Oklahoma City – This week proves to be a critical week for the 20+ bills remaining on Ignite Liberty’s Legislative Tracker that have yet to fully pass both houses of the Oklahoma Legislature. April 22nd is the deadline for bills to receive their 3rd hearing in the opposite house. If they do not receive a hearing, the bills will likely be considered dead for this legislative term, barring a miracle.
Some bills have been scheduled today for a hearing on the House floor. SB 612, the Medical Licensing Bill that would all but end abortion in the Sooner State moved to the House schedule and is available to be heard on the House floor tomorrow. SB 644 (allowing municipal employees to carry firearms while on the job) and SB 925 (Private Property Protection Act) have also been scheduled to be heard on the floor of the House this week.
Many other bills, however, still await their assignments. Of these the most glaring omission is HB 1236, the State’s Right Bill. Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat has yet to schedule it for a vote on the floor of the Senate, causing conservative groups from across to the state, led by OK2A, to issue a call-to-arms.
OK2A is holding a rally tomorrow at the 4th floor Rotunda in State Capitol at 6pm in support of the legislation. This bill, which Ignite Liberty covered earlier in the session, would give the State of Oklahoma the authority to veto any Federal legislation or executive order that was deemed to be unconstitutional by the Oklahoma Attorney General or the Legislature, should the AG choose to not act.
It is critical that each Oklahoman make their voices heard and respectfully request their legislators, and in specific Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, House Speaker Charles McCall, and House Majority Leader Jon Echols. Simply reference our Legislative Tracker, and for the bills that have completely passed the committees (all GREEN) send them an email stating “Please hear SB/HB_____ (insert the number of the legislation here.”
For House Bills, email Senator Treat. For Senate Bills, email Speaker McCall and Majority Leader Echols. Remember, as few as 10 people emailing each of them per bill could make the difference in these bills getting heard or not.
SB 222 Update
Ignite Liberty spoke with Senator Rob Standridge, principal author of SB 222, on Friday regarding the anti-bullying language inserted into the bill, which started as SB 570 – Hope Scholarship Act (providing school vouchers to bullied children allowing them to attend different schools). Senator Standridge has been a staunch opponent of Critical Race Theory being currently taught in Oklahoma schools, and has taken up the mantle of representing the parents of students who have been ruthlessly abused by pro-CRT teachers and fellow students in the Norman School District.
Senator Standridge was deeply concerned about the potential unintended consequences of the anti-bullying language inserted included in the bill, and supports Oklahomans voicing their concerns to House Majority Leader Jon Echols, who now controls the bill’s destiny. Ignite Liberty emailed Echols on Friday regarding the concerning language, and has yet to receive a response as of publishing time for this article.