Bartlesville Radio: The area’s best source for news, weather and sports!

"Wednesday, at the state capitol was a looooong month," said Representative Judd Strom. Strom was joined by Representative John B. Kane on CAPITOL CALL powered by Phillips 66 on KWON on Friday.

 

Strom said that he had FFA students, several drag queens and his mom all in his committee room that day. It was FFA Day at the capitol and the drag queens were there to lobby against a bill that would place restrictions on their shows.

 

Strom tossed out the House version of the bill regarding such shows and congratulated the Senate for providing a much better bill in SB503 that would  to prohibit municipalities from allowing or permitting public events that minors can attend like parades, shows or concerts that feature lewd acts or obscene material. The Senate General Government Committee passed Sen. David Bullard’s Senate Bill 503, which would make such displays a felony, subject to civil action by the witnesses.

 

Representative John B. Kane told us that members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives this week approved an $800 million education package that includes a half-billion dollars in new funding for public schools and $300 million in refundable tax credits for families that choose to send a child to private school or homeschool.The education package was advanced through two bills with each bill containing provisions that prevent their taking effect without the enactment of the other.

 

House Bill 1935 creates the “Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit Act.” The legislation states, “It is the intent of the Legislature that parents, legal guardians, custodians, and others with legal authority over children in this state be able to choose educational services that meet the needs of their individual children. The Legislature affirms that parents and legal guardians are best suited to make choices to help children in this state reach their full potential and achieve a brighter future.”

 

The credit is available to any Oklahoma family with children.