Senators Challenge State Superintendent on $3M Bible Purchase Using Public Funds
Lawmakers questioned the State Schools Superintendent Tuesday about spending public funds to buy bibles.
Superintendent Ryan Walters appeared before the Senate Appropriations Committee to defend his budget which includes spending $3 million to buy bibles for classrooms.
Several Republican and Democratic senators wondered why taxpayer money needs to be spent. Tulsa Republican Dave Rader asked about groups which have offered to provide bibles for free.
“If you would exhaust those resources before we consider spending 3 million because we might take the 3 million elsewhere," Rader said.
And Senators questioned the need to buy an edition of the Bible endorsed by President Trump which also contains the constitution, the bill of rights and the declaration of independence, when all those documents are already available to students.
This story was produced by Sam Moore with The Freelancer.
Oklahoma House Committee Advances Bill to Ban Pride Flags, Pride Month in State Government
A state house committee on Tuesday passed a bill to ban gay pride flags and gay pride month in state government.
Moore Republican Kevin West is trying again to prohibit state government entities from observing gay pride. A similar bill passed in the House last year, but was not approved by the Senate.
West does not think the gay lifestyle should be supported by the state.
“There are absolutely Oklahomans that fall into this category, but there are also Oklahomans that are Christian and we're not able to promote Christianity through these agencies so I see this as just a leveling of the playing field." West said.
West argued Pride displays are a waste of public funds, but was not able to quantify that when challenged by Democrats on the committee. The bill next goes to the Government Oversight Committee for consideration.
House Committee Advances Bill to License Storm Chasers
A measure that would require storm chasers to get a state license cleared the House Business Committee Tuesday.
Nonprofit news outlet Oklahoma Voice reports House Bill 2426 offers the designation of "professional severe weather trackers" to regulate a booming industry.
An initial license would cost $500, while renewal would cost $250.
With the designation, storm chasers would be able to act as emergency vehicles—subverting road closures, running red lights and using flashing lights.
The measure can now be considered by the full House.
Bill Requiring More Oversight for Renewable Energy Projects Advances
The Oklahoma legislature is considering a measure that would require more state oversight for renewable energy facilities. The bill has passed its first legislative hurdle, gaining unanimous approval from the House Utilities Committee.
The bill would require new solar and wind energy generation projects to apply for a permit through the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, similar to the one required for new oil and gas projects.
Okeene Republican Mike Dobrinski authored House Bill 2155. He says the permitting process isn’t meant to be restrictive.
"It's not designed to keep any of these new projects from coming. It simply allows notification and public knowledge of them, we hope, in a quicker fashion," said Dobrinski.
An earlier version of the measure would have put the same regulations on transmission line projects, but Dobrinski took that out with the committee’s approval.
The bill can now go before the House Committee for Energy and Natural Resources Oversight before advancing to the full floor.
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