OPINION/COLUMN
The first month of session is behind us, and so much has been accomplished. More than 300 bills were reported out of committee last week with just four days left until the deadline to wrap up committee work. As of last Tuesday, the full Senate had approved nearly 60 bills and sent them on to the House.
Unfortunately, Mother Nature interrupted our work last week, forcing the House and Senate to close Wednesday and Thursday. Being this Thursday is the deadline, our committee agendas will be packed to try to make up for those lost days.
Improving public safety is a huge issue this session in the Capitol with several bills being considered. Senate Bill 1568 would require various forms of domestic abuse to be registered under the Mary Rippy Violent Crime Offenders Registration Act. In 2020, Oklahoma had the highest number of domestic violence reports in 20 years, and 61 Oklahomans were killed by their domestic abuser. This public database allows people to verify other’s identity and whether they have a violent past, which can prevent them from getting into a dangerous relationship or allowing their children to be around them.
SB 1569 would create the Address Confidentiality for Child Survivors and Their Families Act to protect victims of human trafficking and child abduction by allowing them to be in the Address Confidentiality Program. This provides these individuals with an alternative address to list on school, local and state forms to conceal their home address from public searches.
Another measure will protect our retired public servants. SB 1522 would prohibit the doxing of retired law enforcement officers. This includes posting any of their personally identifiable information, such as their home address, with the intent to threaten, intimidate or harass them.
Besides working on legislation in our committees and on the floor, there are numerous caucuses for us to join in order to dive deeper into those particular issues that we’re especially passionate about. Caucuses bring together people with shared, but unique experiences. I’m currently a member of the Women’s, Aerospace (AERO), Hispanic, Rural, Mental Health, Future, and Republican Caucuses.
The Rural Caucus recently met with the Oklahoma State Highway Patrol to discuss plans for recruitment and retainment of our troopers. The number of men and women exiting law enforcement, not only troopers, but also local and county law officers, is alarming. Just like many state agencies, the OHP has been unable to give increases to their staff and compared to a list of larger local agencies, the OHP ranks toward the bottom of the list of pay rates. Additionally, the “defund the police” mentality and lawsuits against officers have been causing many to leave the profession. These two issues were brought to light during our meeting, and I look forward to continuing these conversations to determine the best way to support our troopers throughout the state.
I love when students are interested in their state government and the legislative process. There are various ways for students to get involved and see firsthand the workings inside their state Capitol. They can apply to page for a week their junior or senior year or can shadow for a day.
Taelyn Ringwald from Wayne shadowed me on Monday, Feb. 14. It was a busy day as I presented SB 1323 before the Retirement and Insurance Committee and SB 1259 in the Health and Human Services Committee. Our committees had full agendas and we also heard the first five Senate bills on the floor, including my SB 1344. Besides getting to see our committee and floor work, Taelyn got to witness several hundred Oklahomans advocating for issues important to them at the Capitol.
For such a short week, it was a full one and I’m anxious to see what we get accomplished this week.
If you have any questions or concerns on legislative matters, please contact me at the Capitol by emailing me at Jessica. Garvin@oksenate.gov or calling (405) 521-5522.
