March 3 - March 7

Following last week's deadline, there are 1,206 bills left alive for floor consideration - 518 HBs and 506 SBs, plus one SJR and one HJR. Measures that received committee approval will begin working for position on the floor calendar in the coming weeks. The deadline for House and Senate members to act on the bills on their respective floors is March 27.

Two Republicans will meet in an April 1 primary runoff for Senate District 8 following Tuesday’s special election.

Bryan Logan of Paden received 40.71% of the vote in a field of six. David Nelson of Morris received 31.61%.

The Republican nominee will face Democrat Nathan Brewer and independent Steve Sandford in a May 13 special general election to represent Okmulgee, Okfuskee and McIntosh counties and portions of Creek and Muskogee counties. Both are from Henryetta.

The post became vacant when former Sen. Roger Thompson, R-Okemah, resigned effective Nov. 1.

House approves Moore bill expanding Oklahoma's Promise to children of teachers

The Oklahoma House of Representatives has approved a measure by Speaker Pro Tempore Anthony Moore, R-Clinton, that would give the children of longtime public school teachers access to the Oklahoma's Promise scholarship.

House Bill 1727 would waive the scholarship's financial eligibility requirements for children of a full-time certified teacher who has taught for at least 10 years in Oklahoma public schools. The years do not have to be consecutive or at the same school.

The Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP), better known as Oklahoma's Promise, allows students with certain income, academic and conduct requirements to earn a college or technology tuition scholarship. The program, administered by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, was created in 1992 by the Legislature to help more Oklahoma families send their children to college.

"Our talented educators dedicate their lives to shaping the future of our state, and House Bill 1727 is one way we can show them that we value their work," Moore said. "By removing financial barriers to higher education for the families of longtime teachers, we are giving their children every opportunity to succeed and investing in the next generation of leaders for our state."

Moore hopes that the measure will help address the teacher shortage. He said that children of educators are more likely to follow in their parents' footsteps, and he hopes that making them eligible for Oklahoma's Promise will inspire them to stay in Oklahoma for college and launch their teaching careers in their home state.

"We've worked hard over the past decade to improve working conditions for Oklahoma teachers, increasing pay and health benefits, including paid maternity leave, while working to improve classroom conditions," said Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow. "Removing income restrictions so their children can qualify for the Oklahoma's Promise scholarship is just one more incentive to keep certified teachers in our classrooms long-term where their expertise and dedication is needed and appreciated."

Having passed the House 71-20, HB1727 now moves to the Senate, where it is authored by Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond.

The Oklahoma House of Representatives passed House Bill 1256, authored by Rep. Judd Strom, R-Copan, with a 90-4 vote. The legislation would enhance workforce development initiatives by modifying contract terms related to construction-skilled trade education.

HB1256 would amend existing statutes to expand the Construction Industries Board’s ability to collaborate with the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education and accredited institutions across the state. The bill supports instructional courses on Oklahoma trade regulations and promotes workforce development programs designed to encourage careers in the electrical, mechanical, plumbing and roofing trades.

“This legislation is a step toward strengthening Oklahoma’s skilled trades workforce,” Strom said. “By enhancing education programs and providing resources for workforce development, we can better prepare young Oklahomans for high-demand careers while ensuring the continued growth of our state’s construction industry.”

The bill would also establish clear funding mechanisms through the Skilled Trade Education and Workforce Development Fund, which would be financed by administrative fines and penalties. Under HB1256, these funds would be allocated toward trade-related education programs, instructional materials and workforce promotion efforts. Additionally, the legislation would set reporting and accountability standards to ensure funds are used effectively.

“Oklahoma’s economy depends on a strong and well-trained workforce,” Strom added. “House Bill 1256 would create opportunities for individuals to gain the skills needed to enter and thrive in the construction trades, helping to meet industry demand while boosting economic development.”

HB1256 is now eligible to move to the Senate for further consideration.

The Oklahoma Senate Education Committee has approved Senate Bill 758, a measure designed to eliminate virtual school days except in cases of emergency.

The bill, authored by Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, and Senator Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond, ensures students receive the in-person instruction necessary for academic success while still allowing districts to utilize emergency virtual days in specific circumstances.

