Don’t miss the latest Oklahoma legislative news from NASL member firm A&A Advocates.
State authorities said they are intensifying efforts to address illegal marijuana operations and target transnational criminal organizations operating within the state. The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control held a joint news conference with the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority on Tuesday, discussing recent data. Narcotics bureau officials say its registrations for growers dropped from 9,400 in 2021 to 6,400 in 2022. Today, the number of registrations is down to roughly 3,200.
On Thursday, the Oklahoma State Board of Education held its November meeting to discuss accreditation, the lawsuit against the virtual catholic charter school, and an OSDE internal audit. Several individuals addressed the board, including representatives from the Defense of Democracy and Tulsa Public Schools.
Republican Dusty Deevers will face off against Democrat Larry Bush for the open Senate District 32seat— comprising the north and west sides of Lawton, Cache, Elgin, and Fletcher—in the special general election on Dec. 12, 2023. The matchup is a clash of ideals and priorities, with Deevers focusing on the Second Amendment, the economy, and education reform—and Bush seeking to address health care and corruption at the Oklahoma State Capitol.
Oklahoma Treasurer Todd Russ recently criticized one of the state’s largest pension funds for taking an exemption to a new law forbidding state pension funds from doing business with financial companies hostile to the oil and gas industry. However, his office exercised an exemption for services from Bank of America and is negotiating with JP Morgan Chase on another exemption. Both companies are among six Russ placed on a list of restricted financial companies.