With the end of session drawing closer, I joined my colleagues in the Legislature and the Governor to announce our budget agreement on Wednesday. This year’s historic budget is fiscally responsible and well-thought out. We’re accomplishing a lot this year without introducing any new taxes! Education remains a top priority for us. The budget includes […]
Without a doubt, no one agency, no one elected official ever gets everything they want in the budget. But I believe when you take into account the priorities we outlined at the beginning of the session and our desire to strengthen our state’s core services, the 2020 fiscal year budget is the top achievement of […]
With our passage of legislation giving the governor the power to directly hire and fire directors at five of the state’s top agencies, the confirmation process is even more important. It means we must thoroughly vet nominees as they appear before our committees to determine if that nomination should proceed to the floor. It’s a […]
Chris Evans visits with Rep. Garry Mize, Rep. John Pfeiffer and Senator Chuck Hall on the ongoing issues during the current legislative session. Each legislator discusses the big issues taking place inside the State Capitol. The Roundup is a City of Guthrie production in partnership with Guthrie News Page.
Another deadline has come and gone. Last Thursday was the final day to vote on remaining bills in the opposite chamber. In total, the House heard nearly 300 Senate bills total, many of which were this week. Any Senate bills the House didn’t vote on, or that failed to pass the House, are now dead […]
Once again, we’re heading into another major deadline—April 25 is the last day for the full Senate to vote on bills that were sent over by the House. That deadline comes just two weeks after the final day for Senate committees to consider legislation from across the rotunda. We had a short session week last […]
Last Thursday was the deadline to pass Senate bills through their House committees, and the House passed 348 Senate bills by the deadline. We’ve spent hours on the floor this week to begin considering these remaining Senate bills, and a number of them have already been signed into law. Among those was Senate Bill 509, […]
With the second week of April underway, we are ten weeks into the 2019 legislative session, and quickly approaching the Thursday, April 11 deadline for Senate committees to consider legislation that was originally introduced in the House of Representatives. I serve as vice-chair of the Senate Finance Committee, and from time to time I am […]
The House took a short spring break in mid-March to allow members to spend time with their families and return to their districts after a major deadline. We’re back up to speed now and have been spending the last two weeks in committee meetings to hear bills passed by the Senate. We received over 400 […]
Update Statement from Guthrie Superintendent Dr. Mike Simpson: This bond election was won over the last four years by earning the trust of our community. As a district, we took very serious the responsibility of being good stewards with the resources the taxpayers afforded us. This is the largest bond issue ever approved by our […]
OKLAHOMA CITY – State Rep. Mark Vancuren, R-Owasso, this morning won unanimous passage of a bill that will prohibit vapor products on school property in the House Common Education Committee. Senate Bill 33, authored by Vancuren and Sen. J.J. Dossett, D-Owasso, modifies the 24.7 Tobacco-Free Schools Act. The committee passed the bill 16-0. It is […]
Watch as Ward 2 candidates Brian Bothroyd and Chuck Burtcher and Ward 3 candidates Sharyl Padgett and Don Channel discuss their views and opinions on several topics. The election for city council will be April 2nd. Related article: April 2nd Election: All the voting information you need The open forum was sponsored by the Greater […]
The 48 men and women who serve in the State Senate come from every single part of the state. Some have to drive many hours to get to Oklahoma City each week and can’t easily make quick trips back to their district during the week for special events or family occasions. I feel fortunate that […]
Chris Evans visits with Rep. Garry Mize, Rep. John Pfeiffer and Senator Chuck Hall on the first six weeks of the legislative session on The Roundup. Each legislator discusses the big issues taking place inside the State Capitol. The Roundup is a City of Guthrie production in partnership with Guthrie News Page. If you prefer […]
HThursday was a major legislative deadline for the House and Senate. It was our Third Reading deadline, the day that bills had to be heard and voted on in the chamber they originated in. Bills that weren’t voted on by Thursday at midnight are now dead for this legislative session. We spent hours on the […]
Oklahoma City – Governor Kevin Stitt today signed five agency accountability bills that give the executive branch the authority to hire and fire agency leaders for the Oklahoma Healthcare Authority (SB 456), Oklahoma Department of Transportation (SB 457), Oklahoma Department of Corrections (HB 2480), Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs (HB 2479), and Oklahoma Department of […]
OKLAHOMA CITY – A bill to require the same level of transparency from virtual charter schools as other public schools passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives today. House Bill 1395 amends language in the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act of 2012 to hold virtual charter schools subject to the same financial reporting requirements and audits as […]
HOKLAHOMA CITY – The House of Representatives today unanimously passed a measure that would provide Oklahoma school teachers some financial relief when they spend money out of pocket for their classrooms. House Bill 2502, by House Speaker Charles McCall, would provide a $1,000 tax credit that teachers can claim for classroom expenditures and fees associated […]
The most important responsibility the Legislature is charged with is to write and pass a balanced budget on behalf of the citizens of this state. Just like a family budgeting their dollars, we know there will always be more needs and wants than resources—so just like that family, it’s our job to prioritize the state’s […]
OKLAHOMA CITY— Rep. Garry Mize, R-Guthrie, announced Thursday the passage of House Bill 2511 from the Oklahoma House of Representatives. HB2511 allows the State Purchasing Director to authorize purchases for the Oklahoma Film & Music Office to utilize a state purchase card for programs, functions or services essential to the agency’s mission. “House Bill 2511 […]
