Legislative Update

Bill to ban elementary school sex-ed and transgender lessons passes House

March 30, 2023

By an overwhelming margin, members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives have voted to prohibit classroom lessons on sexual orientation or gender identity in Oklahoma elementary schools. “The spirit of the bill is to prevent discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity outside of parents’ knowledge,” said state Rep. Terry O’Donnell, R-Catoosa. House Bill 2546,…

Senate passes bills to reform medical marijuana

March 30, 2023

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Senate continued their efforts Thursday to improve public safety within the medical marijuana industry. Sen. Jessica Garvin, R-Duncan, said the bills focus on youth access, medical education, product potency, recalls, and other important issues requested by the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA). “Medical marijuana was overwhelmingly supported by Oklahoma voters in…

Senate bill to allow OMMA director to shut down marijuana operations

March 30, 2023

OKLAHOMA CITY – The full Senate approved legislation Monday to address environmental concerns related to marijuana grows. Sen. Joe Newhouse, R- Tulsa, is the author of Senate Bill 808, which authorizes the executive director of the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority to order licensees to cease and desist operations if the director finds that an environmental…

Teachers and other certified personnel to get up to $6,000 pay raise under Senate plan

March 30, 2023

OKLAHOMA CITY – A bill to provide an across-the-board pay increase for Oklahoma’s teachers and certified school personnel received overwhelming support in the Senate Tuesday. Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, the chairman of the Education Committee and Education Appropriation Subcommittee, authored Senate Bill 482 to provide a scaled pay increase ranging from $3,000 to $6,000 based…

Women’s Bill of Rights passes the OK House

March 30, 2023

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma House of Representatives has approved the Women’s Bill of Rights, preserving biological sex as a distinct legal category. Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, R-Elgin, authored House Bill 1449, which clarifies how people of both biological sexes are treated under state law by defining ‘sex’ as a person’s biological sex, whether male or…

House Approves two Bills to help Seniors

March 30, 2023

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Max Wolfley, R-Oklahoma City, has advanced two bills benefiting seniors in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. On Tuesday, Rep. Wolfley passed House Bill 2020, which increases the Oklahoma income tax exemption for retirement benefits from $10,000 to $20,000 beginning in the tax year 2024. “The exemption for retirement income hasn’t been…

Citizen Involvement in Legislative Process

March 30, 2023

Join Patriot Pastors for a civics class with guest speaker, Amanda Teegarden. This is part of our ongoing adult education. In this training class, attendees will learn how: the OK state legislature works how to contact your elected officials the course of a bill through the legislative process lobbying and how to read legislation for…

Early voting begins on Thursday, March 30

March 30, 2023

Early voting begins for the Board of Education General Elections for ISD-1 Tulsa Public Schools District 1, ISD-10 Berryhill Public Schools Office 3, ISD-3 Bixby Public Schools Office 3 and ISD-2 Sand Springs Public Schools Office 3; as well as Municipal General Elections for the City of Bixby Council Member Ward 3, City of Broken…

Emergency ballots for April 4 elections

March 30, 2023

Registered voters, who become physically incapacitated after 5:00 p.m. Monday, March 20 and cannot make it to the polls, still have an opportunity to cast their ballot. Tulsa County Election Board Secretary, Gwen Freeman, said that state law permits voters who become emergency incapacitated after 5:00 p.m. Monday, March 20 to vote under special provisions….

Sen. Dahm releases statement regarding Court incompetence

March 30, 2023

Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, released the following statement after the Oklahoma Supreme Court declared 63 O.S. § 1-731.4, or Senate Bill 612, unconstitutional. “Today five justices on the Supreme Court of Oklahoma created a limited right to abortion out of whole cloth. In a facetious exercise referencing the Dobbs decision, the majority ‘found’ that…