OKLAHOMA CITY – State lawmakers face a busy legislative interim this fall with a list of almost 200 interim studies to be reviewed, records from the House and Senate show.
Each year, members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the Senate pick issues and policy ideas to examine after the Legislature has adjourned for the year. Those issues are assigned to a legislative committee which meets during the interim. This year, representatives had more than 150 interim study proposals while the Senate had 75.
Senate Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton said the studies allow lawmakers to take a deeper dive into important issues. He said all Senate studies had to be completed by Oct. 31.
“Interim studies are a vital part of the legislative process,” Paxton said in a media statement. “They give lawmakers time to dig deeper into complex or emerging issues that may not receive full attention during the fast-paced legislative session. These studies allow us to engage with subject matter experts, agency officials, industry leaders and everyday Oklahomans to gather a full range of perspectives. They also give us the opportunity to identify policy gaps, evaluate program effectiveness and explore innovative solutions that can lead to meaningful, informed legislation. Ultimately, this in-depth work helps ensure we are crafting smarter, more efficient policies that better serve the people of Oklahoma.”
Paxton said Senate committee chairs are currently reviewing the studies assigned to them and will announce hearing dates and times once finalized.
The list of ideas is diverse. In the Senate, one request – made by Sen. David Bullard – will review the Office of Management and Enterprise Services.
“(The) study to look into the original intent and gain context on the history behind OMES as well as the changes that have been made to OMES by the Legislature over time. Look at what has become the largest bureaucracy in OK and steps we can take to restore OMES to what it was designed to be,” Bullard’s request said. The study was assigned to the Senate’s Retirement and Government Resources Committee.
A study requested by Sen. Shane Jett would “examine the increase in ad valorem taxes assessed on property that exceeded the 1990s referendum percentage caps on property tax increases to balance the needs of tax revenues for essential government function in the context of the referendum.”
That study, record show, was assigned to the Senate’s Revenue and Taxation Committee.
In the House, state Reps. Nick Archer and Preston Stinson have requested a study to examine the Quantum Frontier and the possibility of “making Oklahoma a national leader in quantum computing.”
Another House study, requested by state Rep. Jim Grego would again examine Oklahoma’s feral pig problem.
In addition, state Reps. Kevin West and Lisa Standridge have asked legislative leaders to study the oversight of the state’s homeless shelters.
While some study requests have been assigned to a legislative committee, others have not and some studies don’t take place at all.
State lawmakers will return to the Capitol in February 2026 for the Second Session of the 60th Oklahoma Legislature.