Governor Kevin Stitt has vetoed parts of the $9.8 billion dollar state budget passed in May by the Oklahoma Legislature and is calling for a special session to increase tax relief. Stitt disapproves of the Legislature’s choice to provide a $75 “tax rebate” to Oklahomans and the repeal of the motor vehicle sales tax. Stitt…
Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed House Bill 4327, which has been called the “toughest” abortion law in the nation. The new law, which took effect immediately, allows a Texas-style civil liability lawsuit to be filed against anyone who performs an abortion or help in an abortion performed after the moment of fertilization. It does not…
Rep. Mickey Dollens, D-OKC, joined MSNBC’s Katie Phang Show in late May to talk about abortion legislation in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma City lawmaker spoke on a recent proposal he made during a debate against House Bill 4327. In the debate, Dollens suggested that men should receive a mandatory reversible vasectomy to prevent unwanted pregnancies. “If…
Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, filed Senate Concurrent Resolution 33 condemning President Biden’s comment that he’d like to give the World Health Organization (WHO) more power to regulate the United States’ public health policy. “Per the United States Constitution, the U.S. Senate must ratify all treaties, and the presidency has no authority to enter into…
Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, said he fully supports Sen. Nathan Dahm, R- Broken Arrow, for filing Senate Resolution 47, which would recognize June 14, 2022, as President Donald J. Trump Day in Oklahoma. “As the primary author of legislation to create the first highway in the nation named after President Donald J. Trump, I want…
A bill protecting K-12 school-aged children from access to pornographic or obscene material in schools or libraries or through online digital libraries was signed into law by the governor this week. House Bill 3702 by Rep. Todd Russ, R-Cordell, require any Oklahoma school district, charter or virtual charter school, state agency, public library, or university…
Two bills by Rep. Eric Roberts, R-Oklahoma City, to make absentee ballot requests more secure and facilitate earlier identification of voters who have moved or died were signed into law on Friday. “Both of these bills will help further secure our elections, which are already among the safest, most reliable elections in the country,” Roberts…
Tulsa County Assessor Republican Byron Burke is a self-employed property tax consultant. He has been an assistant scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts of America for more than 31 years. He has a degree business administration in accounting and finance from The University of Oklahoma. He wants to get “proper funding” for public schools and teachers….
The Oklahoma Legislature called a concurrent special session last week to facilitate the spending of the $1.8 billion in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. This lets the Legislature continue to be involved in how to spend the money. As of last week, $17.8 million in requests have been received by a committee for about…
State savings deposits and more money returned to taxpayers highlight the Fiscal Year 2023 state budget agreement, which also funds law enforcement at record levels, eliminates the developmentally disabled services waiting list, fights federal overreach, and makes investments in economic development. The FY 2023 legislatively-appropriated budget is $9.7 billion, which is 9.7%, or $858.9 million,…