Bill to expand charter schools
The Senate passed two education reform bills, Senate Bill 1862 and Senate Bill 2033, authored by Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee, with both receiving bipartisan support.
Students and parents in Oklahoma’s two largest cities will see the expansion of school choice with Senate Bill 1862. This legislation grants the mayors of the state’s two largest cities chartering authority, and removes the number of caps on allowed charter schools.
“Today we moved one step closer to seeing the expansion of educational opportunities to Oklahoma students,” said Coffee. “Charter schools will provide yet another avenue that will help the next generation have a successful learning experience and be prepared to compete globally.”
Provisions of SB 1862 include:
• Allow municipalities with a population of 300,000 or more to sponsor/authorize charter schools;
• Remove the number of caps on charter schools;
• Allowing existing charter schools to participate in school board bond elections;
• Mandate the State Department of Education and the Department of Central Services publish a list of all vacant buildings owned by the state or school districts that may be suitable for charter schools, as is being done in Arizona, Delaware and South Carolina;
• Allow Native American tribes to authorize and sponsor charter schools.
Senate Bill 2033 allows school districts to institute a performance pay program. Districts may implement incentive pay plans for teachers, principals and administrators who increase achievement growth in their students and school.
Agency rules subjected to reviews
The state Senate approved a bill that would prohibit administrative rules by state agencies from taking effect unless they are approved by the Legislature.
Sen. Anthony Sykes, author of the proposal, said the bill would eliminate emergency rulemaking and prevent state agencies from making law.
“Today’s vote was a victory for transparency and accountability in state government,” said Sykes, R-Moore. “Our goal is to ensure that state agency rulemaking and regulatory processes do not operate out of public view and remove procedures that lead to an unaccountable government. Removing the ability of bureaucrats to make law is an essential part of our effort to restore accountability in government.”
SB 1849 would amend the Administrative Procedures Act, by requiring the Legislature to approve whether administrative rules adopted by state agencies could take effect.
“Anytime bureaucrats make law, the people lose their voice in government,” he said. “Administrative rules should never be used to make substantive law. We’ve seen the fiasco with electric cars, the ridiculous rules on the Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday and the mandate that all 4-H and FFA kids participate in the federal government’s site registration program.”
SB 1849 will now advance to the House for consideration.
“It’s time to put a stop to agencies running over the people of Oklahoma,” Sykes said. “Today’s vote is a step in the right direction to restore the people’s voice in government.”
Pro-life measures are reaffirmed
The full Senate has reaffirmed three pieces of legislation aimed at protecting the rights of the unborn in Oklahoma and the health of Oklahoma women.
Senate Bill 1890, by Sen. Todd Lamb, R-Edmond, would prohibit abortions due to the sex of the unborn child. Lamb said his measure and two others approved by the last week were approved with bipartisan support. “These bills were each approved previously by the Legislature, but were prevented from taking effect due to a court ruling that they violated Oklahoma’s Constitution regarding single-subjects for legislation,” said Lamb, Senate Majority Floor Leader. “We believed then and believe now these provisions reflect the values of our state, and have successfully reaffirmed them in the Senate as individual measures.”
Senate Bill 1891, by Sen. Anthony Sykes, R-Moore, would create the Freedom of Conscience Act to permit an individual to refuse to participate in activities involving abortions, human embryos, fetal tissue or assisted suicide.
Senate Bill 1902, by Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, regulates the administration of RU-486, also known as the abortion pill.
“This legislation will better protect the health of Oklahoma women by ensuring only properly trained physicians can administer this prescription, the women have more information because of the abortion bill, and to ensure better follow-up for the women,” Jolley said.
Form of marijuana prohibited
Legislation to ban an alternative form of marijuana by outlawing possession of K-2 smoke blends passed the House last week.
House Bill 3241, by state Rep. David Derby, adds five new drugs to the list of Schedule I controlled substances. The five substances are all found in K-2 smoke blends.
Schedule I drugs are those with high potential for abuse and that are not accepted for medical use in the United States. This includes heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and marijuana.
“K2 is marketed as the legal alternative to marijuana causing the same effects,” said Derby, R-Owasso. “We shouldn’t let drug users off the hook by allowing them to find alternatives with the same potency and impact - any herb or drug that can be abused and impair your judgment and motor functions, that is not prescribed by a doctor for pain needs, should be illegal.”
House Bill 3241 passed the House of Representatives on a 93-2 vote and now heads to the Senate for a hearing.