News Stories

This week marked the first major deadline for the 2023 Legislative Session. Thursday was the final day for all bills except budget bills to be passed out of their assigned committee from their chamber of origin. While numbers are not yet finalized, there are around 1,000 bills and joint resolutions left alive after the Thursday deadline. SB 669 – Non-resident driver’s licensing One bill that was passed out of committee this week was SB 669 by Sen. Michael Brooks. SB 669 would allow non-residents who file state taxes to utilize their individual tax identification number instead of a Social Security […]

With the upcoming vote to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, Oklahoma Farm Bureau members stand strongly opposed with strict policy on the subject. State Question 820 will appear on ballots Tuesday, March 7, and OKFB has created a number of resources for members to use in conversation and on social media platforms to encourage a “no” vote on the state question. TALKING POINTS SOCIAL MEDIA RESOURCES Below are several graphics for use on social media, including a profile photo and several graphics suitable for posting. [slb_exclude] Click here to download this image [/slb_exclude] [slb_exclude] Click here to download this […]

The state Capitol was busy this week as the legislature comes up on its first major deadline of the 2023 session. Thursday, March 2nd is the final day for bills to move out of their assigned committees. SB 333 by Sen. Darrell Weaver was heard in Senate Retirement & Insurance on Tuesday but failed due to the lack of a motion to approve. If passed, SB 333 would have allowed municipalities to transfer any cost related to worker’s compensation or medical treatment of a first responder diagnosed with PTSD due to a work related incident to the property taxes of […]

More than 80 Oklahoma Farm Bureau members and guests convened in Oklahoma City for the organization’s annual leadership conference Tuesday, Feb. 21. Farm Bureau members kicked off the morning with Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, who shared the importance of rural Oklahoma and the population shift to urban areas over the years. “There has never been a more important time for Oklahoma Farm Bureau,” he said. Pinnell also spoke about the immense growth of agritourism in Oklahoma, noting more than 2 million agritourism visits in the state this past year. Members had the opportunity to learn more about State Question 820 […]

The second week of the 2023 legislative session carried with it the same momentum seen in week one. Once again, state lawmakers were hard at work as they continued committee meetings and hearing bills. Highlighting the week was an education funding package authored by House Speaker Charles McCall. House Bills 2775 and 1935 would work together to increase public school funding by $500 million and would allocate an additional $300 million in potential tax credits for children in private or home schools. If passed, the $500 million for public schools would be broken down into three sectors. The first is […]

Oklahoma Farm Bureau has teamed up with a number of local and state organizations in a coalition opposing State Question 820, a measure to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in Oklahoma. “Protect Our Kids – No on SQ 820” is chaired by former Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating and is comprised of organizations including the Oklahoma Sheriff’s Association, The State Chamber, Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association and more. With SQ 820 up for consideration in a special referendum vote on Tuesday, March 7, the coalition has begun actively encouraging a “no” vote on the state question through press releases, social media and […]