The current Legislative session has multiple bills that are of interest to this region of Oklahoma.
One is HB 2162, the Terry Peach Watershed Restoration Act. It piggybacks on 2023’s HB 2239, a pilot program focusing on the removal of invasive red cedars in the North Canadian Watershed.
One part of the study questioned whether the removal of the trees increased water volumes in the watershed from the state line to Canton Lake, while the second part researched whether the volume increased from Canton Lake to Oklahoma City.
The bill’s author, Mike Dobrinksi of Okeene, said the program had already proven very successful in removing invasive species in the watershed and around housing developments and other infrastructure.
“These trees and shrubs create a great fire danger, and they draw away crucial amounts of water in already droughtstricken areas of our state,' Dobrinski said. 'Expanding this program statewide will help protect our environment – including grazing lands and wildlife habitats – and boost our economy.”
HB 2162 removes the pilot status of the program and creates a revolving fund through the state Conservation Commission to accomplish the program goals. The estimated cost is $10 million, which still must be appropriated. The bill has passed out of committee and can now be heard on the floor of the Legislature.
Another bill working its way through the process with promising opportunities for agricultural producers is from Sen. Kristen Thompson of Edmond.
SB 985 would create an incentive for school districts to seek out local farmers, ranchers and meat processors to provide fresh, locally grown food items for their cafeterias.
Local Food for Schools began during the pandemic to get around supply chain disruptions. The federal government allowed the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture to reimburse school districts for local food purchase. During the first year, more than 240 school districts partnered with over 70 producers.
“We are so appreciative of the opportunity to expand a program that, even in its early stages, has proven so beneficial for students, schools, and Oklahoma agriculture producers,' said Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur. 'Local Food for Schools provides high-quality food options for students, gets them interested in where their food comes from and how it's produced, and gives our own farmers and ranchers an additional market right here in their home state.”
In addition to providing fresh, healthy food products to students, the program also helps teach students about what agriculture means to the state.
One bill that was already facing an uphill battle has been removed from the legislative process. Sen. Dusty Deevers had proposed an audit to ensure services from the schools were efficiently and effectively serving children with disabilities.
His intent, Deevers said, was to ensure that Oklahoma was not providing birth control, gender affirming care, abortion pills and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases under the guise of school based health programs and maintaining the rights of parents to oversee their children’s health care. When parents, therapists and teachers who work with students raised red flags that the bill could instead eliminate vitally needed services, the senator removed the bill from consideration.
“It has become evident that the language of SB1017 needed to more precisely reflect my intent—protecting the necessary services for our special needs students while ensuring that parental rights remain intact,” Deevers wrote. “I regret any confusion or concern this has caused and sincerely apologize for the turmoil it has created. My goal from the outset has been to safeguard our children, our schools, and our medical and educational professionals while also preventing the unchecked expansion of school-based health programs that we are seeing in other states that could undermine parental authority through blanket consent forms and questionable medical ethics,” he added.
A fourth bill, SB 123, would remove the prohibition on bullets larger than .45 caliber. Introduced by Sen. George Burns of Pollard, the bill would also remove the penalty $500 – for using illegal ammo.
Still in the early stages of the legislative process, SB 123 is now able to be considered.