Friends,

We made it! The first session of the 59th legislature is adjourned. I worked hard to represent House District 70 well and enjoyed it immensely. No matter how messy or lopsided things are, it is worth every minute to be a part of building and serving Oklahoma. In the spirit of getting things done, I followed the advice of Will Rogers: “You got to sorter give and take in this old world!”

To that end, some very good policies and a responsible budget came out of the four months despite the intense political infighting. Much of the extremist legislation that was proposed did not proceed. And as a Democrat, I’d like to take all the credit for that but the truth of the matter is we had to have Republican help to stop those efforts and in some areas we did. Disappointingly, the tax credits for private education succeeded as did legislation limiting the ability for doctors and families to make their own medical decisions without threat of criminal penalties.

 

 

By the Numbers

To date, 287 bills have been signed by the governor, 46 vetoed and 25 of those were overridden. I am proud to say two of those bills came from House District 70. Notable veto overrides were the authorizing statute for OETA and the statute permitting tribal regalia to be worn in graduation ceremonies. With the concurrent special session ongoing, more vetoes and more bills are possible and I will do my best to keep you updated. The current speculation is that the governor may call a special session around tax cuts.

 

Budget Basics

Along with 79 other members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, I voted yes for the 2024 state budget. In 2020 our state budget was approximately $8 billion – this year it was nearly $14 billion. The budget puts real dollars into issues that Oklahomans care about the most–funding our public schools and investing in Oklahoma families through funding the critical state services and infrastructure you expect from tax dollars.

 

The largest area of the budget continues to be education at $5.65 billion, or 43.9%. Public K-12 schools continue to be funded at the highest level in state history, $3.97 billion. Higher education received just over $1 billion, including a $130 million, or 14.9%, state appropriation increase, the largest increase to colleges and universities in recent history. Health remains the second largest area of investment at 18.2% of the budget for a total of $2.34 billion. Human services receives the third largest apportionment, with 7.1%, or $909 million. Transportation and public safety make up 6.3% and 5.7%, respectively, of the state budget. Here is a link to an opinion piece on the budget.

 

As a former school board member, I remember all too well the years where we were cutting crucial positions because the legislature failed to deliver meaningful investments in our public schools.

This budget is different. It invests the largest ever one time amount in our public schools. It provides for paid maternity leave for teachers and public employees. It invests in the arts and water infrastructure. It invests in Tulsa. It invests in healthcare, disability and elder care needs. It invests in good high paying jobs.

 

Some said it was not enough, some say it was too much. I’m not sure if it was “just right” but the bottom line is this budget invests in us and in Oklahoma and I am proud to have supported it as part of my commitment to work to deliver real results.

 

Policy Notes

Criminal justice reform proposals did not make much progress and that was certainly a loss. We have work to do in that area especially around fines and fees. Big changes were made in the regulation of medical marijuana. This is an industry that has helped many Oklahomans and boosted local economies, but management of the growth has been poor. If signed by the governor, the bills will help improve quality assurance testing, protect landowners and natural resources, limit access to minor patients, better ensure individuals have an actual medical necessity, and that recommending physicians receive proper education on this treatment. By further regulating the medical marijuana industry, the goal is to create a transparent and accountable framework that promotes ethical business practices and discourages illegal activities.

 

Interim Studies and Constituent Celebrations

Legislators must ask for interim studies by June 30. Studies are approved by the Speaker of the House and assigned to committees. Two issues I know affect our district and the state are medical debt and the lack of accessible and affordable childcare. I plan to request interim studies on both of these issues. If you have ideas about studies you would like me to request, please reach out to me so we can discuss and see if there is an avenue for a standalone request or to partner with another legislator. Here is a list of last year’s studies. When the full list of interim studies is approved, I will share it via the newsletter.

 

Another thing I would like to do in the interim, is learn stories of District 70 constituents to highlight. At the Capitol we honor nurses, doctors, teams, veterans, centenarians and ordinary Oklahomans doing extraordinary things constantly. Please share what you know about the wonderful people in our district, so that we can give them the recognition and appreciation they deserve.

 

I write this Stay in the Loop on Memorial Day when we honor those who died while serving our country in war. I read an article about how and when the holiday was first celebrated nationwide. The effort was led by former Civil War General John A. Logan who said, “We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance….Let no neglect, no ravages of time testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic. “

 

Please stay in touch. I will be in Tulsa and much more available without the daily business of session. I am ready to start working toward what’s next so please reach out with questions, concerns and ideas. Whenever calling or emailing you may first talk to our legislative assistant Chelsea Haecherl (seen below on my immediate left) she is a fantastic professional and eager to help. Also seen is my officemate Rep. Ellyn Hefner who is equally great. We are a good team!

 

If you use social media please make sure to follow me on Instagram and/or Facebook. You can follow me at:

Twitter: @SuzanneHD70

Facebook: facebook.com/suzanneforstaterep

Instagram: suzanneforstaterep

Let’s keep going!

Suzanne