Welcome to the first edition of Stay in the Loop with State Representative Suzanne Schreiber. I want to keep you updated on what is happening throughout the legislative session and will be sending regular updates so you can Stay in the Loop!
My predecessor, the honorable Representative Carol Bush, started “In the Loop” as a real time report of the goings on at the Capitol and as her constituent I looked forward to it and always found it informative. I hope Stay in the Loop will continue the tradition.
It has been a fast-paced start since election day. We were sworn in on November 16, 2022. We formally began our legislative work on January 3, 2022, with organizational day where we elected House leaders and voted on the rules and processes that govern the business of the House of Representatives. Rep. Charles McCall (R-Atoka) will serve as the Speaker for a 5th term (10th year as each legislative term is 2 years long). It was a good day to be there with all my colleagues in the House.
There are 20 new members in the State House who represent a wide range of backgrounds and I look forward to working with all of them in our freshman term. You can find all the legislators and their contact information here. The Oklahoma Electric Cooperatives also offers an app called “Okla 59th” that you can find in the App Store on your phone – if you plan to visit or want to keep up daily with the legislature, you should download this very helpful resource.
On January 19, we will file our first pieces of legislation to be sent to committee hearings. Since December, I have been researching several constituent request bills and learning about the issues the bills aim to address. The topics span from addressing catalytic converter theft to transparency in medical billing to tax credits for childcare workers to cutting red tape for public schools. I am proud to say House District 70 was the source of inspiration for the 9 bills I filed, and they all meet the test of putting people over politics to come up with real solutions to real problems. House District 70 is smart!
After bills are filed, session will kick-off, and committee meetings begin on February 6. This begins the race to work with members of both parties to get the bills through the committees and to the floor of the House and Senate. It will certainly take listening and cooperation with all sides to get the best bills into law. I truly look forward to the process and hope you will be tracking and inquiring about the bills coming from HD70 and any of the likely more than 3,000 bills that will be filed in total. “BillTrack50” is a great way to track and follow bills as they work their way through the legislative process.
Since being sworn in I have had the honor of visiting with multiple organizations that work to represent Tulsa and the State of Oklahoma. I have been on a tour of the Tulsa County courthouse learning about specialty courts and court services, joined a daylong seminar with Select Oklahoma, learned a lot at a boot camp held by the State Chamber, and heard from Jenks Public Schools about our shared vision for schools in our community. Upcoming, I have legislative briefings from Tulsa Public Schools, the Family Juvenile Justice Center, Tulsa Community College, the Oklahoma Hospital Association, and I will visit the Islamic Cultural Center which sits in our House District.
For 30 years, Jenks Public Schools has invited elected officials to participate in a legislative luncheon and share their ideas on policy and the state of public education. Today, we welcomed guests from many districts in the Tulsa area to hear directly from our state legislators. Thank you to Senator Dave Rader, Senator Cody Rogers, Representative Suzanne Schreiber, Representative Lonnie Sims, and Representative Mark Tedford for joining us today!” (Jenks Public Schools Facebook 12/9/22)
Please plan to join me for my first legislative Town Hall on January 26, 2023, at 6pm to 7pm.
I’ve asked both Senator Rader (R-Tulsa) and Senator Dossett (D-Tulsa) to join as they both serve parts of our district. We will discuss the upcoming session, preview some of the more notable bills and take your questions. I hope you can join – my service is only as good as my connection to my constituents! Please RSVP here!
I look forward to sharing this experience with you and hope that you will Stay in the Loop with me throughout my time as your state representative. If you have any questions, ideas on legislation, or events that you would like me to attend, please reach out to me anytime – I look forward to hearing from you!
Warmly,
Rep. Suzanne Schreiber