The Second Session of the 58th Legislature has officially convened, and when I say we’ve hit the ground running, I mean it. We’ve made adjustments to our workflow this session, and we’ve already jumped right into committee work.
Typically, the first week of session is pretty slow – bills are usually still being assigned to committees, so we usually don’t hold meetings until week two. However, to allow plenty of time ahead of our deadlines, we’ve already had a full week of hearings. It’s been rewarding to see the hours of work put in before session come together and result in such a productive first week. I am very supportive of this change to our work schedule, which will allow us to be more intentional with our time to ensure we are passing the very best legislation to move our state forward. Several of my measures have already been passed out of committee and await further consideration, and I’ll keep you updated on those bills as they work through the legislative process.
It wouldn’t be the first week of session without the State of the State address, and we joined our colleagues in the House of Representatives Monday to hear the governor’s legislative priorities for this session. He touched on a number of issues, but strengthening our marijuana industry was one that especially resonated with our district and some of my goals for this session.
When medical marijuana was approved by Oklahoma voters in 2018, the state question was very loosely written. This means we had to quickly create a framework for a new marijuana industry, which left us with a myriad of problems. We’ve diligently worked on this for the past few years, and even approved additional funds last session to hire more law enforcement to crack down on illegal grows, but there’s still more to be done. One of the points Gov. Stitt mentioned was the low cost of a grower’s license here in Oklahoma. It only costs $2,500 to obtain a license to grow, while some other states charge much higher fees. This argument is very relevant to one measure I’ve filed this year – Senate Bill 1440 – which would increase the registration fee for manufacturers of controlled substances, like marijuana, from $500 to $2,500 per year. My hope is the additional funds can be applied towards hiring even more law enforcement to ensure only legal marijuana businesses are operating within the state.
On a lighter note, I’d like to welcome you all to visit our Capitol if you have a chance. Renovations to the building are starting to come to a close, and the updates are amazing. The Senate chamber has been completely redone, along with many other renovations. It’s a beautiful place to come to work each day, and I’m very humbled and thankful for you allowing me to be your voice at our state Capitol. If there’s anything I can do to help you, please reach out. You can contact me by email at Darcy.Jech@oksenate.gov or by phone at 405-521-5545.