We’ve kicked off another legislative session, and even more so this year, we’ve hit the ground running. Our Senate committees have already started meeting and vetting legislation, and we aren’t looking to slow down anytime soon. We have around 800 new Senate measures eligible for consideration, as well as numerous carryover bills from last session, before our committee hearing deadline.
Several of the 17 bills I filed this session have already passed out of committee, including Senate Bill 1147, which would authorize the State Board of Education to allow aviation courses to count as academic credit towards high school graduation requirements. There are currently 31 aviation courses in schools across the state, including excellent pro grams in Seminole and Wewoka, which are preparing our students for high-paying jobs in aviation and aerospace careers. Oklahoma is home to the world’s largest Department of Defense Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility, and aerospace giants like Boeing and Lufthansa Technik also call Oklahoma home.
I’d be remiss if I also didn’t mention Oklahoma’s three Air Force Bases - Altus, Tinker and Vance. The bottom line is our state is a hot bed for aviation and aerospace, and we need to graduate more students who are prepared to go into these career fields.
I’ll keep you updated on this bill, as well as others, as they work through the legislative process.
Aside from committee meetings, we also heard from the governor in his annual State of the State address, which out lines his legislative priorities for the year. One of his proposals I’ve received a lot of feedback from is exempting the state sales tax for groceries. Some are worried that if the state eliminates the grocery tax, then our local municipalities won’t be able to collect their own grocery tax, impacting their ability to collect revenue.
I want to assure you that Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat’s bill dealing with this simply exempts the state’s 4.5% portion of the grocery tax, but still allows our local governments to assess their own tax so cities and towns can continue to fund the critical services their citizens rely on. Another issue the governor spoke about in his speech is Oklahoma’s marijuana industry. I know this is an issue that is especially impactful to our district since it seems a new grow pops up every other day. We want to continue to crack down on the bad actors and illegal grows and ensure only those who operate legally are doing business in the state. I serve on the bipartisan medical marijuana working group, and we will continue to work to get this industry under control and ensure proper law enforcement.
I’m proud to serve as a presiding officer again this session, which means I oversee the Senate floor sessions, keep things moving and ensure decorum as we debate legislation that’s being heard. I also sit on the Natural Resources and Regulatory Services Committee; Education Committee; Energy Committee; and Retirement and Insurance Committee.
My office is always open to hear your questions and concerns, so please feel free to reach out if there’s anything I can help you with.
You can reach me at 405-521-5547 or Zack.Taylor@oksenate.gov.