The House of Representatives passed a bill that would grant an increase in retirement benefits to retirees of Oklahoma’s six retirement systems. House Bill 2304, authored by State Rep. Avery Frix, R-Muskogee, would give a permanent 4 percent cost of living adjustment (COLA) to all retirees of the Teachers’ Retirement System of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Firefighters…
A measure to prohibit the use of state funds for recruitment bonuses for teachers failed narrowly in the Senate, 22-20. Retired educator Sen. Ron Sharp said he authored Senate Bill 57 to stop the practice of virtual charter schools rewarding teachers financially with state appropriated dollars for successfully recruiting other teachers and students to their…
A bill to require the same level of transparency from virtual charter schools as other public schools passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives. House Bill 1395 amends language in the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act of 2012 to hold virtual charter schools subject to the same financial reporting requirements and audits as traditional school districts. The…
Some House Democrats – including three from Tulsa – want to ban “conversion therapy” for children troubled with homosexuality and to add “sexual orientation” to the category of state “hate crimes.” House Bill 2456 by Rep. Jason Dunningham, D-Oklahoma City, would prohibit a state-licensed therapist from telling a youthful patient they can be cured of…
The Oklahoma Senate overwhelmingly passed two government accountability measures that are a part of a larger deal to give the governor the ability to hire the heads of five of the largest state agencies. Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat’s bills would give the governor the ability to hire and fire the head of the…
Sen. Greg McCortney is the chair of the Rules Committee and Senate principal author of House Bill 2612, creating the safety and regulatory framework necessary for Oklahoma’s medical marijuana industry after voters approved State Question 788 last June. The measure has already been approved by the House. The legislation is the result of work by…
The Senate approved a bill to better equip educators to recognize and address the mental health needs of students. Senate Bill 446, by Sen. John Haste, would require the State Department of Education and the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to develop educator training programs on student mental health. The Broken Arrow…
A measure to build a statewide aerospace training facility cleared both the Senate Education and the Appropriation and Budget committees and is now headed to the Senate floor. Senate Bill 432, authored by Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, authorizes the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education to acquire or lease property for the purpose of…
The House of Representatives passed a measure aimed at encouraging more doctors to practice in rural areas of the state. House Bill 2511, by House Speaker Charles McCall, would reduce a doctor’s tax liability by up to $25,000 annually if he or she practices in a rural community for the tax year beginning in 2020….
Oklahoma is ranked No. 24 on the list of low property taxes, according to the 2019 Property Tax report by Wallet.hub.com. Yet Oklahoma has the fourth lowest median home value at $125,800, only above Arkansas ($118,500), West Virginia ($111,600) and Mississippi ($109,300). Hawaii has the highest median home value at $563,900. According to WalletHub, each…