Legislative Update

CDC and activist judges back illegal moratorium

September 23, 2021

Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola, held an interim study on property rights, specifically looking at the parameters of the Oklahoma Landlord, Tenant Act. Gann said the act has been subverted by activist judges and the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) moratorium on evictions that was found unconstitutional. “In this interim study, we wanted to give a…

Unvaccinated, healthy students are facing retaliation

September 23, 2021 Ray Carter

With a state law that bans mask mandates in legal limbo, Oklahoma colleges and K-12 schools continue to impose mask and quarantine mandates upon healthy students. College students who question those policies have faced retaliation, while in Edmond parents are suing the school district. Colleges and public schools have imposed such policies even as COVID…

Session to stop forced vaccinations?

August 5, 2021

In a letter sent to Gov. Kevin Stitt on July 26, State Sen. Warren Hamilton requested the governor convene a special session for the Legislature to prevent private businesses from requiring employees to be vaccinated for the Chinese coronavirus. The McCurtain Republican said he’d like to see the Legislature prohibit any entity from mandating the…

Letters ask mandate prohibition

August 5, 2021

A group of lawmakers today sent a letter to Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell, in his role as Acting Governor of Oklahoma, requesting executive action to prohibit vaccine mandates for Oklahoma healthcare workers. This letter is a follow up to one sent to Governor Kevin Stitt on July 15, 2021. Rep. Sean Roberts, R-Hominy, spearheaded the…

Supporting freedom rallies in Cuba

August 5, 2021

In response to the recent rallies for freedom taking place in Cuba, Rep. Jay Steagall, R-Yukon, and Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, have filed two resolutions to support the people of Cuba in their desire to throw off communism and restore their liberties. “The founding principles of our republic: ‘that all men are created equal,’…

Committee will suggest how to spend the ARPA windfall

June 24, 2021

A legislative committee with representatives and senators will make suggestions on how the state should spend $1.9 billion of federal dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Oklahoma’s share of ARPA funds includes $1.9 billion for state government and $1.3 billion for local, city and county governments. Under federal law, ARPA funds for state…

New law limits mask mandates

June 10, 2021

Senate Bill 658, which will greatly restrict mask mandates and forbid COVID vaccine passports in educational institutions, has been signed into law. The measure was authored by Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman. “In this post-pandemic era, it is time to look back and determine what we did right and what we did not so right,” Standridge…

Democrats complain about increased education funding

June 3, 2021

The Oklahoma House passed Senate Bill 1080 to help fund options for education in the state. The bill modifies an existing state program to support public schools and give low-income families the opportunity of specialized education. The bill increases to $50 million the amount of tax credits available for the program, with $25 million for…

Bill to battle ransomware, cybercrime

June 3, 2021

Oklahoma business owners may soon have a bit more protection against the growing threat of cybercrime as House Bill 1759 passed the House. House Bill 1759, authored by Rep. Trish Ranson, D-Stillwater, and Sen. Zack Taylor, R-Seminole, updates language in the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act to better address computer security threats that continue to evolve….

Stopping federal overreach

June 3, 2021

A compromise between the Oklahoma House of Representatives and Oklahoma Senate was reached on a bill to guard against federal overreach in Oklahoma. House Bill 1236 establishes a constitutional process to exercise Oklahoma’s authorities as a state under the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by reviewing federal actions for constitutionality and seeking judicial rulings…