27, 2025. In his veto message Gov. Stitt said: “This bill is a solution in search of a problem. Minor code violations can now result in property liens against Oklahomans. This enables expanded condemnation and public takings without providing property owners adequate due process protections. Eroding private property rights is not an appropriate response to municipal code fines.” The Legislature voted to override the governor’s veto on May 29 by a vote of 70-18 in the House and 37-8 in the Senate. The NO votes, against overriding the governor’s veto, is the Conservative vote.