Bill protecting PreK-5 students from sexual content passes State House

Bill Protecting PreK-5 Students from Sexual Content Passes House

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 21st) – Rep. Terry O'Donnell, R-Catoosa, today passed a bill in the House that would prohibit any classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in grades preK-5. Any classroom instruction on these topics in grades 6-12 must be age appropriate for students.

"Conversations about a young child's sexual orientation or gender are best addressed between the child and their parents," O'Donnell said. "This measure is intended to protect a parent's fundamental right of being in charge of the narrative and dialogue on these topics and frankly over everything their child is learning in school."   

O'Donnell said a parent could still choose to involve an educator in these discussions, but the measure would preclude broader classroom instruction on these matters.

House Bill 2546 specifies that classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity shall not occur in pre-kindergarten through grade five or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.

O'Donnell said the bill is similar to Florida's Parental Rights Act passed last year. He said other states also are pursuing similar legislation and it has the support of parents. His bill does not prohibit sex education courses in older grades, but parents do have the option of opting out their child from such instruction.

HB 2546 now moves to the state Senate where it is authored by Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville.

Terry O'Donnell serves District 23 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes parts of Rogers, Tulsa and Wagoner counties.

OCPA praises House lawmakers for defending parents’ rights

OKLAHOMA CITY (March  23, 2023)— Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs President Jonathan Small today praised members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives for voting to prevent school officials from discussing sexual issues with young children.

Earlier this week, House lawmakers approved House Bill 2546, by state Rep. Terry O’Donnell, R-Catoosa.

The bill simply states, “Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity shall not occur in kindergarten through grade five or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.”

“Passage of this bill is a win for parents’ rights,” Small said. “Parents should have the right to determine the time, place and manner that issues like sexual orientation and gender identity will be discussed with their children. And most Oklahomans agree such discussions are inappropriate for the youngest children, such as those in kindergarten.”

The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs is a free-market think tank that works to advance principles and policies that support free enterprise, limited government, individual initiative and personal responsibility.

Bill protecting state pensions from ESG policies passes State House

Bill Protecting State Pensions from ESG Policies Passes House

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 20th) – Rep. Terry O'Donnell, R-Catoosa, today passed a bill in the House designed to continue protections of state pension funds from strategies that would be harmful to the state's energy industry.

House Bill 2547 would prevent any state-run pension fund from delegating its votes by proxy to entities that do not subscribe to Oklahoma's investment strategy as outlined in the measure. The bill is a follow-up to legislation co-authored by O'Donnell last year that restricts the investment of Oklahoma pension funds by firms that adopt strategies akin to Environmental Social Governance (ESG).

McCall announces State House committee, leadership appointments

House Committee, Leadership Appointments Made

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma House of Representatives committee leadership and Republican majority leadership appointments have been made for the 59th Oklahoma Legislature.

House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, was formally elected Tuesday by the full House to his fourth two-year term as speaker, making him the longest-serving speaker in state history. Speaker Pro Tempore Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, was formally elected Tuesday by the full House to his first full term as speaker pro tempore, the chamber’s second ranking officer.

House GOP: attempted "nonbinary" birth certificate settlement did not follow legal process

Attempted nonbinary birth certificate settlement did not follow process in law

OKLAHOMA CITY - An attempted executive branch legal settlement to authorize nonbinary birth certificates in Oklahoma failed to follow a legal process outlined in state law, House Republican leadership said Thursday.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health reportedly entered into a federal lawsuit settlement authorizing a process to add nonbinary to the gender section of Oklahoma birth certificates, but never notified proper authorities as required by law.

"Failure by the executive branch agency to follow the proper legal process means this is not a valid agreement," said House Speaker Pro Tempore Terry O'Donnell, R-Catoosa, an attorney.

Title 74, Section 20f of Oklahoma law requires that a "settlement involving injunctive relief which substantially impacts the operation or programs of a state agency...shall be reviewed prior to its finalization by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate or his designee, the Speaker of the House or his designee, and the Governor or his designee."

Gov. Stitt signs major regulatory reform bill creating Joint Committee on Administrative Rules

GOVERNOR STITT SIGNS GROUNDBREAKING REGULATORY REFORM INTO LAW

SB 913 streamlines rule making process to cut red tape, reduce burdensome regulations for Oklahomans

OKLAHOMA CITY (April 12, 2021)— Governor Kevin Stitt signed groundbreaking regulatory reform into law today, building on the Break the Tape initiative and fulfilling another priority of the People’s Agenda. Senate Bill 913 will create the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules
to review agencies’ rules throughout the year and streamlines the rule repeal process to help get unnecessary and costly regulations off the books quicker.