“Virtual learning has its place, but in limited circumstances,” Sen. Thompson said. “We have seen that in-person instruction is the most effective way to educate our students. Senate Bill 758 strikes a balance by allowing emergency virtual days when absolutely necessary while holding districts accountable for ensuring students are engaged and meeting learning requirements.”

Under Senate Bill 758, school districts and charter schools may designate emergency virtual days for situations such as inclement weather, teacher or staff shortages due to illness or building maintenance issues.

Pro Tem Paxton praised the bill’s passage, emphasizing the importance of classroom learning.

“Oklahoma students perform best and learn best when they are in the classroom, receiving direct instruction from their teachers,” Pro Tem Paxton said. “Senate Bill 758 establishes clear guidelines for when virtual instruction is appropriate while reinforcing our commitment to in-person education. This ensures our students receive the best education possible. Virtual learning has been disastrous, and more classroom instruction will help us improve education outcomes.

”The measure also sets minimum virtual instruction hours based on grade level and grants the State Department of Education authority to audit school records to verify compliance. If the audit reveals that less than a majority of students participated in the required hours, the district must provide an additional in-person instructional day.

Additionally, the State Department of Education must publish an annual report detailing emergency virtual day usage by June 30, beginning in 2026.

Senate Bill 758 now moves to the Senate Floor for further consideration.

The House Education Oversight Committee today passed legislation that would remove chronic absenteeism from the state school accountability system and add an incentive for schools that are going above the state minimum in instructional time with students.

House Bill 1412, by Rep. Ronny Johns, removes chronic absenteeism from being a measure on state school report cards. In its place, it puts a measure of instructional time for schools. Currently, schools are required by law to go at least 165 days and 1080 hours per year. The new instructional time measure would give schools additional points on their report card if they go beyond that, up to 180 days and 1200 hours.

"We can all agree that chronic absenteeism has not been a good measure for accountability of schools," said Johns, R-Ada. "We have worked to find a new measurement that is something within the district's control and can provide an incentive for schools to get students in front of our state's amazing teachers even more."

The bill requires The State Board of Education to amend the state plan in accordance with the requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to replace the measure of chronic absenteeism with a measure of instructional time. The State Board of Education must submit the proposed amendment to the United States Department of Education no later than August 1, 2025.If the amended state plan is approved by the USDE, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, the grade for an elementary, middle, and high school site would include a measure of instructional time in lieu of chronic absenteeism. This measure will account for a total of 10 possible points out of 90 points available on a school's report card.

"All the data shows that academic achievement improves when students have more time with high quality teachers," said House Speaker Kyle Hilbert. "This legislation would reward the many districts who are already going above the state minimum on instructional time and incentivize additional schools to stay in school longer, which is a win for students."

The bill also adds scoring Silver Level or above on American College Testing (ACT) WorkKeys and military readiness as evidenced by being accepted for enlistment into any branch of the military within the first year after high school graduation or earning a military readiness score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) to the postsecondary measure on state school report cards.

The bill also clarifies that students who transfer in and out of the school, emigrate to another country, and deceased students will not be included in the adjusted cohort graduation rate for school accountability.

The bill passed the House Education Oversight Committee with a vote of 9-0 and will next be considered by the full House on the floor.

A Senate committee on Tuesday struck down a bill that attempted to ban a common way teacher unions collect dues from their members.

The Senate Education Committee passed a similar bill last year to prohibit payroll deductions for teacher union dues, but this time the panel voted 7-3 against the idea in a bipartisan decision. Republican lawmakers and state leaders have tried multiple times over the past decade to prohibit teachers from paying for professional organization membership through payroll deductions.

Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair, refiled the legislation this year as Senate Bill 62. He equated these paycheck deductions to “taxpayers subsidizing far-left teacher unions.”

Bergstrom said teachers still could join unions under his bill, but a school couldn’t submit their due payments through payroll.

“Anyone can contribute to whatever organization they want to on their own,” he said during the committee meeting.

Outlawing all automatic deductions is “just a step too far,” Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, said.

Rader ended up casting one of the three votes in favor of the bill after Bergstrom struck title, which means the author would have more flexibility to make changes to it. The bill also had support from the committee’s chair, Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, and vice chair, Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore, who wrote similar legislation last year.

