Sen. Joe Newhouse, R-Tulsa, thinks the Oklahoma Constitution is well overdue for an upgrade. Newhouse, who authored Senate Joint Resolution 31, which would give power to the people to decide if the state should call a Constitutional Convention to propose alterations, revisions and amendments to the document. Although it has been amended over the years…
The Senate Education Committee approved legislation to help fill the large number of teaching vacancies in the state. Retired teacher Sen. Ron Sharp, R-Shawnee, said his Senate Bill 1115 is desperately needed to help decrease classroom sizes by extending emergency teaching certificates. “We currently have hundreds of teaching vacancies that districts are desperate to fill….
The process for state questions would be more transparent and modernized under two bills passed by the House Rules Committee. House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, authored House Bills 3826 and 3827 to improve the initiative and referendum petition processes used to place state questions on the ballot. “Petitions for state questions are increasingly popular, and…
A pair of bills aimed at increasing accountability for those convicted of domestic violence have been approved by the full Senate. Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, is the author of both measures. Senate Bill 1103 deals with domestic violence attacks that deal with strangulation, a crime that is often a precursor to domestic homicide. Senate Bill…
The full Senate approved a child safety bill with the passage of Senate Bill 1303. Authored by Sen. Roland Pederson, R-Burlington, the measure would require any child under the age of 17 to wear a seat belt while riding in the back seat of a vehicle. Current Oklahoma law only requires children under the age…
The House Government Efficiency Committee passed legislation to modernize Oklahoma’s human resources model for state employees. House Bill 3094, by Rep. Mike Osburn, R-Edmond, creates the Civil Service and Human Capital Modernization Act. The act places all new hires into a newly-modernized civil service system called Human Capital Management Administration (HCMA), beginning Jan. 1, 2021….
The House of Representatives passed a bill to address doctor shortages in rural areas. House Bill 3823, by House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, authorizes a $25,000 tax credit for doctors who move to a rural community to practice. It passed 84-3 and heads to the Senate. Doctors who are new to the rural area and…
Born in 1952, Linda Lewis did not envision being a caretaker for two young children during her golden years. But when her grandson was incarcerated and the mother of her great-grandchildren ran afoul of the Department of Human Services, the Oklahoma City resident became the legal guardian for two of her great-grandchildren: a seven-year-old great-granddaughter…
The House Public Safety Committee last week voted 12-1 to kill House Bill 3357, authored by Rep. Ben Loring, D-Miami, which sought to repeal Constitutional Carry. The bill would have removed references to open carry of firearms and return Oklahoma statutes relating to the carrying of firearms to their status prior to passage of House…
The Senate passed legislation to provide more local control for school districts to decide how to protect their students. Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, is author of House Bill 2336. The measure would allow a local board of education to voluntarily adopt a policy to authorize the carrying of a handgun onto school property by school…