News

1,361 bills filed in the Oklahoma House

January 30, 2020

The Oklahoma House of Representatives has completed bill filing for the second session of the 57th Legislature. A total of 1,361 House Bills, 16 House Joint Resolutions and 4 House Concurrent Resolutions were filed. The full text of the bills, along with additional information including authors and coauthors, can be found online at www.okhouse.gov. Last…

No taxes on textbooks

January 30, 2020

State Sen. Tom Dugger, R-Stillwater, has authored legislation to make college textbooks exempt from sales taxes in Oklahoma. Dugger said after discussing the idea with students from Oklahoma State University, he decided to file Senate Bill 1150. “College textbooks can be extremely expensive, with students easily spending hundreds of dollars each semester on their books,”…

Preference to Oklahoma textbooks

January 30, 2020

Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, has filed legislation aimed at choosing textbooks produced in the state for use in public schools. Senate Bill 1121 would direct the State Textbook Committee to give preference to books that have been produced in Oklahoma if the price, fitness, availability and quality are otherwise equal to textbooks produced out-of-state. “Our…

COLA hike for retirees

January 30, 2020

The last cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) Oklahoma’s state retirees received was in 2008 yet living expenses have continually increased. Sen. Ron Sharp, vice chairman of the Senate Insurance and Retirement Committee, said it’s time to find a funding solution. The Shawnee Republican filed Senate Bill 1817 to re-apportion a percentage of certain new taxes to provide…

Rules for telemarketers

January 30, 2020

The Oklahoma House of Representatives will consider legislation to prevent telemarketers from replicating numbers and misrepresenting the origin of a phone call. Rep. Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, filed House Bill 3081 to prohibit callers from tampering with information displayed on caller IDs to disguise their identities. This practice is known as “caller ID spoofing” and is…

Human trafficking bill

January 30, 2020

Oklahoma ranks 28th in the nation for human trafficking, and Sen. Wayne Shaw, R-Grove, wants to better equip law enforcement officers to recognize the signs of this illegal practice and protect trafficking victims. Senate Bill 1569 would require the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET) to establish training resources focused on human trafficking,…

Sen. Smalley resigns

January 30, 2020

State Sen. Jason Smalley announced he would resign office effective January 31. “After serving my country in the U.S. Marines for six years and eight years in an elective office, I believe it is the right time and opportunity to enter back into the business world,” said Smalley, R-Stroud. Smalley said he would be named…

New rental car rules

January 30, 2020

State Rep. Lonnie Sims, R-Jenks, has filed legislation on regulation of the budding peer-to-peer rental car industry. Oklahoma, like many states, has seen the dramatic growth of car rental companies that allow customers to rent automobiles directly from owners and pay through a smartphone app. House Bill 3655 would: Require all automobiles rented on peer-to-peer…

628,000 able-bodied Oklahomans could get Medicaid?

January 30, 2020 Ray Carter

Many Oklahoma Republican politicians say they continue to oppose expansion of Oklahoma’s Medicaid program as allowed by the federal Affordable Care Act, better known as “Obamacare.” But at the same time, many of those officials say they are exploring other options. The expansion of Medicaid enacted in Indiana when Vice President Mike Pence was governor…

TPS votes to close four schools with more changes to come

January 30, 2020

The Tulsa School Board voted on January 22 to approve a recommendation by Superintendent Deborah Gist to close four elementary schools to save money in light of a $20 million budget shortfall. Those elementary schools are Wright, Jones, Grimes and Mark Twain. Students at those schools will head elsewhere for the fall semester. Mark Twain…