Gender-Affirming Care Bill Passes Off House Floor
Conservative Oklahoma lawmakers are working to crack down on gender-affirming health care. One of the several bills to do so passed off the House floor Tuesday.
House Bill 2177 is broad in scope, but supporters tout two major provisions: one that requires Oklahomans to wait until they’re at least 18 to receive care, and another that blocks all public funding from gender-affirming services.
Rep. Kevin West presented the bill Tuesday. He argues it is not discriminatory.
"This has nothing to do with anything to do against the transgender community. This has everything to do with protecting children and protecting state funds," West said.
Another major provision would ban private insurance companies from covering the care — for anyone. Here is the state’s only openly nonbinary member, Rep. Mauree Turner.
"We are saying that if you cannot afford — it doesn't matter if you're 18 or younger — if you cannot afford health care, then you do not have the opportunity to stay in Oklahoma and live your life," said Turner.
The bill passed 80-18 and is headed to the Senate. It’s one of several gender-affirming care bills.
Bill That Would Remove Sales Tax Exemptions For Cannabis Growers, Monitor Their Water Use Moves To Senate Floor
Oklahoma farmers and ranchers are exempt from paying sales tax on many materials and equipment they use in their agriculture. A bill disqualifying cannabis producers from this exemption is advancing to the Senate Floor.
Republican David Bullard of Durant authored Senate Bill 133. He says cannabis producers haven’t been using the exemption to save much money on sales tax. But it prevents the state from monitoring their water use.
"We have no way to know how much water they're tapping into." said Bullard.
The bill would declassify cannabis as an agricultural product and subject producers’ water use to state monitoring.
This exemption has been in place for agricultural goods produced in Oklahoma since 1942. Democratic Sen. Julia Kirt of OKC says she doesn’t think cannabis should be treated differently from other crops.
"If we're going to start assessing businesses around those kinds of metrics. We need to do it for all businesses, not just for medical marijuana businesses," Kirt said.
The Senate Finance Committee approved the bill, which will move on to the full Senate.
New Curfew For Oklahoma City's Bricktown District Passes
Oklahoma City's Bricktown Entertainment District has a new curfew for unaccompanied minors under the age of 18.
The City Council yesterday approved the earlier curfew, lowering it from 11 p.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week.
The new rules take effect immediately and cover Bricktown and Lower Bricktown to the Oklahoma River.
The move is intended to increase safety in the district.
Officials say exceptions will be made for minors who are working or attending an event in the area.
Publicly Funded Catholic Charter School
A question about a publicly funded Catholic charter school is likely headed to court. The school is getting support from Gov. Kevin Stitt.
St. Isidore of Seville is the patron saint of the internet. And the Archdiocese of OKC and diocese of Tulsa want to co-sponsor a virtual private charter school in his name.
The board overseeing virtual charters has shown some reluctance. And Oklahoma’s new Attorney General Gentner Drummond withdrew an opinion issued by his predecessor supporting religious schools funded by taxpayer dollars.
But the school does have support from Gov. Stitt. He wrote Drummond a four-page letter this week calling for support of the school, saying religious liberties guaranteed in the constitution should allow for public funds to go to religious-based education.
Regardless of what anyone does or decides, the fate of the Catholic charter school will likely be decided in the courts.
Early Voting Begins Thursday For March 7 Special Election
Early voting for the March 7 Special Election begins tomorrow. All registered voters will have the opportunity to vote on State Question 820, and some will have local propositions or county questions on the ballot.
In-person early voting will be held from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday at your early voting location. Mail absentee ballots must be received by the County Election Board no later than 7 p.m. on election night.
Voters can view a sample ballot and find their early voting location using the OK Voter Portal at elections.ok.gov.
Former Norman North and OSU alum signs with the OKC Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed former Oklahoma State University and Norman North guard Lindy Waters III to a multi-year contract.
Raised in Norman, Oklahoma, Waters spent four seasons playing for the Oklahoma State Cowboys after playing high school basketball at Norman North.
The 25-year-old will be filling the open roster spot for the Thunder after playing a limited role with the team and on their G-League affiliate the OKC Blue. He’s played in 25 games so far this season, averaging 4.4 points. His contract is reportedly for two years and worth up to $3.8 million.
The six-foot-six guard celebrates his Kiowa and Cherokee heritage and was named “Indian of the Year” in 2018 by the American Indian Exposition, one of the nation’s oldest and largest intertribal celebrations. He is the third Oklahoman to play for the Thunder.
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