OKLAHOMA CITY (April 25th) – The Oklahoma House of Representatives today approved legislation to reduce criminal activity in Oklahoma.
Senate Bill 1450, authored by Rep. John George, R-Newalla, lowers the felony threshold for theft from $1,000 to $500, defines organized retail crime, and sets penalties based on stolen property value.
The Oklahoma House of Representatives and Senate have both unveiled their state budget plans for the pending fiscal year. Each side has included goals that merit praise.
The House budget plan includes a quarter-point reduction in the state’s personal income tax, which would reduce our top rate from 4.75 percent to 4.5 percent. Because the personal income tax is a penalty on work and investment, the tax depresses economic growth. The lower the rate, the better the job creation and opportunity for all Oklahomans. While the best rate would be zero, any move in that direction is welcome.
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| Dash cam view just prior to vehicle slamming into car on shoulder |
OKLAHOMA CITY (April 23rd) – Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, today applauded the Oklahoma House of Representatives for passing Senate Bill 2035, legislation he authored after his son’s near-deadly accident.
The bill passed off the House floor by a vote of 89-2.
Pro Tem Treat’s son was driving legally but did not have a car tag because current state law allows a private seller of a vehicle to retain possession of the physical car tag. While his son, Mason, was pulled over, the driver of another vehicle veered off the road and slammed into the back of his car, injuring him and the sheriff who had pulled him over.
“This goes beyond politics, and I greatly appreciate the members of the House of Representatives who voted in favor of this legislation,” Pro Tem Treat said. “I nearly lost my son due to no fault of his own. He was driving legally but was pulled over because he didn’t have a tag, even though he had all of the proper vehicle information, insurance and registration forms. Senate Bill 2035 is my main priority this session because I don’t want any families to have to go through what my family has gone through. I deeply appreciate Rep. Kyle Hilbert, who carried this legislation on the House side and all of the coauthors. I look forward to seeing this being signed into law.”
The bill will go back to the Senate for adoption of a perfunctory amendment before heading to the governor’s desk.
Senate Bill 2035 provides that motor vehicle license plates shall be transferable to different owners but shall remain with the vehicle it is initially registered to beginning July 1, 2024. The measure repeals a statute authorizing the transfer of a license plate to a different vehicle.
Pro Tem Treat’s son Mason spent 20 days in the hospital recovering from his injuries. He continues his recovery at home and in various physical therapy sessions.
Click here to watch Pro Tem Treat’s floor debate on Senate Bill 2035.
Provisions of Senate Bill 2035
OKLAHOMA CITY (April 23, 2024) – Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued the following statement today in response to the latest audit findings of State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd:
“The audit findings released today show troubling and all too familiar patterns of mismanagement, costing taxpayers millions as a result. Today’s report confirms my previous order of an investigative audit of OMES, which is sorely needed and long overdue.
OKLAHOMA CITY (April 25th) – A measure making Oklahoma's state employee management agency and the Chief Information Officer subject to the Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act has been sent to the governor's desk.
House Bill 3057, authored by Rep. Jay Steagall, R-Yukon, would require all purchases of equipment, products and services within the Information Services Division of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) and the Chief Information Officer to be subject to the Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act and the Public Competitive Bidding Act of 1974 without exception.
OKLAOMA CITY (April 24, 2024) – Attorney General Gentner Drummond today praised Gov. Stitt for signing two bills into law that are critical for cracking down on crime. Drummond also urged the Governor to take swift action in signing House Bill 4156, the immigration reform legislation Drummond called for weeks ago.
Oklahoma's official government watchdog, State Auditor Cindy Byrd, is out with an absolutely scorching audit of OMES, finding all sorts of improprieties:
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (April 23, 2024) -- Oklahoma State Auditor & Inspector (SAI) Cindy Byrd today released the Federal Single Audit of expenditures made during FY 2022. This annual audit is a federally-mandated examination of whether the State of Oklahoma spent federal grant money in compliance with federal regulations.
The audit report covers more than $13 Billion of expenditures which are audited through a formula provided by the federal government. A majority of the $13 Billion came from COVID relief funds.
The most compelling information revealed in this audit is that COVID allowed the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) to establish a new set of rules for vendor contracts. SAI has determined these new rules are not in the best interest of Oklahoma taxpayers.
I was in a store just the other day and overhead a cashier and customer discussing how kids don't learn cursive any more, and the need for them to have this skill. Looks like they weren't the only ones thinking this!
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| Photo courtesy of the Oklahoma Historical Society |
OKLAHOMA CITY (April 24th) – Oklahoma House Representative Jason Lowe, D-Oklahoma City, had his bill HB 3727 signed into law yesterday by the Governor. The bill’s Senate author is Sen. Kevin Matthews, D-Tulsa.
The bill requires cursive handwriting instruction for students in third through fifth grade.
Glad to see this project taking place, as it would be a very helpful tool, especially around judicial retention vote time:
Who are the nine justices on the Oklahoma Supreme Court?
How have their rulings impacted Oklahoma's ability to attract and keep jobs—and job creators—in our state?
Have the Court's rulings strengthened or undermined the rule of law and Oklahoma values?
These are some of the questions that will be covered by the Oklahoma Judicial Scorecard, a new project announced today by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs.
In what is often seen as the “reddest state in America,” with a Republican governor and supermajority across the legislature, people are often surprised to learn that Oklahoma’s Supreme Court is considered one of the most liberal in the country.
In the past six months, the Iranian regime has launched thousands of rockets at Israel through its proxies: Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis. Iran has also launched hundreds of attacks on American forces in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. Now, Iran has directly attacked Israel.
In addition to the ongoing threat now hurled at Israel from Iran, the US should clearly oppose the violence of Hamas terrorists and support the freedom for every hostage in Gaza. Some in Washington, DC, and around the world have forgotten that the current war in the Middle East started on Oct. 7 when Israel was brutally attacked by Hamas terrorists on the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret.
OKLAHOMA CITY (April 18, 2024)—Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs President Jonathan Small issued the following statement after the passage of Senate Bill 1737, which was supported by trial lawyers and strongly supported by Paycom, an $11 billion publicly traded company with a track record of attacking conservatives in Oklahoma.
“SB 1737, which could provide a windfall to trial lawyers, is a bill that the author has said is supported by Paycom, which has had a track record of attacking conservatives in public and in the courts because Paycom and its CEO Chad Richison prefer the far-left’s plan for Oklahoma,” Small said.
“SB 1737 amends a current state statute to make it even easier to harass political opponents by allowing someone to pursue civil action for ‘online harassment’ that allegedly impacts a company’s intangible assets.
Oklahoma House Republicans are aiming to do something to protect Oklahoma from Biden's illegal immigration crisis, while, naturally, the House Democrats oppose doing anything except embracing it.
House Republicans Vote to Protect Oklahomans from Illegal Immigration Crisis
OKLAHOMA CITY (April 18th) – Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, today received passage of House Bill 4156 by a vote of 77-20. The legislation, aimed at addressing the illegal immigration crisis, creates the crime of impermissible occupation. Details include:
