May 18, 2026
Friends,
We’ve SINE DIE(D)! The 60th Legislature of Oklahoma has come (crashing?) to an end. I’m going to be honest, it became so frustrating in the last few days of session, that when I realized there was almost no business for the House left to take up, I set out for Tulsa, then jumped in our mini-van loaded with all things needed for a first apartment and drove to Washington, D.C. to help my oldest daughter get settled. The drive was great – America really is so beautiful!
I listened to lots of podcasts and books and one heckuva commencement speech. The B String part is my favorite!! Two books I’d recommend for car travel are Strangers by Belle Burden and Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhirst. Both non-fiction, both centering on marriage and both captivating in their own ways.
Back to reality: we will discuss the very bumpy ride that was had at our townhall next week with not one but two Senators joining. Both Senator Dossett and Senator Rader will be in attendance to share their sides of the story. If you plan on joining us, register here.
My take is that things at the State Capitol broke down for a number of reasons: 1) The budget got done earlier than ever before and was not a point of leverage for legislators. 2) Both House and Senate leaders believed certain policy agreements were a part of the budget agreement, but after the budget was signed, questions arose as to what really was agreed to as a part of the budget. 3) The Freedom Caucus in the Senate was so obstructive that it made it hard to get anything done and allowed some really bad policy to happen. Here’s a full report on all the drama that was the end of session. We’ll see what the Senators say next week! In the meantime, below are a few notes.
Some Good Things Happened
A new $213 million was put into the public education budget. The money will support important K-3 literacy initiatives, a $2,000 teacher pay raise and support for increasing the number of days in the school year. Additionally, many retirees received a long-awaited cost of living adjustment (COLA). The list includes retired teachers, retired public employees, retired law enforcement, police and firefighters and retired justices and judges.
The Consumer Data Rate Payers Act which requires data centers to cover their electricity and infrastructure costs so that they cannot be passed on to ratepayer also became law. This article provides a good discussion of the new law.
Medicaid Expansion remains fully intact in Oklahoma. Though there were many attempts to get a question on the ballot to remove expansion from the state constitution and allow the legislature to decide if and how the expansion population would be covered, the legislatively referred question did not get a hearing in the Senate. For background, I discussed this in depth in my last Stay in the Loop. You can read it and all past newsletters here.
Despite the difficulties of the session, I was able to get some legislation across the line — I completed the work on the Oklahoma Uniform Trust Act and was also able to help Tulsa Public Schools make its Tulsa Teacher Corps enabling legislation permanent. If you recall, we also had a bill to allow for a single staircase in small multi-unit dwellings. The bill actually directed the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code to implement the rule and with the threat of legislation, approval of the rule is on its last steps so the bill is no longer needed. Filing a bill can have a more than one purpose!
The biggest piece of policy I authored and passed was HB4198 which does two things. First, it changes the master teacher ratio for licensed childcare providers so that it is based on the number of students enrolled rather than the building’s capacity. This should be a cost-saver for an extremely compromised but absolutely necessary industry. Second, the bill also allows for gap pay — another boost to the industry if families can afford it. If a family is eligible for subsidy from the state for childcare, the state sets the rate and the business cannot charge the difference between what the state and family pay and the actual cost of care. With this new statute, a childcare business can now charge up to 10% of the family’s income per month, inclusive of both what the state charges and the gap pay. It’s really a short-term fix to help the industry hang on while the state determines what its role is going to be in stabilizing childcare with federal dollars diminishing. Without significant incentives for the industry, it will continue to wither, creating consequences for families, employers and our economy.
Some Frustrating Things Happened
The Senate shutting down early did not spare HD70. Along with 200-plus other House bills were our Tri-share Pilot Program, Workplace Violence Act, Fair Renewal Act and a reform to the Sex Offender Act. I’ve been pretty down about the failure to get these bills done just because of an early shutdown. To quote the Speaker of the House on the topic, “it’s annoying.” All four bills are needed policy and passed the House and were ready for the Senate floor so I’m going to get over myself and get ready for round two! Sometimes, as my mom would say, “that’s just how the cookie crumbles.”
Besides Candidates, What’s Going to Be on the Ballot
We are now in election season with the primary on June 16, the runoff on August 25, and the general election on November 3. I’m sure you’ve noticed if you are watching any kind of television! In addition to candidates for local, state, and federal offices, Oklahoma voters will also see several state questions this year. On June 16, voters will decide SQ 832, which would raise the state minimum wage.
Two additional state questions are pending for the August 25 ballot: SQ 844, related to reimbursement for certain manufacturing property-tax exemptions, and SQ 846, related to voter ID requirements. In November, voters are expected to see SQ 845, related to the Judicial Nominating Commission and how judges are appointed, and SQ 847, related to property valuation limits, including changes to the senior property valuation “freeze.”
Goodbye/Hello
Lots of new faces will be found in the Oklahoma Legislature. Many of the 101 members (I did not draw an opponent) have challengers in the upcoming elections but retirement and term limits leave a certain 20 open seats. A fun tradition in the OK House is when you have served 8 years and you’re leaving, you get to have a farewell speech. The speeches bring a variety of personal and leadership reflections – some great stories, some really bad jokes and some honesty. You may have seen some news about this speech from my colleague Rep. Mike Osborn (R-Edmond). Special shout-out to my friend Rep. Mark Lepak (R-Claremore) who is as conservative as they come but a mentor and so generous to me with his time, knowledge and support. Rep. Lepak is leaving after 12 years of service. To me, he is a model of how public service should be delivered. His experience, intelligence and attention to detail will be sorely missed even if we had some very different opinions about policy.
In January we will begin to prepare for the 61st legislature. I have some bills that I will bring forward again but I know there will be lots of new things too. We will have a new governor as well and lots of new House and Senate members. In the run-up to that, I will spend the summer meeting with constituents about ideas, concerns, maybe someone will even want to discuss something that’s going right! In the fall, we will conduct interim studies; I already know there will be one on childcare following the reduction in dollars and eligibility effective May 1, 2026. I hope you all will be suggesting things too!
Please remember to invite me to meetings, events, or casual neighborhood chats. I’m always seeking to find out what you all are curious about, would like to work to improve and where I can help!
Hope to see you at the townhall on May 26 at the Schusterman-Benson Library from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.!
Let’s Keep Going!