“I am thrilled to sign this reform into law and am grateful for the shared commitment in the Legislature and across all level of government to cut red tape and reduce burdensome regulations for Oklahomans,” said Governor Stitt. “SB 913 builds on our Break the Tape initiative and is another step forward to foster Oklahoma’s pro-business environment as we strive toward becoming a Top Ten state.”

State House Committee passes bill to modify agency rule approval process

O’Donnell Wins Committee Passage of Bill to Modify Agency Rule Approval Process

OKLAHOMA CITY – House Speaker Pro Tempore Terry O’Donnell, R-Catoosa, on Tuesday passed a bill in the House Administrative Rules Committee that he said will ensure agency rules go through a more transparent and thorough process before being approved or repealed.

Senate Bill 913, by O’Donnell and Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, would create the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) to review and recommend to the Legislature approval or repeal of agency rules.

“State agencies promulgate rules that once approved by the state Legislature have the full effect of law,” O’Donnell said. “The problem is, we currently have one House committee dedicated to overseeing rules from almost 200 agencies, boards and commissions during the crush of the four-month legislative session. This measure would establish a committee that would meet throughout the year to review these rules to see which might need to be removed or amended. This would lead to much greater transparency and greater input into the rule-making process.”

House passes bill to require passing citizenship test as graduation requirement, Dems oppose

Believe it or not, but I actually am sympathetic to the argument the House Dems make in their press release response to the passage of this bill. Read on:

O’Donnell Bill To Require Citizenship Test for Students Passes House

OKLAHOMA CITY – House Speaker Pro Tempore Terry O’Donnell, R-Catoosa, on Monday won passage of a bill in the House that would help students become more engaged citizens.

House Bill 2030 would require high school students to pass the civics portion of the United States’ naturalization test in order to graduate beginning in the 2022-23 school year.

“Unfortunately, too many of our students graduate high school without basic knowledge of how our nation was founded or how our system of government works,” O’Donnell said. “This legislation would help correct that, leading to a more engaged and informed electorate in the future.”

O’Donnell explained this is the same test required of anyone desiring to become a citizen of the United States. Fourteen other states have adopted similar legislation.

HB 2030 would require subject matter standards for history, social studies, and U.S. Government courses in Oklahoma public schools to include the study of important historical documents, including the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Emancipation Proclamation, and Federalist Papers. Subject matter standards for U.S. Government also must include simulations of the democratic process and lessons on the structure and relationship between national, state, county and local governments.

O’Donnell said he too many students graduate without being able to answer basic questions such as how many branches of government exist in the United States or what actually is protected under the First Amendment to the Constitution. He said students would only have to achieve a bare minimum of a score of 60 in order to pass the test before graduation.

“That is not too high of a bar for young adults who will become part of our work force and our communities, and who will be future voters and perhaps even members of our government bodies,” O’Donnell said.

An amendment to the bill would exempt students that have an individualized education plan (IEP).

HB 2030 passed the House with a vote of 80-18. It now advances to the state Senate where it is authored by Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond.  

House Democrats Oppose More Testing for High Schoolers

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Members of the House Democratic Caucus released the following statements today in opposition to House Bill 2030, which requires Oklahoma public school students to take a citizenship test before graduation.

"I’m not concerned about making Oklahoma students take the US Citizenship test,” said Rep. Andy Fugate, D-Del City. “But, the concerns expressed about people in Portland, Seattle, and Washington D.C. won’t be solved by making Oklahoma students take a test.

“Oklahomans deserve better than political posturing in the guise of pandering to patriotism.”

“I like the idea of our students taking the US Naturalization test as an assignment as a part of a unit when the content is delivered, traditionally in the 8th grade,” said Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa. “I can’t support making it a graduation requirement which only creates more unnecessary mandatory testing for our children. Oklahoma parents have spoken loud and clear- our kids have testing fatigue. Testing isn’t the only way to assess a child’s mastery of a subject.

“This bill is ill-conceived, loosely designed, and poorly executed. It will not turn out well for Oklahoma children if we adopt loose testing protocols, security, and implementation.”

“As a former 8th-grade public school history teacher, I can attest that teachers already cover in-depth what the U.S. Naturalization Test assesses,” said Rep. Jacob Rosecrants, D-Norman. “Further, as a believer in the importance of  hands-on kinesthetic learning, I know that children learn better by doing rather than by prepping for a one-time test, and if we really want our students to learn about civics on a deeper level, we should invest in civics curriculum that truly engages our children.”