The bill’s failure in its first committee hearing prompted celebrations from union leaders after the vote.

Hopefully, it means lawmakers won’t pursue it again next year, said Torie Pennington, president of the Oklahoma City chapter of the American Federation of Teachers.

Banning automatic due payments would create a burdensome task for teachers, Pennington said, and it would consume more of the organization’s time that is better spent supporting schools and educators.

“I’m proud of the committee members who voted no and realize that having unions is just a benefit for the schools, a benefit for the teachers and a benefit for the students, ultimately,” Pennington said after the committee vote.

Eliminating automatic payments to teacher unions has been a longtime objective of some conservatives. In 2015, former Gov. Mary Fallin signed into law a prohibition on payroll deductions from state employees to unions that collectively bargain under federal law.

But, the law doesn’t stop these payments from going to organizations that negotiate under state law or to groups that don’t collectively bargain at all, according to a 2023 opinion from Attorney General Gentner Drummond.

The attorney general issued the opinion after state Superintendent Ryan Walters expressed interest in banning the practice and after lawmakers requested clarity on existing state law.

Drummond found the 2015 law was intended to block state employees’ payroll deductions from going to national, out-of-state unions.

Following complaints from the Oklahoma State Board of Education, lawmakers introduced legislation to limit the state superintendent’s control over the board’s operations.

Rep. Ronny Johns, R-Ada, repurposed House Bill 1491 with new language that would allow board members, not only the state superintendent, to place items on their meeting agendas. Leaders of the House and Senate, as well as Gov. Kevin Stitt, endorsed the measure.

“No one member should unilaterally control a board, especially one that directly impacts the outcomes of our students,” Stitt said Wednesday.

State Superintendent Ryan Walters responded to the bill by criticizing Stitt and Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who also supported the measure. Drummond applauded the bill as a way to “clean up the mess that Gov. Stitt and Supt. Walters have made of our public education system.”

Walters accused the governor and attorney general of playing politics.

“I’ll let them argue over this like kids in a schoolyard kickball game,” Walters said in a statement. “I’m going to focus on fighting for the best interests of Oklahoma’s parents and students.”

Three members whom Stitt appointed last month complained that they had no control over the topics they’re able to discuss during meetings.

One of the members, Chris Vandenhende, said he wanted to schedule a meeting and vote to “suspend all activity related to immigration.” The board in January had agreed to submit rules to the state Legislature that would have schools report students’ immigration status.

The governor, who pledged to block the immigration rule, appoints all members of the state Board of Education except for the state superintendent, who is elected and acts as chairperson of the board. The board oversees the state’s public education system and the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

The House Education Oversight Committee unanimously approved Johns’ amended bill on Wednesday, advancing it to a potential vote by the full House. Originally, the bill focused on teacher certification penalties before Johns replaced the language.

The bill would allow any two state Board of Education members to place an item on a meeting agenda if they submit the request in writing. Currently, the state superintendent decides the meeting agendas as the chairperson of the board.

Oklahoma administrative codes require the board to follow Roberts’ Rules of Order, which advises that a board’s chairperson should set meeting agendas. Johns said the state board has followed this procedure for decades. State law largely forbids a public board from taking up any matters not posted on its agenda.

House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, said the proposal has nothing to do with Walters. Board members not having a say is a “longstanding issue that needs to be fixed,” he said.

Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, said the new legislation would reinforce transparency and accountability in the education system by giving all board members a voice on the matters they meet to discuss.

“With the current structure, the board is neutralized and has no say in shaping policy,” Paxton said in a statement. “Allowing this will provide a fair and more effective structure.”

Oklahoma’s top education official has called into question the integrity of the state’s test scores for reading and math, seven months after his administration released students’ test results to families and three months after including the scores in report cards of school performance.

After months of reticence on the topic, state Superintendent Ryan Walters on Thursday accused Gov. Kevin Stitt and another state agency of “political interference” in the test results. Walters called for the scores to be recalibrated immediately.

Oklahoma students could score worse on state reading and math assessments in 2024 and still be considered proficient because of a change to performance expectations, state records show. This is because the state lowered the bar to reach a proficient score on annual exams, a process known as resetting cut scores.

When Oklahoma Voice uncovered the change in August, Walters at the time called media reports “fan fiction” but acknowledged the new test results would be “very different.”

