The second week of the legislative session was devoted primarily to committee work. Several of my bills passed this first step in the legislative process.
House Bill 3759 passed the Appropriations and Budget Education Subcommittee and is now eligible to be considered in full A&B. This is a clean up bill to make sure temporary allocations for schools are set before June 30 for the next fiscal year. It was discovered that we’ve had this wrong in state statute. This measure would fix the matter for temporary allocations, based off the previous year’s budget, allowing schools to operate until their full allocation arrives. It’s similar to county governments that get 40% of their budget prior to their full budget being set.
House Bill 3765 passed the Criminal Judiciary Committee. This bill states that any person who is not a citizen of the United States who has unlawfully acquired title to or who owns land in this state either directly or indirectly through a foreign government enterprise shall be guilty of a felony and faces a prison sentence of up to five years and/or a $1,000 fine.
Two of the bills I’m co-authoring passed in the House Alcohol, Tobacco and Controlled Substances Committee.
House Bill 3143 would extend the moratorium on new medical marijuana business licenses until Aug. 1, 2028.
House Bill 3144 would put a cap on the number of medical marijuana grower licenses to 2,500 starting Nov. 1. In case at some point the moratorium gets lifted, we don’t want to end up with another 10,000 applicants or licenses.
Two additional bills passed the Appropriations and Budget Public Safety Committee.
House Bill 3760 would create an income tax credit for those who contribute to qualified nonprofit foundations that support local law enforcement agencies during tax year 2027 through 2031. This would help our law enforcement agencies be able to afford equipment and training in their effort to keep Oklahomans safe. House Bill 3763 would modify peace officer continuing education requirements to include mandatory training on domestic violence alongside training on sexual assault, firearms and mental health issues. These situations require a very special approach from law enforcement to keep everyone involved safe. This does not increase the 24 hours of training required for law enforcement officers.
Back home in the district, I want to offer congratulations and good luck to all students that will be showing livestock this week and to our high school basketball teams that are heading to district tournaments.
As always, serving you is a privilege, not a guarantee. I and my family are proud to have this opportunity. If I can help you in my capacity as your representative, please do not hesitate to contact me at the Capitol. My office phone is (405) 557-7375, and my email is tim.turner@okhouse. gov.
Rep. Tim Turner, a Republican, represents House District 15 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes Haskell County and portions of McIntosh, Muskogee, Le Flore and Pittsburg counties.
