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Oklahoma
Posted: Mar 14, 2025 9:48 AMUpdated: Mar 14, 2025 9:51 AM
CAPITOL CALL Powered by Phillips 66 3-24-25
Tom Davis
On KWON Radio’s Capitol Call powered by Phillips 66, State Representative Judd Strom, State Representative John B. Kane, and State Senator Julie Daniels discussed the latest legislative developments in Oklahoma.
Rep. Judd Strom said that the fast-paced early weeks of committee hearings are transitioning into full House floor debates. Strom likes the progress key bills making.
Rep. John B. Kane talked about the productive budget negotiations with Senate counterparts. He estimated that about 65% of budgetary agreements were already in place. Kane also brought up the need to tell the difference between one-time and recurring expenditures when it comes to balancing the state budget.
Sen. Julie Daniels talked about the passage of significant bills:
- A one-year ban on cell phones in schools, allowing the state to assess its impact before making a long-term decision.
- Moving school board elections to November to increase voter engagement.
- A bill ensuring separate accommodations for men and women in state prisons amid growing concerns over gender-related policies.
- An involuntary commitment bill, removing the requirement that a person must pose an “immediate” threat before being taken in for a mental health evaluation.
Rep. Judd Strom talked about his legislation that aimed at expanding scholarship opportunities for Oklahoma National Guard members, allowing them to pursue vocational training at CareerTech institutions. Strom said that this initiative will be a valuable recruitment and retention tool for the Guard while equipping service members with marketable skills in fields like HVAC, plumbing, and construction.
Our lawmakers then brought up some unexpected topics such as a lengthy debate they had in the House on whether stealing shopping carts should be illegal.Strom was a bit amusement at the time spent on the issue, but later he explained the growing costs for businesses due to lost and abandoned carts and how those costs wind up being passed on to the customers.
Sen. Daniels shared some positive news in that Oklahoma’s foster care system has successfully emerged from the Pinnacle Plan, a court-ordered oversight aimed at improving child welfare services.
Daniels also brought up concerns over $30 million in missing funds within the Department of Mental Health.
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