The Senate Finance Committee on approved legislation from President Pro Tempore Greg Treat that would eliminate the state grocery sales tax. Senate Bill 1495 effectively eliminates the state grocery tax by lowering the rate from 4.5 percent to zero percent. The bill does not prohibit cities or counties from levying their own grocery tax. Just…
The Senate Education Committee approved President Pro Tempore Greg Treat’s school choice bill that empowers parents with more control over their child’s education. The committee approved the Oklahoma Empowerment Act, which would allow parents to use their child’s state education dollars to pursue a variety of schooling options to secure the best education possible for…
Sen. Shane Jett is taking aim at national organizations seeking to implement social-emotional learning (SEL) programs in the state’s public school system by filing Senate Bill 1442, which would prohibit public school districts or charter schools from using federal, state or private funds to promote, purchase or utilize the concepts of SEL. Jett said organizations…
A House subcommittee has given the first approval to a bill to increase appropriations the County Improvements for Roads and Bridges Fund may receive by $30 million. House Bill 3318 raises the maximum amount that can be apportioned to the County Improvements for Roads and Bridges Fund from motor vehicle revenue from $120 million to…
Rep. Cynthia Roe, R-Lindsay, shared information regarding worries from constituents over misinformation that Congress is looking to cap nurses’ salaries. Roe, who chairs the House Public Health Committee, said she is one of many legislators whose constituents have asked if there is an effort to place a Congressional cap on salaries for nurses. “Nobody is…
The full Senate has given unanimous approval to a bill to better protect victims of human trafficking and child abduction. Senate Bill 1569, by Sen. Darrell Weaver, creates the “Address Confidentiality for Child Survivors and Their Families Act.” Oklahoma’s Address Confidentiality Program (ACP), administered by the state attorney general’s office, provides victims of domestic violence,…
The full Senate gave approval to Senate Bill 1096 to add pastors, ministers, spiritual advisors and other religious leaders to the approved list of visitors for patients hospitalized during a declared health emergency. The measure modifies the No Patient Left Alone Act, which was signed into law last spring and allows patients to designate a…
A new open-transfer law that allows students to shift from one public school to another has been touted as a significant expansion of opportunity for Oklahoma children. But a review of public data, conducted by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA), shows a significant share of the slots available through open transfer are in…
State Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, has filed Senate Bill 676 to prohibit anyone under the age of 21 from undergoing gender reassignment medical treatment in the state. The measure would make it illegal for a person under the age of 21 to undergo gender reassignment medical treatment; for a parent or guardian of a child…
Rep. Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, was elected Speaker Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Hilbert was formally elected with 82 votes. Joined by his wife Alexis and their daughter Addison, he was sworn in by Oklahoma Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard Darby. Hilbert, who represents House District 29, is the youngest Speaker Pro Tempore…