Legislative Update

Legal notice additions

March 10, 2022

Legislation to change government notices to the public unanimously passed the House County and Municipal Government Committee. House Bill 3062, authored by Rep. Trish Ranson, D-Stillwater, expands the availability of legal notices by requiring municipalities to post them online in addition to the current requirement to publish in a daily or weekly newspaper. “This legislation…

Voter eligibility is clarified

March 10, 2022

Rep. Sean Roberts, R-Hominy, commented on the passage of House Bill 3677 through the Elections and Ethics Committee. HB 3677, authored by Roberts, deals with securing Oklahoma elections. The bill would require the Secretary of State to verify voters driver license and/or social security numbers when registering to vote. The bill also makes it a…

Bills to slow abortion advance

March 3, 2022

The Health and Human Services Committee advanced four pro-life bills from Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat. Senate Bill 1552 allows the Oklahoma State Department of Health to contract directly with private organizations who provide services related to the Choosing Childbirth Act. “Allowing the health department to contract directly with private organizations that support women…

LOFT seems to be work

March 3, 2022

The Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) is reshaping state policymaking with improvements in legislative research, data and state agency accountability efforts. “Legislative scrutiny of tax dollars has never been higher, thanks to LOFT,” said House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka. “LOFT’s accountability efforts are already producing strong bills and a more informed legislative body.” LOFT’s…

High-speed Internet

March 3, 2022

House Republican legislation to bring high-speed internet to 95% of Oklahomans in five years was scheduled to be heard in committee this month. The creation of an Oklahoma Broadband Office via House Bill 3363 represents Oklahoma’s biggest step in broadband expansion, which has been a House Republican priority for three years. “With all the funds…

Spending the surplus

March 3, 2022

The Oklahoma State Board of Equalization (BOE) met to certify revenues available for appropriation for the Fiscal Year 2023 budget. The amount initially certified by the board in December was $10.3 billion. The amount certified Tuesday was $10.49 billion. “The revenue figures show Oklahoma’s economy is still strong, but I emphatically believe it is in…

Military child care

March 3, 2022

A Senate bill aimed at giving military and civilian families working at Oklahoma military facilities greater access to childcare has been approved by the full Senate. Senate Bill 1286, by Sen. Brenda Stanley, R-Midwest City, won overwhelming bipartisan approval. Stanley, who serves as vice chair of the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, said SB…

Inhofe: Punish Putin, Russia

March 3, 2022

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, want more military aid to Ukraine and tougher economic sanctions on Russia in light of Russia’s invasion on February 23. “My prayers are with the brave men, women, and children of Ukraine, who are suffering an unprecedented, unwarranted and unprovoked attack ordered…

Bill protects kids from profane books

February 24, 2022

Rep. Todd Russ, R-Cordell, filed legislation to protect children from inappropriate material in school and public libraries. House Bill 3702 would require any Oklahoma school district, charter or virtual charter school, state agency, public library, or university that offers digital or online library database resources to students in kindergarten through twelfth grade to do so…

Bill strengthens Voter ID protection

February 24, 2022

The Senate Rules Committee unanimously approved President Pro Tempore Greg Treat’s bill to add voter identification requirements to the state Constitution. Treat’s Senate Joint Resolution 48 would send to a vote of the people a legislative referendum that would add the voter identification requirement currently in state statute to the Oklahoma Constitution. The measure maintains…