“It is not our business to legislate standards, especially when we already have a civics curriculum,” said Rep. John Waldron, D-Tulsa. “Imposing test requirements that override the work of Oklahoma educators will not solve the problems we face. Students and teachers don’t need another mandate. They need a government that works for them. ”

Tax credit bill for rural physicians passes House committee

O’Donnell Tax Credit Bill for Rural Physicians Passes Committee

OKLAHOMA CITY – House Speaker Pro Tempore Terry O’Donnell, R-Catoosa, on Tuesday secured unanimous committee passage of a bill that would provide income tax credits for doctors practicing in rural areas of the state.

House Bill 2089 is authored by House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka and Speaker Pro Tempore O’Donnell. The bill would grant up to a $25,000 tax credit for income from compensation directly related to the practice of medicine or osteopathic medicine by a qualifying physician.

“The lifestyle of rural physicians doesn’t always appeal to young students getting out of medical school these days,” O’Donnell told members of the House Rules Committee. “This tax credit would help us incentivize doctors to go into practice in our state’s rural communities, an effort to bolster rural health care.”

“This measure will help us build the ranks of rural doctors to serve residents who choose to live in our state’s smaller communities,” said Speaker McCall. “These residents are as deserving of access to a family physician, obstetricians and or other health care specialists as people who live in more populous areas.”

State House GOP picks leadership for upcoming session

House Republicans Elect Leadership for 58th Legislature

O’Donnell Named Speaker Pro-Tem-Elect; Dills Named Caucus Chair

OKLAHOMA CITY – The House Republican Caucus this week elected its leadership for the 58th Legislature. The legislative session convenes Feb. 1, 2021.

Elected by the Caucus to serve as speaker pro-tempore-elect was State Rep. Terry O’Donnell, R-Catoosa. He replaces State Rep. Harold Wright, R-Weatherford, who was term-limited this year.

“I’m grateful to have been selected to fill this leadership role in the House,” O’Donnell said. “I look forward to working closely with the caucus and the speaker’s office to advance meaningful legislation that will make Oklahoma the best place to live and do business, and to help ensure members follow House rules and appropriate decorum.”

O’Donnell has served the House as majority whip since the 56th Legislature and served as the chair of the Energy & Natural Resources Committee the past two years. He also is a member of the House Appropriations & Budget and the Judiciary Committees as well as a member of the House and Senate Joint Committee on Appropriations & Budget.

State Rep. Charles McCall, R-Atoka, is speaker-elect as no one else filed for that position. This would be his third term as speaker.

House committee passes bill to bring transparency on state lawsuits

O’Donnell Passes Bill  to Bring Greater Transparency on State Lawsuits

OKLAHOMA CITY – State Rep. Terry O’Donnell (R-Catoosa) yesterday saw advancement of a bill that would bring greater transparency to the process by which the state hires and pays for outside attorneys or legal agencies to represent its interests.

House Bill 3390 would require the state to make available to the public a list of attorneys and firms furnishing legal services along with a schedule of fees paid. The bill also caps the fees the state would pay to $1,000 per hour or a scale from 2% to 15% depending on the amount recovered from $20 million to less than $10 million with the state payment not to exceed $10 million. Any case that is believed to cost more than $1 million will need to be first submitted to the Legislative Oversight Committee overseeing the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT).

The bill passed in the House Judiciary Committee by a vote of 15-0.

“The goal of this measure is to bring transparency to state lawsuits,” O’Donnell said. “A more transparent bidding process is good for everybody in the state.”

HB 3390 also specifies that past or present relationships between legal counsel and the state be disclosed when contracts are proposed and that the reasons for hiring outside counsel be explained to the public. The bill further requires that before entering into a contract for legal representation with private attorneys or firms, an official of the executive branch must receive proposals for three qualified private attorneys or firms with the contract being based on the most economical and the service judged to be in the best interest of the state.

O’Donnell said the bill is still a work in progress and may see further amendments before it is brought to the House floor.

Initiative petition modernizations pass House Rules Committee

Initiative Petition Modernizations Pass House Rules Committee

OKLAHOMA CITY – The process for state questions would be more transparent and modernized under two bills passed by the House Rules Committee on Tuesday.

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 in Oklahoma.

