Don’t miss the latest legislative news from NASL member firm A&A Advocates below.
Gov. Kevin Stitt vetoed a bill Tuesday afternoon, which would have protected two members of his Cabinet — Secretary of Agriculture and Department of Agriculture CEO Blayne Arthur and Licensing and Regulation Cabinet Secretary and Regents of the Regional Universities System of Oklahoma President Susan Winchester — from an opinion recently issued by Attorney General Gentner Drummond regarding dual office-holding. The governor’s veto surprised some lawmakers and drew a harsh rebuke from Drummond. SB 1196 can be found here and Stitt’s full veto message can be found here.
A Senate budget resolution was filed as SR 31 on Thursday to specify the fiscal impact of the elimination of the state portion of sales tax on groceries; identifying agency budget amounts for Fiscal Year 2025; and directing distribution.
Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, gained House passage of multiple bills this week he authored regarding Oklahoma’s tax structure and policy, including:
HB 2948 phases out the corporate income tax over five years by reducing the amount of tax due each year by 20% increments beginning tax year 2024.
HB 2949 establishes a path to completely eliminate the state income tax.
HB 2950 replaces the bracket system for personal income tax with a 4.75 percent flat tax beginning tax year 2025.
On Tuesday, House lawmakers approved the creation of two new tax credits, by Suzanne Schreiber, D-Tulsa, designed to bolster the state’s struggling child care industry and help sidelined parents reenter the workforce: HB 4147 would increase capacity in a highly regulated industry that doesn’t have enough supply to meet demand and is often cost-prohibitive for parents and HB 1808 would continue COVID-19 program providing free child care to the children of employees working in licensed centers.
What We’re Watching
After Thursday’s deadline, the state is left with 1,331 live bills and JRs to work with before the Opposite Chamber Committee next month.
Attorney General Gentner Drummond is leading a group of 24 state attorneys general and one state legislature in challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new methane emissions rule. Read the petition here.
The Oklahoma Senate on Monday passed Senate Bill 1403 from Sen. Chuck Hall, R-Perry, to increase funding for county roads and highways.
The Oklahoma Senate on Monday passed Senate Bill 1331 from Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, that would earmark $125 million for much-needed water and wastewater infrastructure projects in localities across the state.
“Our children are encountering too many instances of harm when using technology. It is imperative that the FTC strengthen and update its rules to ensure technology companies are not using children’s information in a nefarious way. With the continuous and rapid development of technology, we must be vigilant in protecting the lives of innocent children.” – Attorney General Gentner Drummond alongside a coalition of 39 other attorneys general urging the Federal Trade Commission to strengthen online privacy, safety protections for youth
UPCOMING LEGISLATIVE DEADLINES
April 8, 2023
Deadline for SBs/SJRs Out of Subcommittee
April 11, 2023
Deadline report House legislation from Senate committees
April 12, 2024
Deadline for SBs/SJRs Out of Standing Committee
April 19, 2024
Deadline for SBs/SJRs Out of Full A&B Committee
April 25, 2024
Deadline for Third Reading of Bills and Joint Resolutions from Opposite Chamber
May 31, 2024
Sine Die Adjournment
