The 2022 Legislative Session started out like the first big drop on a roller coaster. The sense of excitement and euphoria quickly gives way to fear and anxiety that finally results in the realization that this is going to be one long and crazy ride. Governor Stitt’s State of the State Address was lacking in some key areas, to say the least. You can read our full response here.
The disappointment did not stop at the Governor’s speech, as our legal and policy interns have flagged numerous concerning bills that we will be tracking throughout this session. Included in that are bills that would establish the Holy Bible as the Official State Book, push for censorship in public schools, and more. Check out our list of bills we are watching here.
Below is our coverage of the first two weeks of the Legislative session.
Week 1
House Rules Committee, Feb. 8 1:30PM
- Of interest: HB 3351, advanced
- providing a tax credit of up to $1,000 for parents who donate to classroom supplies.
- Why not just increase teacher pay?
Senate Judiciary Committee
- SB 1446, CJR+ : advanced
- Expands the definition of domestic violence to include coercive control, giving victims more power to prove their abuse and get protection
- SB 1458: Layover
- SB 1532: Layover
- SB 1548, CJR+ : advanced
- Improves upon access to drug courts by giving judges more discretion to divert nonviolent offenders into ODMHSAS drug courts rather than automatic incarceration
- SB 1724: Layover
- Of concern: would outlaw common law marriage
Senate Public Safety Committee
- SB 1178, CJR+ : advanced
- Authorizes DOC to establish a hospice care and CAN training program for inmates to assist with transition following incarceration
- SB 1223, CJR-: advanced
- Adds a misdemeanor for those who use a service dog illegitimately
- Oppose – no new fines/fees; increases discrimination against persons w/disabilities
- SB 1370, CJR+ : advanced
- Adds requirement of de-escalation, MH crisis recognition to CLEET requirements
- SB 1537, CJR+: advanced
- Adds IPV to list of reasons CLEET may suspect LEO certificate, even without charges being brought; increases renewal cycle from 1 year to 3
Week 2
House Elections & Ethics Feb. 15 10:30AM
- Of Interest: HB 3232, VR: advanced.
- A trigger bill that would ensure that if the federal government overreaches into state elections, it will trigger a bill to separate our elections from theirs (from left to right).
- Of Interest: HB 3233, VR: failed.
- Of Interest: HB 3234, VR: no second.
- The bill remains property of committee.
- Of Interest: HB 3235, VR: no second.
- The bill remains property of committee.
- Of Interest: HB 3236, VR: no second.
- The bill remains property of committee.
- Of Interest: HB 3321, VR: advanced.
- An attempt to take a “good governance approach” to “ensure the integrity of the voting process.”
- HB 3046, VR+: passed.
- Prohibits funding of elections in OK.
House Government Modernization & Efficiency Feb. 15 10:30AM
- Of Interest: HB 3415, CR+: advanced
Senate Judiciary Feb. 15
- SB 1452, CR+: advanced
- Defines what a record is and is not.
- SB 1536, CJR+: advanced
- Gets rid of council that has done its work.
- SB 1568, CJR+: advanced
- Bill in regards to certain registration requirements.
- SB 1590, CJR-: advanced
- Will put different crimes in a classification that does not change any sentencing or fines.
- SB 1646, CJR-: advanced
- A bill that resulted from 2018’s SB 1098.
- Requires counsel to be established in order to have suggestions with the incarcerated in OK.
- Intends to also keep the number of incarcerated to level out, or lower than the number it was at the time.
- SB 1742, CJR+: advanced
- Establishes procedure for individuals denied stand your ground immunity, a pre-trial review by OCCA.
- This bill establishes mechanisms which would allow the state to appeal the ruling of a district court judge.
House Judiciary – Criminal Feb. 16 10:30AM
- HB 3005, CJR-: Layover
- HB 3411, CJR-: advanced
- Allows for DA’s to file for asset forfeiture when it comes to human trafficking activity.
- HB 4013, CJR-: advanced
- Censors public schools from all obscene and graphic materials (written, drawn, or photographed) depicting any sexual and/or obscene materials.
- Claims to be aimed towards incest and sexual violence, but still has the ability to invoke heavy censorship on what materials can be public school libraries.
- HB 4194, CJR+: advanced
- Directs courts to asses for any patterns of abuse and present their written finds for any crime under the Protection from Domestic Violence, or any other violent crimes.
House Business and Commerce Feb. 16
- HB 3002, CJR+: advanced
- Edits statutory language to allow criminals to keep their occupation license unless the crimes they committed were substantially relevant to their work.
House Insurance Feb. 16
- HB 3216: Layover
House Technology Feb. 16
- HB 3171, CJR-: advanced
- Allows protections to drones that need to land in a field upon emergency.
- Intends to prohibit drones from being used to look into people’s homes.
House Public Health Feb. 16
- HB 3509, PH+: advanced
- Continues to allow pharmacists/pharmacies to administer the COVID-19 vaccine.
- HB 3414, PH+, advanced
- A bill allowing for universities to research and the use of micro-dosing psilocybin to legally treat PTSD patients. Specifically, Veterans, but rape was mentioned two to three times as well.
Senate Rules Feb. 16
- SB 103, VR+: advanced
- Currently, there are two types of absentee ballots right now and they have two sets of return methods allowed—this bill makes these return methods consistent for both kinds of ballots.
- Of Interest: SB 1637, VR: advanced.
- A bill related to election fraud, that changes how when a fraud issue arises the Secretary of Election notifies the DA, to the Secretary of Election to notify the AG (by statute and rules) and then a notification is passed on to the DA.
- Of Interest: SJR 48, VR: advanced
- Voting identification to participate in elections is mandatory.
- Comes from SQ 746 from 2o1o.
Senate Appropriations Feb. 16
- SB 1537, CJR+: advanced
- Changes the peace officer renewal cycle to a three years.
- Adjusts a number of CLEET powers such as suspensions and the renewal of peace officer certifications.
- SB 1548, CJR+: advanced
- No longer allows for the DA to be the “gatekeeper” of a county’s Drug Court program.
- While the DA’s will still be involved, agreements should now be entered into with the Dept. of Mental Health.
- This bill does not change funding.
House Criminal Justice & Corrections Feb. 17 11:14AM
- HB 3053, CJR+: advanced
- Would amend law to allow persons without prior felony convictions to receive a deferral upon conviction upon successful completion of drug court (which is typically just dismissed).
- HB 3135, CJR+: advanced
- Expands community sentencing program to include misdemeanors (currently only includes felonies).
- HB 3316, CJR+: advanced
- Takes the current system for the expungement of eligible criminal records and automates the reducing of administrative costs.
- HB 3527, CJR+: Layover
- HB 4138, CJR-: advanced
- Amendment: Removes language from the bill that was replaced by language that states one is permitted to carry a firearm to one’s affairs.
- HB 4191, CJR-: advanced
- Would allow the county to remove people from where they would be preventing risk or problems caused by individuals who are “loitering” around courthouses, etc.
- HB 4189: Withdrawn
Senate General Government Feb. 17 10:15AM
- SB 1192, CR+: advanced.
- Creates the Holocaust Commission.
Floor Actions
Senate
- SB 1259: passed.
House
- N/A