Potential Senate vacancy legislation To save taxpayers millions of dollars on a special election in the event of a future mid-term U.S. Senate vacancy, the Senate passed a bill to let the governor to fill the seat by appointment. Senate Bill 959, which would move the special election for the U.S. Senate seat to the…
Stopping surprise medical billing The Senate approved a bill against surprise medical bills and the financial devastation that can follow. Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, the principal author of Senate Bill 548, said under the bill, a health care provider would be prohibited from reporting a healthcare debt to a credit bureau or pursue collection unless…
Modernizing county record copying The Senate unanimously approved SB 569, authored by Sen. Joe Newhouse, R-Tulsa, which would allow certified copies of county land records to be signed, notarized and recorded electronically. “The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the benefits of being able to provide timely services in a virtual manner,” Newhouse said. Under the bill,…
Changing dates for school elections Low turnout is far too common in local school board elections, but that trend would change thanks to a bill approved by the Senate. SB 962, from Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, would align school board election dates with the dates of primary and general election dates for county,…
Helping prisoners stay out of prison The House overwhelmingly passed House Bill 1679, also known as the “Sarah Stitt Act.” The legislation would help inmates re-enter the workforce after leaving incarceration. Reps. Marilyn Stark, R-Bethany, and Brian Hill, R-Mustang, authored House Bill 1679, which would require the Oklahoma Dept. of Corrections (DOC) to identify inmates…
Benefit allowance for state workers Oklahoma has around 33,000 state employees and one of their benefits as state workers is to get most, if not all, of their health insurance covered under their flexible benefit allowance. As a measure to control costs, the annual benefit allowance was frozen in 2012 and has not increased since,…
After a year of a partial shutdown in Oklahoma, Gov. Kevin Stitt and Health Commissioner Lance Frye said last week that an easing of the Chinese coronavirus pandemic will allow a relaxation for visitation to long-term care facilities. The state is updating its visitation guidelines to allow visitors who have completed state-certified essential care training…
For almost a year now, several major Oklahoma school districts have not provided full-time, in-person instruction to students. Parents and state officials alike have wondered how that is impacting academic progress. A midyear report recently released by Tulsa Public Schools provides the answer in that district. Nearly every other student in Tulsa schools was recently…
State revenues overall are down slightly compared to last February but sales tax receipts are up by almost 8 percent, State Treasurer Randy McDaniel said. Collections from all sources in February 2021 were $950.8 million, down by $6 million, or 0.6 percent, from February 2020. Since March of last year, monthly gross revenue has been…
The House Public Health Committee passed legislation directing the Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision and the State Board of Osteopathic Examiners to revoke the licenses of physicians who perform abortions. House Bill 1102, authored by Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Roland, would revoke the license for at least one year. The bill provides an exception for…