OKLAHOMA CITY – State Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat (R-Oklahoma City) said in his weekly press conference that last week was very productive and he is glad to have a budget deal with the House of Representatives. The deal does not include any new state tax breaks that Governor Kevin Stitt and House Speaker Charles McCall (R-Atoka) repeatedly sought. Treat is also happy the Senate was able to deliver on providing transparency throughout the budget negotiations.
The current legislative session ends May 31. Sen. Dusty Deevers (R-Elgin) There hasn’t been movement recorded on Senate Bill 426, a bill co-sponsored by Sen. Deevers, which advocates prohibiting enforcement of policies required or recommended by the World Health Organization. The measure was assigned May 16 to the Committee on Elections and Ethics for conference consideration.
However, U.S. Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) released a statement in his monthly e-newsletter regarding a letter he and the entire Senate Republican Conference sent to President Biden. The letter called for the president’s administration to withdraw support for two international agreements being considered at the World Health Assembly. If approved, the agreements would grant greater authority to what the letter described as “the dysfunctional” World Health Organization and would “potentially weaken United States sovereignty.”
In addition, Stitt and 23 other governors also signed a letter reported on May 22 to President Biden opposing the proposed amendments regarding the WHO’s International Health Regulations and a New Pandemic Treaty that would grant WHO “unconstitutional power over Americans and drastically diminish the role of governors and state health officials’ ability to protect citizens against international health entities.”
The governors’ letter stated that a new “Pandemic Agreement” would undermine national sovereignty and infringe on states’ rights. It would also elevate the WHO from an advisory body to a global authority in public health. A WHO director-general unilateral power would have unilateral power to declare a “public health emergency of international concern” in member nations. In addition, it would strip elected representatives of their authority to set public health policy.
“Additional concerns arise regarding the establishment of a global surveillance infrastructure and requirements for member states to censor speech related to public health, potentially facilitating the proliferation of biological weapons,” the letter stated.
Earlier this month Deevers issued a press release and called for urgent action on SB 426. The bill’s intent is to create a new section of law in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 6301 of Title 74 and states, in part, that WHO, the United Nations and the World Economic Forum shall have no jurisdiction in the State of Oklahoma.
An emergency tag was attached and, if signed into law, would become effective June 1. Sen. Jessica Garvin (R-Duncan) Supporters of SB 102, authored by Sen. Garvin, were disappointed when the governor vetoed the measure May 21, which would have improved police officers’ pensions when they retired.
“I was disappointed in Gov. Stitt’s veto of Senate Bill 102, and I strongly urge the Legislature to override this action so the law can take effect,” state Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a May 23 press release. “As Oklahoma’s chief law enforcement officer, I will always stand with the men and women who risk their lives to protect our families. I hope legislators move swiftly to override the Governor’s veto so our peace officers can know they still have reliable allies in the state Capitol.”
Drummond supported the carryover bill from 2023, in part, because he believes the measure will help recruit and retain law enforcement professionals by increasing their retirement benefits.
Garvin wrote in a recent column that to offset the increase in retirement benefits, police officers and the cities that employ them would be required to contribute more to their retirement accounts while they are still working. She believes the bill will not only help recruit but also retain talented police officers, which is something, she said, many of the localities have struggled with for years. In addition, she wrote that Oklahoma’s police pension system is the most financially solvent of all the state’s pension systems.
On May 23, Stitt approved Garvin’s SB 1658, which will eliminate the statute of limitations for rape in certain situations and provides a provision addressing retroactive applicability. The measure eliminates the statute of limitations for rape when DNA evidence emerges or when a suspect confesses to the crime. The current time frame is 12 years when the victim is age 18 or older.
In her weekly column, Garvin wrote that after some amendments were adopted from the state House of Representatives, the new law also extends from 12 years to 20 years the statute of limitations for sexual abuse of a vulnerable adult. It also addresses increasing the statute of limitations for the non-consensual dissemination of private sexual images, commonly known as revenge porn.
Another bill co-sponsored by Garvin, House Bill 1349, which will create the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority Advisory Board, was approved by the governor on May 20. The measure outlines who will be seated on the council. Sen. Brent Howard (R-Altus) Two bills authored by Sen. Howard were sent to the governor last week and are pending approval.
SB 468 would create the Uniform Electronic Estate Planning Documents Act and addresses electronic wills, affidavits, electronic records and signatures. SB 979 would modify requirements under the Oklahoma Abstractors Act. The measure will provide an exception for determination of unnecessary delay and increase certain civil penalties. Sen. Chris Kidd (R-Waurika) A bill co-sponsored by Sen. Kidd, HB 3693, which would create the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission and outlines who would be seated on the nine-member board, was sent to the governor on May 23 and is pending approval. Each appointee must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of Oklahoma for at least five years, and have no felony convictions.
The measure would also create in the State Treasury an agency special account for the Commission to be designated as the “Oklahoma Breeding Development Fund Special Account.” It will be a continuing fund and not subject to fiscal year limitations. Monies received by the Commission for deposit in the fund will, in part, come from unclaimed pari-mutuel tickets. The measure will also prohibit expending certain funds when other funds are available. Sen. Lonnie Paxton (R-Tuttle) Two bills authored by Sen. Paxton were approved by the governor last week.
SB 1939, which pertains to medical marijuana and clarifies provisions for the transfer of licensing following a change in ownership. The measure creates a medical marijuana business license and specifies if the owner is a commercial grower, a marijuana processor, a dispensary, a transporter or a testing laboratory. The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, with the aid of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services, will develop a website for medical marijuana business applications. The measure establishes how fees for the business license will be established based on what type of operations are conducted and sets an annual, nonrefundable fee for a medical marijuana transporter license at $2,500.
SB 1943, which pertains to the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act. The measure specifies registration requirements and announces the rules for certain fees by the director.