Walters’ news release on Thursday represents a major change in rhetoric on the issue. He alleged for the first time that the process of setting new cut scores did not proceed in the way it should have.

Until this point, Walters hasn’t alerted to anything unusual taking place. Instead, his administration sought to distance itself from the matter, referring questions to the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability (CEQA), which had approved the cut scores in July.

“Changing standards and proficiency targets is a routine process for many states, including Oklahoma, and the processes employed this year are no different from the previous year,” Walters’ office said in a statement in October.

In December, he released the Oklahoma School Report Cards, which evaluate schools based on their test results and other metrics, without mentioning the cut score change.

Walters celebrated the report cards as having the “most comprehensive and most transparent” data in state history. He said the report cards demonstrated that schools had turned a corner toward improvement, though a month later national test results would find Oklahoma failed to make any significant academic progress.

But on Thursday, Walters said the governor and the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability, a small state agency that the CEQA directs, had a “blatant disregard for the integrity of Oklahoma’s education system” and the release of the cut scores in July was premature.

“Parents, teachers, and students deserve accurate, carefully reviewed results, not a political stunt,” Walters said.

The governor’s spokesperson, Abegail Cave, said the cut scores are months old and no new information has emerged recently. She said releasing the cut scores is the responsibility of the state Education Department.

“Walters is trying to rewrite history because he has nothing of substance (to) campaign on,” Cave said. “While Walters continues to play games, the governor is going to continue to make Oklahoma top 10 in everything we do.”

OEQA director Megan Oftedal declined to comment on Walters’ remarks. OEQA answers to the commission and carries out its policies.

Cave said the small agency plays only an advisory role in the cut score process.

Walters’ office did not return a request for comment on why he made the allegations months after the cut scores were finalized and included in state report cards.

His administration has faced criticism over the scoring change, particularly because it released test results over the summer without acknowledging that the scoring method had changed significantly.

Proficiency rates spiked statewide, giving the impression that student performance had dramatically improved, but agency records later showed the uptick was the result of lowered expectations.

Senate Minority Leader Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, noticed the change through her own child’s test scores. She said many suspected “something squirrely was going on” after results drastically increased.

“I really feel like our superintendent needs to take responsibility for the data and for the processes in his agency that he’s in charge of,” Kirt said Thursday.

While acknowledging his own agency was involved in the process of setting new cut scores, Walters said the governor and the CEQA are to blame for undermining the final test results.

He said CEQA failed to review how the cut scores compare to those in other states. Walters claimed the cut scores were released prematurely because of that lack of review.

Oklahoma law calls for the commission to conduct an “ongoing review” of the state’s cut scores, but it doesn’t specify that the review must be completed before commissioners can approve new ones.

The law allows the commission to “adjust the cut scores as necessary” after finishing the review.

The OEQA, which answers to the commission, is preparing to conduct the legally required review and has chosen a vendor to carry out the study, Oftedal said.

Over the summer, the state Education Department initiated the process of establishing new cut scores after the state Legislature approved new academic standards for reading and math in recent years.

The agency and a testing vendor gathered committees of Oklahoma teachers who developed the new performance expectations that define what knowledge students should be able to demonstrate at each grade level to be considered proficient in reading and math.

The Education Department and the testing vendor presented the final cut scores to the CEQA in July, and the commission approved them, records show. The governor appoints each member of the commission, and his education secretary leads the board.

Walters urged the Legislature to update state laws to require the commission to confirm it followed statutory requirements.

“The governor and (the commission) have undermined public trust, and our kids are the ones who will pay the price,” Walters said.

The Oklahoma Senate Appropriations Committee approved a slate of tax reform measures meant to carve a path for taxpayer relief and making the state more business-friendly. Senator Dave Rader and Senator Adam Pugh authored the four bills addressing income tax structure, corporate tax fairness, and taxpayer relief mechanisms.

One of the measures sets up a mechanism to capture growth revenues to provide tax relief to taxpayers. Another sets the individual income tax rate at 4.75 percent while removing the deduction for federal income taxes paid and standardizes deductions.

