A bill to encourage and retain Oklahoma’s educators has cleared its first legislative hurdle. Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, is the author of Senate Bill 1127, the Teacher Retention Act of 2020. The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee. The measure creates a process for teachers who complete their National Board Certification and meet…
The Senate Education Committee unanimously approved two bills to help the children of military families easily transition into the Oklahoma education system when their parents are transferred to the state. Sen. Frank Simpson, R-Springer, said the bills were necessary to help lessen the stress of military families regarding their children’s education when they’re preparing to…
In an effort to slow down abortion, Sen. Paul Scott authored Senate Bill 1859, which passed out of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. The bill would require doctors to recognize life just as they do death through heartbeats and brainwaves or the lack of such activity. Beginning at six weeks, SB 1859 would…
The Oklahoma Senate approved legislation to improve fiscal transparency and accountability of Oklahoma’s state agencies. Senate Bill 177, by Sen. Ron Sharp, was one of the seven recommendations made by the multi-grand jury in May 2018 following the discovery of financial issues at the State Department of Health. SB 177 requires state agencies to provide…
Social media has allowed at-home food business owners to reach larger numbers of potential customers, but Oklahoma’s strict regulations have kept many from growing and succeeding. Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, wants to remove unnecessary regulations for these small business owners with his Senate Bill 1714, the Homemade Food Freedom Act, which passed unanimously out of…
Under current state law, honorably discharged veterans get free entry to all state parks and museums. However, the law is written assuming state parks charge per person rather than per vehicle, which parks are starting to do. To ensure these veterans continue getting free entry, Sen. Frank Simpson, R-Springer, authored Senate Bill 1185 at the…
After years of stalled attempts to modernize Oklahoma statutes dealing with Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), compromise legislation has cleared the full Senate. Senate Bill 801 would bring Oklahoma in line with much of the country in how CRNAs are regulated. The bill, authored by Sen. Paul Rosino, was approved unanimously. “The crux of the…
Logan County Sheriff opposes new gun laws Guthrie — Logan County Sheriff Damon Devereaux has declared Logan County as Oklahoma’s first 2nd Amendment sanctuary county. According to the Guthrie Leader, Devereaux said he will oppose any laws that infringe on the constitutional right to bear arms and he won’t enforce any state laws contrary to…
House Speaker Charles McCall has introduced a measure aimed at encouraging more doctors to practice in rural areas of the state. House Bill 3823 would allow doctors who practice in rural communities to claim a $25,000 tax credit for the tax year beginning in 2021. The bill defines rural communities as any municipality with a…
Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, is the author of Senate Bill 1125 directing the State Board of Education to issue a teaching certificate to anyone who holds a valid out-of-state teaching certificate, with no other requirements except a criminal history record check. “We’ve got to be more innovative when recruiting teachers. One way we can help…