By Rep. Rick West
Last week was the deadline for all bills from the opposite legislative chamber to be passed out of all but the full Appropriations and Budget Committees. We have until April 22 to hear these bills on the floor.
My House Bill 1120, which would have allowed state agencies or other departments to purchase necessary equipment or supplies from local businesses outside of the Central Purchasing Act, was not heard in the Senate. This bill made it through House committee and the floor, but the Senate committee chair chose not to hear it. I’m disappointed to say the least. This was a good bill that would have saved local government agencies money and put money back into the local economy by giving them freedom to buy local instead of out of state. I’ll run this again next year.
House Bill 1497 would prohibit property ownership by non-citizens from countries that ban U.S. citizens from owning property in their countries. This bill passed the Senate Judiciary Committee this week and now can be voted on by the whole Senate. We’ve seen an alarming amount of purchases of land in southeast Oklahoma – really all across the state and nation – by non-citizens who are paying cash. Much of this land is being used to grow marijuana. Lawmakers recently asked the attorney general to investigate the legality of these purchases and assess any security risks. We are supportive of his efforts and those of local law enforcement.
Senate Bill 2, known as the Save Women’s Sports Act, will protect women participating in sports by requiring that anyone playing on school, college, or state-sanctioned athletic teams designated for females, women, or girls be biologically female. Men identifying as transgender have been allowed to participate in some women’s sporting events in the nation, and it’s resulted in women getting hurt. This bill is about protection. It passed out of the House Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee last week and is now eligible to be heard on the House floor.
Last week, three county commissioners from LeFlore County came to the Capitol to meet with me and state Transportation Secretary Tim Gatz and his head engineer. We had a great meeting discussing policy and the responsibility and role of the state and the county. On May 7, Secretary Gatz and a few from his team will visit Poteau, Pocola and Arkoma. We’ll look at State Line Road that runs along the east of Arkoma. This road is really a no-man’s land between Oklahoma and Arkansas. Secretary Gatz is looking into a cooperative agreement with Arkansas to see if the two states can share funding to fix this road. We’ll examine other projects as well.
In the meantime, the Department of Transportation has purchased paint to cover graffiti on the overpass at Cavanal Hill. Thanks to them, and also to Karen Sue Wages, the president and CEO of the Poteau Chamber of Commerce for stepping in to pay the wages of the painters. This is a great example of state agencies and local organizations working together to benefit Oklahomans. Glad to see this.
Remember to listen to me on KPRV Radio each Thursday morning during the legislative session. And if I can help you with anything, feel free to call my Capitol office at (405) 557-7413 or email me at rick.west@okhouse.gov.
- Rick West represents District 3 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, which includes part of LeFlore County.
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