Oklahoma Farm Bureau is set to host the first-ever Youth Legislative Experience July 12-13, 2022, at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City. The Youth Legislative Experience will bring together high school juniors and seniors from 4-H and FFA to learn about the Oklahoma legislative process and how a bill becomes a law. “The Oklahoma Youth Legislative Experience is a fantastic way for high school students to get a real-world taste of the legislative process in Oklahoma,” said Rodd Moesel, OKFB president. “The opportunity to act as a legislator and meet elected officials in the actual chambers where laws are passed […]

Tensions were high at 23rd and Lincoln this week with another committee deadline on Thursday, April 14. All bills that passed the committee opposite their chamber of origin will now advance and can be heard by the full chamber. Conversely, any remaining bills – except those assigned to the House Appropriations and Budget Committee – are now effectively dormant for the rest of the 2022 legislative session, including nearly a dozen bills unexpectedly laid over in the House. SB 1261 by Sen. Brent Howard and Rep. John Pfeiffer deals with spray drift on medical marijuana and was one of several […]

Following last week’s deadline rush, this week was unusually light for both chambers of the legislature. The Senate met for a handful of committee meetings this week, while the House canceled all but one committee meeting. Floor agendas reflected the reduced committee workload with only five bills receiving consideration on the House floor. On Tuesday, March 29, members from Canadian and Woodward counties came to Oklahoma City to meet with their legislators. They discussed a variety of bills currently working their way through the legislature and visited with their elected officials on how the legislation would impact their operations. A […]

Lawmakers wasted no time getting back to work at 23rd and Lincoln with a major deadline following a three-day break in observation of spring break. Thursday, March 24 was the last day for policy bills to pass off the floor of their chamber of origin, marking the approximate halfway point of the 2022 legislative session. Rough totals indicate the House approved around 380 bills and joint resolutions while the Senate passed just over 300. Attention now turns back to committee work where legislators will have until April 14 to consider legislation from the opposite chamber. Bills assigned to the House […]

The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry hosted Ag Day at the Capitol March 24 at the state’s Capitol. The annual event celebrates the impact agriculture has in Oklahoma while highlighting the many commodities grown across the state. Oklahoma Farm Bureau members along with other agriculture organizations and Made in Oklahoma producers shared the story of agriculture at their booths in the rotunda of the Capitol with guests and legislators. Kay County Farm Bureau member Don Schieber was honored as the 2022 Governor’s Outstanding Achievement Award in Agriculture. The Ponca City native is a past Kay County board member. […]

It was a short week at the state Capitol with legislators working two days before adjourning for spring break. With the next major committee deadline on Thursday, March 24, OKFB expects things to be in full-swing after the break. The Oklahoma Youth Expo Legislative Showmanship competition – held Tuesday, March 15 – highlighted the shortened work week. More than 100 legislators gathered at State Fair Park in Oklahoma City to experience livestock showing firsthand, guided by young showmen from their home districts. The legislative show gives state lawmakers the opportunity to connect with Oklahoma’s agriculture youth through an immersive, hands-on […]

As the fifth week of the 2022 legislative session wraps up, the Oklahoma Legislature has whittled down the number of operational bills to just under 1,500. Both the House and the Senate had full agendas this week, and five bills were sent to Governor Stitt’s desk for consideration after receiving approval from both chambers. While the next deadline is still two weeks out, both the House and Senate are expected to have short work weeks next week in observation of Oklahoma’s spring break, meaning there are only six legislative days before remaining bills must receive approval by their chamber of […]

Last week marked the first major committee deadline of the 2022 legislative session. All bills that passed their respective committees will continue to advance through the legislative process, while those that didn’t pass or failed to be heard are now dormant for the remainder of the session. This week both the House and Senate chambers will shift their focus from committee work to floor work where bills will be available for consideration by the full chamber until March 24. While the Legislature typically only has two weeks of scheduled floor work between the committee and floor deadlines, both chambers moved […]

The third week of Oklahoma’s legislative session was cut short due to the winter weather that made its way through the state, causing both the House and Senate to close on Wednesday and Thursday. Additionally, the House was out of session on Tuesday to allow members to attend a funeral. Thursday, March 3 – the first deadline of the 2022 legislative session – is the set cutoff date for all bills to be passed out of their assigned committee in their chamber of origin. With a deadline week following a shortened work week, OKFB expects to see unusually long agendas […]