OKLAHOMA CITY (February 20th) – The Oklahoma House Government Modernization and Technology Committee passed numerous artificial intelligence (AI) regulation bills on Tuesday [February 20th].

OKGOP Chairman Nathan Dahm sent out the following last week, addressing some ongoing drama and disagreement within the grassroots party structure:

'Clarity for Unity'

Does the greatest benefit come from cutting the state’s penalty on work, the personal income tax, or from exempting groceries from the state sales tax? That question is on the minds of Oklahoma policymakers.

But the answer is straightforward. While exempting groceries from the state sales tax may provide some financial benefit to individuals, it does not make people more likely to invest in Oklahoma, create new jobs or raise wages.

The Oklahoma State Senate voted today 42-2 to end the state's 4.5% sales tax applied to groceries, sending the measure to Governor Kevin Stitt for his signature (the House voted 88-7 to pass HB1955 last year, meaning the bill was still eligible for Senate action this session). The change will likely take effect in August.

Local sales tax on groceries still applies; Locally assessed sales taxes on groceries will remain unchanged by the law through June 30th, 2025, after which point it seems counties and municipalities can change their rates (... which I'm sure they will).

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (February 20th) – After years of work on the Taxpayers Right-to-Know Act, Senator James Lankford (R-OK) applauded the public launch of the resource that will provide a federal inventory of programs provided by the federal government to ensure it is more transparent and accessible to the American people. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) launched the Federal Program Inventory (FPI) last week. 

Oklahoma 2nd District Congressman Josh Brecheen has endorsed Ron Hood, a Republican former legislator running for Congress in Ohio's 2nd District.

Brecheen, arguably one of the most conservative elected officials on Capitol Hill, is a member of the Freedom Caucus, which Hood has pledged to join if elected.

When it comes to Gov. Stitt's desire to pass an income tax cut and eliminate the grocery sales tax, Senate GOP leadership is loath to pursue both. Pro Tem Treat is set on only moving on the grocery tax.

OKLAHOMA CITY (Feb. 15th) – Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, today issued the following statement after the Oklahoma Board of Equalization released the estimate of revenue that will be available for lawmakers to spend on government services.

“These numbers are certainly encouraging, and they show a lot of promise,” Pro Tem Treat said. “With these numbers and the current savings we have, now is the time to cut the grocery tax. Cutting the grocery tax will give Oklahomans immediate relief every time they leave the grocery store and will be more beneficial than any other form of tax cut.

Gov. Stitt wants both an income tax cut and the elimination of the grocery sales tax. It seems that State House leadership agrees with him, but State Senate leaders want only the grocery sales tax cut. Who will prevail?

OKLAHOMA CITY (February 15, 2024) - Today, Governor Kevin Stitt released the following statement urging the Oklahoma Legislature to advance tax cut legislation after the Oklahoma State Board of Equalization (BOE) certified the Legislature will have $11.1 billon in authorized funds for FY 25:

OSU tries to intimidate students

In 2023 a national civil-rights organization that focuses on First Amendment issues, Speech First, sued Oklahoma State University on behalf of three OSU students, arguing the university’s harassment, computer, and bias-incidents policies violate students’ First and Fourteenth Amendment rights.

The lawsuit did not identify the three students by name. In court, OSU argued the lawsuit should be tossed unless the students were publicly identified.

OSU’s intent with that argument was obvious: to expose students to retaliation if they dared to challenge university policies.

Burns Introduces Legislation to make State Parks more accessible to Oklahomans

OKLAHOMA CITY (Feb. 14th) – Sen. George Burns, R-Pollard, has introduced Senate Bill 1253 to make State Parks in Oklahoma more accessible and affordable for state residents. This legislation, if passed, would allow the Commission to establish an annual pass or other varied passes as appropriate to the park for visitors, while also removing fees for Oklahomans.