OKLAHOMA CITY – Landmark legislation to allocate up to $75 million in new resources for county roads and bridges across Oklahoma was approved by Gov. Kevin Stitt last week.
State law stipulates that if a bill passes in the Legislature during the final five days of session, the governor has 15 days following the final day of session to either sign the measure or veto it.
House Bill 2758, which had an emergency tag attached and will become law July 1, was authored by Rep.
Trey Caldwell (R-Faxon) and co-sponsored by Rep.
Brad Boles (R-Marlow). The measure is one of the largest single-year investments in county transportation infrastructure in state history, according to a legislative press release.
“This puts this critical funding directly into the hands of our counties to fix the roads and bridges they know best.
This will keep Oklahomans safe as they travel. It will keep commerce moving through our rural and urban areas to the economic benefit of all Oklahomans, and it will lead to job growth and support the long-term future of Oklahoma’s infrastructure. We’re proud to stand with county officials in delivering the resources they’ve long needed,” Caldwell said in the press release.
Sen. John Haste (R-Broken Arrow) also co-sponsored the bill.
“This legislation is about solving real problems in every corner of our state,” Haste said in the press release.
“Oklahoma currently has 1,764 structurally deficient county bridges, making this historic investment critical to public safety and infrastructure modernization.
House Bill 2758 delivers the funding counties need to begin replacing them, and to upgrade thousands of miles of rural roads that are vital to public safety, agriculture and economic development.”
Under the bill, counties may access up to $4,000 per mile of county roads to support targeted repairs and infrastructure modernization.
The new law is the product of collaboration between the Legislature, the governor and the Association of County Commissioners of Oklahoma, which championed the effort to secure new funding for all 77 counties.
“The majority of roads and bridges in Oklahoma are maintained by our counties.
It's imperative we give them the tools and funding they need to properly maintain them for the safety of their residents and the businesses that rely on these lifelines,” Caldwell added.
Another bill authored by Caldwell and approved by the governor last week, HB 2752, will amend the state’s eminent domain law by placing new restrictions on how electric and gas utilities can use eminent domain powers. The new law, which will become effective Nov. 1, in part specifically prohibits the use of eminent domain for siting or building renewable energy facilities such as wind turbines, solar facilities, battery storage and hydrogen gas facilities on private property.
Rep. Brad Boles (R-Marlow) also co-sponsored three other bills that were approved by the governor last week.
• HB 2610 modifies the tax credit for nonrecurring adoption expenses in the state and expands the existing credit to provide additional financial support for individuals and couples who adopt children.
• Senate Bill 130 directs the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to undertake a nuclear energy generation feasibility study and thoroughly evaluate multiple aspects of nuclear energy. This includes topics such as site selection, economic and environmental impacts, design characteristics, safety criteria, workforce utilization and potential for small modular nuclear reactors.
In addition, the new law also requires the study to explore benefits such as tax base implications, job creation and potential military base energy resilience. The study will be supported by a $375,000 appropriation from the General Revenue Fund.
• HB 1087, which was authored by Rep. Dick Lowe (R-Amber), gives teachers in the later portion of their careers the opportunity to earn more money. The new law will extend the teacher salary schedule through 35 years of service instead of the current 25-year cap.
Rep. Toni Hasenbeck (R-Elgin) co-sponsored two education-related bills that the governor approved last week.
• SB 140 establishes the Oklahoma Math Achievement and Proficiency Act.
The new law seeks to improve mathematics education for students in second through fifth grades by establishing comprehensive screening, intervention and support strategies. Schools will be required to develop individual math intervention plans for students not meeting grade-level targets.
• HB 1727 modifies the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program to provide more eligibility for students who are children of certified classroom teachers. A certified classroom teacher is defined as a full-time public school classroom teacher who has been employed for at least 10 years and excludes administrative positions.
In part, the new law will allow students to enter the program no later than Dec. 31 of their 12th grade year instead of 11th grade. It also creates a new financial need qualification allowing children of certified classroom teachers to qualify for the program if their household income is at or above 700% of the federal poverty level.
Rep. Daniel Pae (R-Lawton) was named last week to the National Conference of State Legislatures 2025 of the Youth Homelessness Fellows Program. The program brings together a bipartisan group of state legislators and legislative staff committed to addressing and preventing youth and young adult homelessness.
“I’m honored to be selected for the Youth Homelessness Fellows Program and to join fellow lawmakers from across the country who are committed to finding real solutions to this urgent issue,” Pae said in a press release. “Every young person deserves a safe and stable place to call home, regardless of the circumstances that led to this point.”
Pae joins a group of 21 other legislators and two legislative staffers representing 17 states. Participants will engage in two multi-day, in-person meetings designed to deepen their understanding of youth homelessness and explore evidence-based state policy solutions focused on prevention and elimination, according to the news release.