Legislators are gearing up for the 2025 legislative session, which has an organizational day Jan. 7, less than three weeks away. Bills and joint resolutions are already being drafted and must be filed by Jan. 16.
What are some of the filings that are in the works that could have significant impact on area residents? Several of the bills are aimed at assisting struggling families.
Two such bills come from Senate Democratic Leader Julia Kirt and deal with tax burdens. One, SB 72, would update the state’s sales tax relief credit and increase it from the existing $40, set in 1990, to $200 per person, including dependents.
“Working Oklahomans pay sales taxes just like everyone else, but if you earn $45,000 a year compared to $450,000, those taxes hit your family harder,” Kirt said. “These bills represent real savings that families can use for essential goods and services.”
Kirt’s other bill, SB 71, provides tax credits for renters. Those credits had previously been only for property owners. It would give an annual credit of $110.
“Everyone needs a home, but many working Oklahomans can’t afford to buy a house. Most spend half of their income on rent, which continues to rise,” Kirt said. “No one should have to choose between keeping a roof over their family’s head and being able to buy food, medicine, or gas to get to work. I remain committed to real solutions for working families.”
Another bill, this one introduced by House Rep. Michelle McCane, expands Oklahoma’s Promise to the children of certain public school employees. The expansion would include students whose parent or guardian is a teacher, librarian, certified or registered nurse, or a support employee who has worked at a public school for at least five consecutive years.
McCane said, “By lifting one burden from our public school employee's shoulders we can again be competitive in attracting teachers and other school staff at a time when we are experiencing record vacancies and substitute shortages. Expanding Oklahoma's Promise to the very people who lay the foundation of that promise will also help retain the experienced staff we need to grow and improve our schools.” Closer to home, Rep. Mike Dobrinski, ROkeene, continues to work on the Terry Peach Watershed Restoration Act. The landmark legislation received appropriations last year to begin control and eradication of the Eastern Red Cedar in the watersheds that contribute to Canton Lake. The plan was to eliminate the invasive specie on certain waterways above the lake, making it possible to determine if that improved the inflow from those waterways, while holding others as the were to serve as controls in the experiment. However, Dobrinski is now seeking to expand the eradication program to include the Cimarron and South Canadian watershed areas. This will help conserve water and reduce the threat of wildfires fueled by the highly flammable shrubs. For more information about bills as they are presented and move through the legislative process, go to okhouse.gov/leg or oksenante.gov.