“Oklahoma’s tax code must evolve to support growth and prosperity,” Senator Pugh said. “The goal of Senate Bill 291 is when the economy grows is we recognize and justly reward the taxpayers, who are ultimately responsible for that revenue growth. These reforms will make our state more attractive for businesses, ensure families keep more of their hard-earned money and position Oklahoma as a leader in responsible tax policy. I am optimistic that these measures will strengthen the state’s economic foundation while maintaining fiscal responsibility.”

The other two measures are aimed at the corporate tax system.

“These measures represent a significant step forward in making Oklahoma’s tax code more competitive and business-friendly,” Rader said. “By leveling the income tax rate, removing outdated corporate tax provisions and ensuring Oklahomans benefit from economic growth. By simplifying income tax structures and eliminating burdensome provisions like the throwback rule, we are making our state a more attractive place for job creators and entrepreneurs.”

Senate Bill 304, Senate Bill 299, Senate Bill 291, and Senate Bill 60 are now eligible to be heard on the Senate floor.

A legislative panel on Monday passed a bill that would bar synthetic dyes and over a dozen other ingredients from food, despite concerns it could drive up prices and amounts to government overreach.

Senate Bill 4, by Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond, would ban 21 ingredients from food. The measure includes aspartame, an artificial sweetener, and sodium nitrate, a preservative. It requires a warning label disclosing all chemical food additives.

Manufacturers who fail to comply with the ban, which takes effect Jan. 15, 2027, would face administrative penalties, with the funds going to school food programs.

It also applies to ingestable medications beginning Jan. 18, 2028.

Sen. David Bullard questioned if the measure creates more government regulation for private businesses.

Thompson said the Food and Drug Administration let companies self determine if the ingredients are generally safe.

“My argument here is that it is not over regulation,” Thompson said. “This is just the beginning of food safety and regulating unsafe chemicals in our products.”

Businesses will have almost two years to reformulate if needed, she said.

“This is our first swing at this and it is a big one,” she said.

West Virginia approved a statewide ban Friday, and California has done it for school lunches, Thompson said.

Legislation to implement additive bans has been filed in Missouri, Illinois Pennsylvania, New York, Iowa, Maryland, Oregon, South Dakota and Rhode Island, she said.

“So this is absolutely a nationwide movement,” she said, adding that if states ban together the FDA will be forced to take action.

“This is the right thing to do, not only for our kids but for all of Oklahoma,” Thompson said.

She said Oklahoma’s proposed list of banned ingredients is the most robust in the country.

She expects the measure to have far reaching effects, but believes the state’s poor health outcomes will improve.

Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt, asked if lawmakers were telling Oklahomans what they can and cannot buy.

The state was not banning food, but is not going to allow “poisonous chemicals” in foods, Thompson said. 

Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, said she would support the measure Monday but had concerns that the cost would be passed on to consumers and could increase food insecurity.

Title was stricken on the bill, a procedural move to slow it down in the legislative process.

It passed by a vote of 10-1 and heads to the Senate floor for possible consideration. Murdock, chairman of the Senate Agriculture and Wildlife Committee, voted against the bill. 

 March 2025

• Thursday, March 27: Deadline for Third Reading and Final Passage of Bills and Joint Resolutions by the Chamber of Origin (House and Senate) 

April 2025

• Thursday, April 10: Deadline for House Bills and Joint Resolutions to be Reported from Policy Committees and Appropriation Subcommittees
• Thursday, April 24: Deadline for House Bills and Joint Resolutions to be Reported from Oversight, Admin Rules, Appropriations and Rules Committees
• Thursday, April 24: Deadline for House Bills and Joint Resolutions to be Reported from Committee (Senate)

May 2025

•   Thursday, May 8: Deadline for Third Reading and Final Passage of Bills and Joint Resolutions by the Opposite Chamber (House and Senate) 
•  Friday, May 30 (no later than 5:00 p.m.): Sine Die Adjournment of the First Session of the 69^th Legislature

OkACTE tracks and monitors legislative bills. These bills can vary from CareerTech education policy, common education policy, education funding, teacher pay raise, tax credits, licensing, Ad Valorem, retirement, state employee pay raise, guns, economic development and much more.

Of these bills, we've compiled a listing of CTE Priority Measures linked below.

Visit oklegislature.gov to view entire text of the measures.

CTE Priority Measures