“These common sense improvements make the petition process more transparent and functional for citizens,” McCall said. “Petitions for state questions are increasingly popular, and government needs to handle these petitions more transparently and efficiently than it does now.”

HB 3827 addresses a lack of transparency in campaign finance for state questions.

The current definition of “state question” used by the Ethics Commission says a state question becomes a state question when the governor sets an election date, which allows campaigns for or against state questions to avoid disclosing donations and expenditures until that time. State question campaigns will often have been accepting donations and spending money for months or even years before an election date is set by the governor.

HB 3827 says a state question becomes a state question when the Secretary of State assigns a state question number, which typically occurs shortly after the petition is filed.

“While some initiative petition groups truly are grassroots citizens, many are out-of-state, well-funded, sophisticated political machines. The public deserves to know the finances and interests behind these campaigns when they are considering signing petitions, just like they deserve to know the same of candidates,” McCall said. “Transparency helps voters make better choices.”

HB 3827 treats state question campaigns more like candidates for office, who are required to begin disclosing fundraising and expenditures once they have raised at least $1,000, regardless of whether they have filed for office.

To modernize the petition signature counting process, HB 3826 authorizes the Secretary of State to use electronic signature counting equipment and software so petition signatures can be cross referenced with the voter registration database maintained by the Election Board. Only registered voters are permitted to sign initiative and referendum petitions.

“It shocks most Oklahomans to know that, in the year 2020, signatures are hand-counted and not cross referenced with voter rolls,” McCall said. “There needs to be a more efficient, accurate way to count signatures than the antiquated process used today.”

HB 3826 requires the initiative and referendum signature gathering form to include each signatory’s printed first name, last name, zip code, house number, and month and day of birth. Any entry not matching three of these five criteria during cross referencing with the voter database would not be counted.

The current petition form collects a signature, printed name, address, city and county. Signature gatherers sign an affidavit attesting to the accuracy and eligibility of the signatures gathered. No further verification is done.

“This bill tightens up a very lax process to improve accuracy,” McCall said.

The bills were presented in committee by Rep. Terry O’Donnell, R-Catoosa.

“Changing the Constitution or state law with a state question is a major action that should not be taken lightly. These bills give voters stronger assurances of transparency and process integrity that are befitting of the magnitude of the matters they may see on their ballot,” O’Donnell said.

The bills now advance to the House floor. If the bills become law, they would take effect in November 2020, meaning they would not affect state questions under consideration this election cycle.

Interim Study focuses on Arkansas River Navigation System

McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System Focus of Interim Study

OKLAHOMA CITY – State Reps. Chris Sneed (R-Fort Gibson), Terry O’Donnell (R-Catoosa) and Avery Frix (R-Muskogee) held an interim study today to review critical maintenance issues of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS), the impact of the system on surrounding communities, and current and future economic growth plans.

The study took place at the Capitol before the House Transportation Committee.

“The importance of this navigation system to the economies of Eastern Oklahoma, the state and the nation cannot be overstated,” Sneed said. “It is imperative we examine issues surrounding how we maintain this system to prevent future flooding and to ensure the continued reliable delivery of products from this important shipping channel.”

O’Donnell echoed those sentiments.

“The reliability of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas Navigation System Channel is vital to the transportation needs of businesses and manufacturing of the region,” O’Donnell said. “Last spring’s flooding demonstrated the need for our state to be in a position to respond quickly to emergencies affecting the waterway. I am hoping this study sheds some light on what we can do as a state to ensure the safety and efficacy of the McClellan-Kerr Navigation Channel going forward.”

Frix said he joined the study because of the channel’s importance to the Port of Muskogee and the surrounding region.

“This shipping channel directly affects jobs, the economy and the recreation activities afforded residents in my House district,” Frix said. “I wanted to make sure our interests are considered and that we have a say in measures that are adopted to keep this port functioning at top capacity and protected as we consider future growth.”

Other presenters at the interim study were David Yarbrough, director of the Tulsa Port of Catoosa and chairman of the National Waterways Conference; Scott Robinson, director of the Port of Muskogee; Fred Taylor, director of Oakley’s Port 33; and Bob Portiss, port director emeritus of the Tulsa Port of Catoosa and former chairman of the National Waterways Conference.

Yarbrough discussed the value to the nation of the MKARNS, which is part of the largest inland and coastal marine transportation system in the world. The system, maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, moves an estimated 1.4 billion tons of agriculture, minerals and other products, valued at $2 trillion, from the American heartland to national and overseas markets. This is 98% of all U.S. imports and exports and provides 20% of all U.S. jobs (63,000 full time positions in Oklahoma and Arkansas) and 1/3 of the nation’s gross domestic product. Projects on the MKARNS itself serve over 7 million utility customers and provide a return of nearly $37 million every year to the U.S. Treasury.

