TRANSCRIPT:
Announcer: Capitol Insider sponsored by the Oklahoma State Medical Association. Physician members who are committed to better health for all Oklahomans. Learn more at okmed.org.
Logan Layden: This is Capitol Insider, taking you inside politics, policy, and government in Oklahoma. I'm Logan Layden, in this week for Dick Pryor, with Quorum Call publisher, Shawn Ashley. Shawn, when we last talked, there was some uncertainty about whether lawmakers would finish their work and adjourn the legislative session sine die this past week. How did that play out?
Shawn Ashley: The House held floor sessions Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. But because the Senate had not taken up any bills since May 5th, and didn't meet Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, there was nothing for the House to do. So the House gaveled in, gavel out, and waited for the Senate to return. Now the Senate did come back on Wednesday, and it had more than 50 bills and resolutions on its agenda. Most of those were Senate bills that the House had amended, so there was no need for the house to consider them again. And that meant the House spent much of the day waiting. In the end, the Senate sent three bills and one veto override to the House for its consideration. Two of those bills passed, and one, Senate bill 2, which dealt with wind turbine setbacks, failed. The Senate also sent just under 40 bills to Governor Kevin Stitt for his consideration. Both chambers finished their work a little after 4 p.m. Thursday and adjourned sine die, ending the 2026 legislative session.
Logan Layden: The legislature passed a new bill Thursday regarding the fuel tax. How did that come about and what does it do?
Shawn Ashley: Exactly how the bill came about appears to be in dispute. Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton said Friday, the bill was the result of a conversation between Senator Grant Green, Senate Appropriations Chair Chuck Hall, and the Tax Commission. House Speaker Kyle Hilbert and Governor Stitt said the governor's office found the antiquated law and let the legislature know about it. Now in 1996, the legislature passed a law that requires the state's gasoline and diesel taxes to increase penny for penny if the federal tax is reduced. So, if the Federal fuel tax was cut by two cents, Oklahoma's fuel tax would increase by two cents and Oklahomans would not see any savings. The Senate put new language in House Bill 1370 that repeals that law. Senator Green and Representative Brad Boles carried the bill and both stressed Oklahomans would not see any savings from a federal fuel tax reduction if the law remained in place. Now we've heard talk in Washington, D.C. about possibly cutting the federal fuel tax as a way to deal with high fuel prices as a result of the war in Iran. Now if that takes place, Oklahomans will see some of that savings.
Logan Layden: The legislature failed to pass a resolution calling for a vote of the people on Medicaid expansion. What happened there?
Shawn Ashley: The Senate attempted Thursday to consider a new version of the Medicaid expansion state question. This is the fourth or fifth or sixth version of that state question, depending on how you count it. Senate Majority Floor Leader Julie Daniels said Friday the new language was cleaner and explained that it focused just on the funding side of the question that had been proposed. But for the resolution to be heard, the Senate needed to suspend one joint rule and three Senate rules, and that requires a two-thirds vote of the chamber. That motion failed meaning that the new language could not be considered and as a result there will be no Medicaid expansion state question on this year's ballot.
Logan Layden: At the end of the 2025 session, lawmakers overrode more than 40 of Governor Kevin Stitt's vetoes. Did they do that again this year?
Shawn Ashley: No, they didn't. Only nine vetoes were overridden before lawmakers adjourned Thursday. There were a couple of veto overrides passed by the House that were not taken up by the Senate. And there was one veto override attempt that failed in the Senate, Senate Bill 1461, which extends the sunset date for the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority, OETA. Without being reauthorized, OETA must begin a one-year wind-down period July 1, and could be shut down June 30th, 2027. But House Speaker Kyle Hilbert said the legislature will discuss the issue of the extension with the new governor once that person is elected and could run legislation to reauthorize the agency early in the 2027 legislative session.
Logan Layden: Lawmakers are already preparing for 2027.
Shawn Ashley: Yes, they are. The House and Senate approved a resolution Thursday, setting deadlines for the 2027 and 2028 legislative sessions. The bill filing deadline for the 2027 legislative session is January 14th, just under eight months away.
Logan Layden: Thanks, Shawn.
Shawn Ashley: You're very welcome.
Logan Layden: For more information, go to quorumcall.online. You can find video of Capitol Insider segments on the KGOU YouTube channel. Audio and transcripts are at kgou.org and look for Capitol Insider where you get podcasts. Until next time, with Shawn Ashley, I'm Logan Layden.
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