House Bill 2396 by Rep. Todd Russ, R-Cordell, was signed into law this week. HB2396, by Rep. Todd Russ, R-Cordell, which authorizes some nonprofit organizations to provide a series of sex trafficking prevention and education programs to freshmen students at Oklahoma colleges and universities, was signed into law. It specifies the nonprofits must be ones…
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As more Americans have access to legal marijuana, most U.S. Protestant pastors remain opposed to its use and legalization. In November 2020, five states approved marijuana legalization measures, including Mississippi, which became the first Southern state to approve medical marijuana. Now, 36 states have legalized it for medicinal purposes, including 15 states…
Gov. Kevin signed a bill that will prohibit Oklahoma public schools, colleges and universities from teaching “Critical Race Theory” and from requiring mandatory gender or sexual diversity training or counseling. House Bill 1775 is authored by Rep. Kevin West, R-Moore. “Already, this harmful indoctrination has infiltrated Oklahoma schools from as early as pre-kindergarten classrooms all…
Legislation allowing patients to designate a visitor to have unrestricted visitation has been signed by the Governor. House Bill 2687, titled the “No Patient Left Alone Act,” is authored by Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, R-Elgin. She filed the legislation after hearing from constituents whose loved ones were not allowed to have a single visitor during the…
Stitt has signed legislation to help children aging out of the Oklahoma foster care system become self-sufficient. House Bill 1709, also known as the Successful Adulthood Act, lowers the age that someone in foster care could access federal funding through the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program (CFCIP), operated by the U.S. Children’s Bureau,…
Stitt signed into law a bill intended to expand the use of the Oklahoma Prevention Needs Assessment Survey to 100% of Oklahoma public schools. Rep. Mark Vancuren, R-Owasso, is the author of House Bill 1103, which requires public schools throughout the state to administer the survey every two years, beginning with the 2022-23 school year,…
A bill to help law enforcement locate kidnap victims faster has been signed into law. Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore, and Rep. Rande Worthen, R-Lawton, are the principal authors of Senate Bill 272, the “Kelsey Smith Act,” which will require cell phone companies to provide phone location information to law enforcement in emergency situations, such as…
The Oklahoma Courier Application Services Act was signed by the governor, ensuring individuals involved in local delivery services will not be regulated like the trucking industry by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission Authority. Senate Bill 999, authored by Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair, would provide an exemption from regulations designed for for-hire motor carriers. These will no…
Sophomores will be able to participate in more school-sponsored career opportunities beginning with the 2021-2022 school year under legislation signed into law. Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, is the author of Senate Bill 619 allowing sophomores, 16 years or older, to apply for apprenticeships, internships, and mentorships through their school. Bullard said, “It’s one thing to…
More of Oklahoma’s nonviolent offenders will soon qualify for the state’s Electronic Monitoring Program thanks to legislation signed into law. Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City, said Senate Bill 456 addresses two eligibility issues within community sentencing to help nonviolent offenders re-enter society while keeping predators out of the program. “This bill improves our community…