In addition to the movement of products, the system provides 6.5 billion gallons of drinking water nationwide each day, helps to prevent flooding, provides recreation opportunities and habitats for fish, fowl and other wildlife.

The MKARNS and its system of waterways and reservoirs also enhance the region’s outdoor recreation, presenters said. As an example, BassMasters is planning to return to the Three Forks Harbor in Muskogee in 2020, an event that is expected to positively impact the local economy.

Yarbrough also made the argument that waterway navigation is much more energy efficient, with a smaller carbon footprint, than movement by train or trucks. He said a barge can move one ton of cargo 616 miles per gallon of fuel versus a rail car that could move the same ton only 478 miles and a truck only 150 miles. He said to move an identical amount of cargo by rail generates 30% more carbon dioxide than by barge, and that is 1,000% more emissions by trucks than by barge.

Yarbrough explained that cumulative flood damages prevented by Arkansas River Basin projects in fiscal year 2018 exceeded $20.1 billion. He said this year, because of flooding, the amount of products moved on the waterway systems will be down but will rebound.

Robinson further detailed the effects of last spring’s floods on the Port of Muskogee and its 11 flood storage reservoirs. He said seven states’ waterways drain into Oklahoma and end up in Muskogee. He showed startling images of the devastation caused by this year’s flooding and explained how the Corps attempts to manage flooding to keep surrounding residents safe by releasing water from different dams in the system.

Taylor also discussed the flooding impact on Oakley’s Port 33. Both Robinson and Taylor detailed damage to local buildings and machinery, the cost of lost shipping or increased shipping costs as well as job loss and revenue loss, which is estimated to be at least about $200 million. Both said Oklahoma is still struggling to recover from the flooding.

Portiss discussed the history of MKARNS, which initially was planned as a flood-control project but led to the navigable waterway, conservation and recreation areas that exist today. He also detailed future hopes for the system, including a possible future public-private partnership between Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kansas. He expressed a desire for legislative support of and funding for the on-time completion of the White River Entrance Channel cut-off planning engineering design phase in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ work plan as well as a desire to increase congressional appropriations to address the approximate $250 million in backlog of crucial maintenance issues in the three-rivers’ feasibility study area.

Bipartisan Task Force Recommends Restarting House Page Program

Bipartisan Task Force Recommends Restarting House Page Program

OKLAHOMA CITY – The bipartisan task force assigned to evaluate the House of Representatives’ Page Program has voted unanimously to restart the program beginning next week with the implementation of immediate changes. The Page Program Task Force has recommended moving to male only and female only weeks through the end of the legislative session as they continue to evaluate the program and study best practices from other states. The Task Force has also recommended increasing security for the program. Based upon those recommendations, House Speaker Charles McCall (R-Atoka) announced the program will restart beginning Monday, April 1. The Task Force will continue to meet as it evaluates the program to consider additional changes.

“We believe this is a program worth having, and that we should continue to provide these opportunities for our students,” said Task Force Chairman Terry O’Donnell, R-Catoosa. “We are taking the protection of our pages very seriously, and we are making immediate changes that will enhance safety for our participants. We will continue to look at the program from a long-term perspective as the task force meets over the next few weeks. The page program is a very valuable experience for our students who participate and it is a way for lawmakers to connect with their communities. We will continue to be diligent in examining our current procedures, but we don’t want to punish those young people who hope to learn about the Legislature and maybe develop a life-long appreciation for public service.”

“The page program is a unique and historic education opportunity for Oklahoma students,” said House Minority Leader Emily Virgin, D-Norman. “I appreciate the quick work of committee members to ensure that students from across the state still have access to the program.”

“The safety of our pages is my number one priority in this process,” said Task Force Vice Chair Carol Bush, R-Tulsa. “We have looked at our current protocols and made some adjustments that we believe will protect our students and allow the program to be reinstated quickly. This is just the first step. We will continue to evaluate the program and make recommendations for changes that will protect our students in the long term.”

“This committee had two primary goals,” said Task Force member Ben Loring, D-Miami. “First, we wanted to make certain that future pages will be safe. Second, as long as we accomplished the first goal, we wanted to keep the program open and accessible to Oklahoma students throughout the remainder of session. I feel like we have accomplished both of these goals.”