POLITICAL ROUNDUP: Lawmakers address upcoming legislative agendas

Jan. 27—The deadline has passed for Oklahoma lawmakers to submit bills this year, and local state lawmakers are forecasting their party's political agendas.

The deadline to submit bills to be considered for legislation was last Thursday, and 3,079 were filed, including 1,116 Senate bills, 18 Senate joint resolutions, 1,901 House bills and 44 House joint resolutions.

Bills submitted addressed education, taxes, guns, abortion, medical marijuana, e-bikes, electric charging stations for electric vehicles, agriculture, meat and poultry inspections, specialty car tags, Daylight Savings Time and fencing around state-owned properties.

Bills will be submitted to joint committees, where lawmakers will decide which bills will move forward by March 2.

"Democrats, as always, are authoring bills that support working families and protect the rights of the people that we represent in our districts," said Rep. Annie Menz, D-Norman. "Although we put a lot of effort and thought into the bills we author ourselves, there are still other bills that grab our focus."

Sen. Jessica Garvin, R-Duncan, said the Republican caucus of the Senate hasn't published its official agenda, but it planned to pursue items that improve Oklahomans' lives.

"I believe Republican priorities across the state are focused toward economic development, education and family-related issues, such as parental leave and protecting life," Garvin said. "I also believe mental health and substance abuse will continue to be a priority."

After bills are filed, chamber leadership organizes them by committee and appoints a committee.

In the Senate, that responsibility falls on Senate President Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, and in the House, Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka.

"In the Senate, the committee chairman and chair women have control over what bills are heard and not heard. Senate leadership is completely trusting of the appointed chairs to run their committee as they see appropriate," Garvin said.

Menz is currently serving on the Transportation Committee, Tourism Committee, Appropriation and Budget Transportation Committee, and the Appropriation and Budget Finance Committee.

She said, currently, bills have not yet been assigned to committees but will be soon.

"I expect to be reviewing bills regarding roads and bridges, aerospace and aviation, finance, state parks, etc.," she said. "Personally, I have authored a few bills dealing with OTA that I have been working on with a group of constituents."

She said she looks forward to supporting bills that address aerospace and aviation because they will affect Norman, which is making headway in these industries, both at the University of Oklahoma and at Norman Public Schools — both of which are investing in their respective aviation schools.

"I have not authored any measures regarding aerospace and aviation this year, but I am a vocal supporter of the industry, and I am looking forward to finding new ways to support it in this new role," she said.

This legislative session, Garvin said women's issues are a top priority.

"I have a bill that codifies our right to preventative birth control. I have another bill that allows for collaborative practice agreements between physicians and pharmacists in order to allow easier access to birth control for women," she said.

Two more bills she introduced address parental leave.

"One is an optional program for employees and employers, and the other is requiring state agencies to pay parental leave for certain individuals," she said.

"I think it is really important for people to understand that women's issues are not only Democrat or only Republican. Women's issues affect everyone who is a woman, loves a woman or knows a woman," Garvin said.

Menz said that she looks forward to reading bills that pertain to landlord-tenant laws, supporting law enforcement, keeping streets safe, lifting families out of poverty, decreasing insurance premiums, protecting election integrity and generating revenue.

"If there were one bill that could accomplish all of these things, well, I would sure love to discuss that bill soon," Menz said.