Oklahoma lawmakers have entered the final two weeks of the regular legislative session.
Lawmakers have sent a total of 279 bills to Gov. Kevin Stitt so far, and the governor has been quick to act.
Stitt has signed dozens of bills into law and vetoed a handful of others. Meanwhile, lawmakers are shifting their focus to budget talks.
And among the many money-related rabbit holes lawmakers could dive into these next two weeks, Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton says the $42 million hole in the state’s mental health department budget is the most concerning.
"Time is of the essence. We need an answer because we have to get something budgeted in. The note we had last week about this time was, oh,’ we can't make payroll next week.’ That was that kind of came out of nowhere," said Pazton.
No bottom to the pit means no bottom line for the state budget. And that could mean a special legislative session, no income tax cut or any number of trade-offs.
Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed a bill banning obscene performances in public spaces in front of minors.
While House Bill 1217 does not specifically mention drag shows, Stitt said in a video posted to social media it effectively bans them.
"This basically, I mean, this is a no-brainer. We're basically banning drag shows in front of kids," said Stitt.
The law took effect immediately and defines “adult performances” as any with obscene content visible to minors.
Lawmakers questioned the bill’s impact on drag shows before passage.
Sen. David Bullard, the bill’s author, said it targets obscenity, not drag itself.
LGBTQ+ advocates worry the law could be used to target Pride events and drag performances.
Violators could face up to a year in jail and/or up to a $1,000 fine.
Some Oklahoma lakes won’t operate at full capacity this summer due to federal staffing shortages.
The Army Corps of Engineers’ Tulsa District oversees 29 bodies of water in Oklahoma.
The Corps says all of them feel the effects of staffing shortages, but 14 lakes in particular will temporarily close some recreation areas this summer.
The Corps does not have enough staff to safely oversee those areas while staying prepared to mobilize for flood management duties if needed.
The effects will likely ripple into the communities surrounding these lakes.
Across the state, tourism brings in billions of dollars annually from visitors, contributing to local tax revenues and tens of thousands of jobs.
The closures don’t have a set end date, but the Corps says it will reopen the sites as soon as it has enough staff to safely do so.
That’s not likely to happen soon. President Donald Trump ordered a hiring freeze on his first day back in office and recently extended it through mid-July.
A person died from drowning at Canton Lake over the weekend.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says 18-year-old Samuel Memphis Williams was swimming at Sandy Cove Beach on Sunday when he went to retrieve a ball.
Williams called out for help before going underwater and did not resurface.
Emergency personnel later recovered his body and pronounced him dead at the scene.
The City of Norman will soon take part in a partnership with Mental Health Association Oklahoma to connect people experiencing homelessness and substance use disorders with employment and other supportive services.
Participants in the A Better Way program will receive two weeks of paid employment cleaning parks and public spaces in the city, daily meals, and connection to a case manager to help them access housing, behavioral health care, and permanent job placements.
Last year in Tulsa, the program helped 67 individuals transition to permanent job placements and 14 people move from homelessness into stable housing.
At a launch event on Friday, which included the display of the program’s dedicated van for transporting participants, Mental Health Association Oklahoma CEO Carrie Blumert said the program staff will meet people where they’re at.
We’ll go under a bridge, we’ll go to someone on a street corner and engage with them and build trust with them and get them access to services.
The program will begin service in the beginning of June.
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