Although the 2023 session is already underway, work begins in earnest on Monday with a joint session of the House and Senate for the governor's State of the State address.
TRANSCRIPT
Capitol Insider sponsored by the Oklahoma State Medical Association, physician members who devote more than 11 years of higher education and 10,000 clinical hours in study to provide care for all Oklahomans. More at okmed.org.
Dick Pryor: This is Capitol Insider - taking you inside politics, policy and government in Oklahoma. I'm Dick Pryor with Quorum Call publisher Shawn Ashley. The new legislative session officially began last month with organizational day, and the action accelerates during the noon hour this Monday when Governor Kevin Stitt delivers his State of the State address. We'll be covering the speech and airing it live on KGOU beginning at 12:30. Shawn, what else happens at the Capitol on State of the State Day?
Shawn Ashley: In addition to delivering his State of the State speech, Governor Stitt will drop his executive budget for fiscal year 2024, which will provide more details about the various proposals he will likely outline in his speech. Perhaps the most important thing legislatively is that most of the bills and joint resolutions that were filed before the January 19th deadline will be first read. That allows them to be second read on Tuesday and assigned to committees so that lawmakers can begin considering them. The Senate plans to hit the ground running and has committee meetings scheduled Tuesday where bills will be considered for the first time this session.
Dick Pryor: Now, more than 3,000 bills and joint resolutions have been filed, and you've said there is something for everyone. But themes and priorities do emerge. Shawn, what are you seeing as the direction of this first session of the new legislature?
Shawn Ashley: Well, as usually is the case, there are a lot of bills related to education, nearly 300. Some deal with what should and what should not be taught in classrooms. Some would modify graduation requirements and others propose raises for teachers and support personnel.
Nearly 60 bills were filed regarding firearms and weapons. Some would lower the age that someone is allowed to open or conceal carry to 18 from 21. Others would expand the list of places where a person is allowed to carry a firearm, and some would change the training necessary to obtain a concealed carry permit.
There are more than 25 bills related to abortion. One would clarify that abortions are legal to preserve the life of the mother and defines what those medical emergencies are. It also provides that abortions would be legal in cases of rape or incest that are reported to law enforcement. On the other hand, there are two bills that allow women who obtain abortions to be criminally prosecuted, which currently is prohibited under state statute. Another changes the definition of abortion to include any substance designed or intended to cause expulsion of an unborn child, effectively making abortion-inducing drugs that can be taken at home illegal.
And then there are more than a dozen bills addressing transgender medical care and procedures. Most would prohibit those procedures in the state and subject any doctor who performs them to loss of their license and possible criminal prosecution.
Dick Pryor: In his State of the State speech a year ago, Governor Stitt called for repeal of the tax on groceries. He's also called on lawmakers to reduce the individual income tax rate. Are you seeing any movement in that direction?
Shawn Ashley: There are some bills related to tax cuts, but really nothing of significance. And by that I mean something authored by the House speaker or Senate president pro tem or the budget committee chairs who are the likely authors of any meaningful tax cut legislation. And some members may be reluctant to vote for tax cuts after the legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) suggested in its report on modernizing business taxes that Oklahoma should consider increasing its financial reserves to offset downturns in revenue collections before it cuts taxes. I say some members may be reluctant because there are others, such as Democrats, who support reducing the grocery sales tax, for example, and even House Appropriations and Budget Chair Kevin Wallace, who told me in December that he expected the state's current level of reserves would prompt discussions on tax cuts or rebates this session.
Dick Pryor: If people want to visit the Capitol to observe or meet with elected officials, where should they go to park and enter now?
Shawn Ashley: My advice is to park in the south lot of spaces available or in the parking lot east of Lincoln Boulevard. If you park in the south lot, veer to the right or east as you cross the plaza to take the ramp down to the visitor's center. If you park in the lot east of Lincoln, take the tunnel to the visitor's entrance. Recent security upgrades at the Capitol have really made it impossible to cross Lincoln Boulevard and go directly into the Capitol.
Dick Pryor: Thank you, Shawn.
Shawn Ashley: You're very welcome.
Dick Pryor: And that's Capitol Insider. Until next time, with Shawn Ashley, I'm Dick Pryor.
Announcer: Race might be a hot topic right now, but for so many of us, talking about race is nothing new. On the Code Switch podcast from NPR we go beyond the headlines and we go deep. Listen now.
