Weekly Opinion Editorial
by Steve Fair
According to Article V, Section 26 of the Oklahoma Constitution, the state legislature convenes in regular session annually at noon on the first Monday in February. Sessions must adjourn sine die no later than 5 p.m. on the last Friday in May. A total of 1,578 House bills and 50 House Joint Resolutions were filed before the deadline. Coupled with the Senate bills, Oklahoma legislators will be considering around 2,500 total bills between now and May.
Dozens of bills filed this session would expand cooperation with federal immigration authorities, restrict access to public assistance, driver’s licenses and higher education, and limit foreign land ownership for non-citizens. Five bills were filed that would ban illegal immigrants from receiving in-state tuition at Oklahoma colleges and universities.
Lawmakers also introduced a number of bills that would require Oklahoma employers to verify the citizenship of immigrant employees. Federal law requires employers to complete I-9 forms for all workers, but private businesses in Oklahoma aren’t currently required to use E-Verify to compare those forms to government records.
House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, (R-Bristow), filed HB#4422, which would require the Oklahoma Department of Human Services to verify the immigration status of applicants for public assistance programs.
There are at least two bills that address President Trump's recent announcement of the retirement of the penny. Senate Appropriations Chair Sen. Chuck Hall (R-Perry) is running a bill requiring state agencies that accept cash from an individual to round the amount of the transaction down to the nearest cent that is a multiple of five. Hopefully the unintended consequences for Hall's bill doesn't mirror Michael Bolton's mistake in Office Space. Three observations:
First, lawmakers file far too many bills. The number of bills filed has risen steadily in recent years. Granted many of the bills have little to no chance of becoming law and often the legislator that crafted them know that. They file those bills to self-promote, grandstand and appeal to their base. The duplication of bills is out of control. Republican legislative leadership should address the 'throw it on the wall and see if it will stick' practice. It's a waste of taxpayer dollars.
Second, lawmakers major on the minors. Fiscal responsibility, the state budget, tax cuts take a back seat to 'policy' bills, that create more government bureaucracy in the name of conservatism. Spending less tax dollars and delivering more efficient government should be top priority, not symbolic resolutions or measures addressing issues already covered by existing laws. Some lawmakers introduce bills purely for political posturing and personal attention. Neglecting the most important high-impact budget tasks exposes misaligned priorities and leads to mediocre results.
Consider this- since the GOP took the majority in the Oklahoma state legislature back in 2006, Republican leadership has overseen a significant, consistent increase in state spending. The 2026 state budget is a record $12.59 billion.
Third, lawmakers need feedback. Constituents should hold their elected officials accountable. They should ask hard questions. They should pay attention to what the legislature is doing. Good representatives solicit input from their constituents and not just their donors. Great representatives do it regularly and listen to wise counsel. Poor representatives ignore those they represent and only pay attention to them on an election year. The weak rep don't want their views or votes to be questioned and only listen to positive feedback on their performance.
Will Rogers said when the Oklahoma legislature was in session, 'neither man nor beast, nor property is safe." Be on guard Oklahoma!
OKLAHOMA LAWMAKERS TEND TO MAJOR ON THE MINORS!Click the headline to read this full article, OKLAHOMA LAWMAKERS TEND TO MAJOR ON THE MINORS!, at FAIR AND BIASED
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