The calm after the storm is how I’ll sum up the activity at the Capitol this week. With last week being deadline week, any bill not passed off the House floor will not be considered this session. We moved 381 bills and joint resolutions over to the Senate for consideration I understand the senate is sending 327 measures over for our chamber to consider. Of course the speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate can file bills at any time, so those numbers can still fluctuate, but that’s what we have for now. I kind of like a little down time to regroup and refresh before the next round of Senate bills start being considered.
When bills and joint resolutions move between the House and the Senate they go through what is called the engrossing process. A group of staff members read the legislation thoroughly to make sure the text of the measures are accurate and to confirm delivery to the opposite chamber. When bills are approved by both legislative chambers they are then enrolled to the governor, again being proofed for accuracy before they await the governor’s signature to become law or his veto.
One bill we passed this week was Senate Bill 1511, which I signed as a co-author. This bill has to do with 1,000 feet spacing from a commercial medical marijuana grow house in relation to our schools. I actually filed similar legislation as a request from a constituent. This is a situation where legislation I file doesn’t become law but the end result is the same, so I feel we all win.
Last week a very controversial bill, House Bill 3835, was debated daily as our electric coops tried to come to terms with internet providers as to proper pricing for using coop’s infrastructures such as utility poles. After intense negotiating about an hour before session ending on deadline day, both parties came to terms and this bill was passed off the House floor. I feel like all of rural Oklahoma will be the winners in this legislation as residents in rural Oklahoma will have an additional source of an internet provider.
As always, thank You for allowing me to serve you. I can be reached at (405) 557-7381 or by email at jim.grego@okhouse.gov.
- Jim Grego serves District 17 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes Latimer County and parts of LeFlore and Pittsburg counties.
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