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The Tulsa Beacon

 

Legislative Update

Teacher certification streamlined

Tulsa Beacon

The path for teacher candidates to become certified teachers has become more direct after House Bill 3658 was signed into law. Rep. Danny Sterling, R-Tecumseh, authored House Bill 3658 to streamline the certification process and address the teacher shortage. HB3658 removes the requirement that teacher candidates must pass the general education portion of the Oklahoma…

2022 Vote: Two Tulsa County Commissioner spots are open

Tulsa Beacon

Due to an early retirement, Tulsa County voters will elect two county commissioner this year. District 1 Commissioner Stan Sallee, a Republican, will take on Democrat challenger Sean Johnson on November 8. Both are from Collinsville. The District 3 slot is open due to the retirement of Commissioner Ron Peters. Three Republicans,  Margie Alfonzo, Tulsa,…

Governor Stitt

Stitt signs Heartbeat Act

Tulsa Beacon

Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed the Oklahoma Heartbeat Act which would allow a private civil action to be brought against anyone performing an abortion after a fetal heartbeat has been detected, except in a medical emergency. Senate Bill 1503 by Rep. Todd Russ, R-Cordell, and Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, allows any citizen to bring a…

1st Amendment on campus

Tulsa Beacon

A bill aimed at protecting First Amendment rights on Oklahoma college campuses was signed into law recently by the governor. House Bill 3543 by Rep. Chad Caldwell, R-Enid, creates a Free Speech Committee within the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education that will be responsible for training college deans and other administrators in First Amendment…

No disinformation board

Tulsa Beacon

Rep. Logan Phillips, R-Mounds, has requested that Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor challenge the constitutionality of the Biden Administration’s recently announced Disinformation Governance Board. The board, announced last week by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, was said to have been created to combat online disinformation. “This is a blatant attempt to silence…

County purchasing reforms passed

Tulsa Beacon

Legislation modernizing county purchasing laws was signed into law by the Governor April 28. House Bill 3344, authored by Rep. Lonnie Sims, R-Jenks, modifies the procedure for requisition and inventory tracking of equipment, as well as modifies bid solicitation requirements. “With increases in parts and labor to repair county highway district machinery and equipment, House…

Quarter Horse voted the state horse

Tulsa Beacon

The Senate gave full approval in a 43-3 vote to name the Quarter Horse as Oklahoma’s official state horse. Authored by Sen. Blake “Cowboy” Stephens, House Bill 3261 adds to the list another icon to instill state pride and ownership in all Oklahomans, joining the state steak, state bird, and even the state monument –…

Dems back transgender students

Tulsa Beacon

Several House Democrats want “transgender” students to freely use any bathroom that they identify as, even if a boy wants to be a girl and a girl wants to be a boy. Rep. Monroe Nichols, D-Tulsa, said, “We voted on and I supported a $700 million economic incentive to hopefully entice a Fortune 500 company…

Turnpike Authority accountability

Tulsa Beacon

Oklahoma Turnpike Authority’s (OTA) $200 million line of credit application that was filed last week with the Council of Bond Oversight. Attorneys for Norman homeowners and members of the nonprofit Pike Off OTA filed objections, which focused on the OTA’s lack of legal authority to build the turnpikes in Norman that could threaten the property…

Added time for adjunct teachers

Tulsa Beacon

Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed Senate Bill 1119 into law, by Sen. Jessica Garvin, R-Duncan, and Rep. Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow. The bill will remove the 270-hour limit adjunct teachers work per semester in a classroom. Garvin said, “We’re working hard to figure out how to fill the teacher workforce pipeline, but those efforts are going…