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The Tulsa Beacon

 

Legislative Update

House Passes REINS Act

Tulsa Beacon

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma House of Representatives today passed House Bill 2728, a measure designed to enhance transparency and legislative oversight in the state’s administrative rulemaking process. House Bill 2728, authored by Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, R-Altus, creates the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act of 2025, modeled after similar federal…

Bill to Increase Classroom Funding Passes Subcommittee

Tulsa Beacon

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Chad Caldwell, R-Enid, on Wednesday passed legislation in committee that would require state public schools to spend at least 60% of their funding in the classroom. House Bill 1280 passed the House Appropriations & Budget Education Subcommittee, which Caldwell chairs. It now moves to full A&B. “This bill prioritizes our kids,…

Bill to Enhance OTA’s Transparency and Accountability Advances

Tulsa Beacon

OKLAHOMA CITY – House Bill 1939, authored by Rep. Danny Sterling, R-Tecumseh, passed the Transportation Committee today. The bill is a legislative initiative that aims to increase transparency, collaboration and accountability in the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority’s (OTA) decision-making processes. The bill also seeks to ensure that turnpike projects undergo thorough studies and extensive public engagement…

Tedford’s Health Care and Joint Custody Bills Advance

Tulsa Beacon

OKLAHOMA CITY – Two key bills authored by Rep. Mark Tedford, R-Jenks, have passed committee votes, advancing efforts to expand health care flexibility and promote balanced parental involvement in child custody cases. House Bill 1512, which passed in the Appropriations and Budget General Government Subcommittee, would establish a state health care marketplace to replace the…

Sen. Guthrie Gains Committee Approval for Four Key Bills

Tulsa Beacon

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Brian Guthrie, R-Bixby, received committee approval for four key pieces of legislation this week. With the passage of Senate Bills 1092, 653, 547, and 945, the freshman lawmaker has now advanced a total of six bills through Senate Committees. Senate Bill 1092 was unanimously approved by the Senate Business and Insurance…

Schreiber moves healthcare reform legislation out of committee

Tulsa Beacon

OKLAHOMA CITY – House Bill 1853 introduced by Rep. Suzanne Schreiber, D-Tulsa, and co-authored by Sen. Avery Frix, R-Muskogee, would expand deductibles to include cash payments for out-of-pocket medical services. The bill passed unanimously out of the Insurance Committee. “It’s common sense that any medical service payment – no matter the payment type – should…

Voter registration deadline approaches

Tulsa Beacon

Friday, March 7, is the last day to apply for voter registration in order to be eligible to vote in the April 1, Board of Education General Elections for ISD-1 Tulsa Public Schools District 3, Tulsa Technology Center Office 2, ISD-3 Broken Arrow Public Schools Office 5 and Municipal General Elections for the City of…

No, tax cuts didn’t cause Oklahoma budget deficits

Tulsa Beacon

Did recent income-tax cuts result in a deficit for Oklahoma’s state government? Let’s look at the evidence. Over the last 20 years, Oklahoma state government revenue has grown by 51 percent when accounting for population growth and inflation. At the same time, the state reduced its income tax by 32 percent, from a top rate…

Tulsa area Reps respond to delay of TPS audit release

Tulsa Beacon

OKLAHOMA CITY – Reps. Chris Banning, R-Bixby, Rob Hall, R-Tulsa, and Mark Tedford, R-Jenks, commented on the recent delay in releasing the state audit of Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) and its management of federal relief funds, calling for greater transparency. “I find it unfortunate and deeply frustrating that Tulsa Public Schools delayed the audit findings,”…

Senior Day at the Capital to be held March 3

Tulsa Beacon

(Oklahoma City) – Oklahoma senior citizens, caregivers, and those interested in matters affecting aging Oklahomans are invited to the State Capitol for Senior Day on Monday, March 3. Attendees will have the opportunity to share ideas, needs and concerns with their state lawmakers, visit with organizations and state agencies to learn about services for older…