The Latest in Oklahoma: June 7, 2024
A&A Advocates
Oklahoma will not enforce any mandates from the World Health Organization, the United Nations and the World Economic Forum under a SB 426 that was signed by Gov. Kevin Stitt on Wednesday. It takes effect immediately and states that Oklahoma is not bound by any requirements or mandates issued by the organizations.
Variety Care, Oklahoma’s largest community health center, is partnering with behavioral health services providerNorthCare effective June 15 to enhance the group’s collaboration and improve Oklahomans’ physical and mental health. Their formal affiliation agreement will bring members of the NorthCare Board of Directors onto the Variety Care Board of Directors, allowing them to maintain Variety Care’s requirements as a Federally Qualified Health Center and NorthCare’s requirements as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic.
$4.1 million was allocated in the state budget to resolve a lawsuit alleging Oklahoma’s mental health agency is not providing timely treatment to county jail inmates. House Appropriations and Budget Committee Chairman Kevin Wallace, R-Wellston, said the funds in House Bill 2929 were allocated to the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services in the event that the state resolved the lawsuit during the legislative interim.
Oklahoma County District Judge Richard C. Ogden has sided with Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond in a May 31 order regarding a dispute with the governor regarding whether cabinet secretaries can hold dual offices. The decision follows an opinion Drummond issued in February, saying Oklahoma Department of Transportation Executive Director Tim Gatz could not hold three posts at once.
What We’re Watching
The deadline for the filing of House Interim Studies is Friday, July 26 to approve studies and assign them to committees.
The deadline for Senators to request Interim Studies for this interim is June 21. They must be approved and assigned to committee by June 28, and they must be heard in Committee and finished by November 1.
Legislation codifying the Women’s Bill of Rights, which preserves biological sex as a distinct legal category, has been signed into law.
“As governors, we are extremely concerned with the impacts your energy policies are having on households across our country and call on you to pursue an all-of-the-above energy approach that will promote homegrown energy that benefits all Americans. Under your administration, Americans have paid over 40% more for gas every time they fill up. These policies are disproportionately impacting low-income Americans.” – Gov. Kevin Stitt and 19 other governors announced their plan to unleash American energy and sent a letter to President Biden to push back against his administration’s attacks on energy production.
