OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma House of Representatives today elected Rep. Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, as Speaker of the House and Rep. Anthony Moore, R-Clinton, as Speaker Pro-Tempore for the 60th Legislature. “I am excited and deeply humbled to serve the state of Oklahoma in this capacity,” said Hilbert. “This is not a responsibility I take…
OKLAHOMA CITY – Senate Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, today was officially named as the new leader of the Senate after a full vote by the Senate during the chamber’s bi-annual Organizational Day. “It is the absolute honor of a lifetime to be voted on by my peers to hold this prestigious title,” Pro Tem…
OKLAHOMA CITY – In a far-reaching, and transformative effort to modernize the Oklahoma House of Representatives, Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola, has sponsored a reform package – House Resolution 1001 – designed to distribute power, promote transparency and reinvigorate the legislative process. His reforms aim to end the culture of opacity and concentration of authority that…
OKLAHOMA CITY — Sen. Dusty Deevers, R-Elgin, and Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, responded on Friday to comments made by Oklahoma House Speaker Kyle Hilbert regarding abortion legislation in the upcoming session. Hilbert is quoted by Oklahoma Voice as saying, “When there’s not any reported abortions, I don’t know how you further reduce from zero.” “As…
OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma House of Representatives Majority Caucus Chair Stan May, R-Broken, today warned Oklahomans not to open emails appearing to come from him or other House members inviting them to open and review a Dropbox pdf labeled “2024 OK House Outreach.” The email is not originating from an OK House account. House IT…
OKLAHOMA CITY — Sen. Jonathan Wingard, R-Ada, filed legislation this week to end state tax subsidies for wind farms. Senate Bill 239 would eliminate the zero-emission subsidy for wind production after tax year 2025. Eliminating this tax credit will save taxpayers up to $16 million annually. “Oklahoma taxpayers have already invested hundreds of millions of…
OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, has filed legislation to require Oklahoma public school districts and charter schools to submit a list of all available library materials to the State Department of Education by Oct. 1 each year. Under the provisions of Senate Bill 19, schools would be prohibited from having any inappropriate materials…
OKLAHOMA CITY – With Oklahoma continuing to rely on thousands of emergency certifications to counter a shortage of classroom teachers, Sen. Mark Mann has filed legislation to help these individuals move from “emergency to permanency” with grants for additional education, testing, and certification. Senate Bill 186 would create the “Teacher Certification Emergency to Permanency Revolving…
School districts could soon be required to create new policies ensuring students can fly the American flag on school grounds, according to proposed rules published Monday by the Oklahoma Department of Education. The proposal comes three months after Superintendent of Schools Ryan Walters said his agency was investigating Edmond Public Schools’ flag protocols after a…
OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Jay Steagall, R-Yukon, today filed legislation to phase out Oklahoma’s personal and corporate income taxes over a decade, with the goal of eliminating the tax entirely by 2035. House Bill 1009 would reduce the personal income tax rate by 0.00475% annually and the corporate income tax rate by 0.004% annually over…