OKLAHOMA STATE SENATE / From the desk of Sen. Jessica Garvin
The first month of this legislative session was a whirlwind of activity that included dozens of committee hearings to vet legislation and the passage of a historic tax cut that will benefit all Oklahomans.
I was thrilled to support a bill that will eliminate the state portion of the grocery sales tax. Gov. Kevin Stitt signed that measure into law after it cleared the Senate last month. All Oklahomans across the state will immediately see the benefits when that 4.5% grocery tax cut takes effect in August. This new law will not prevent municipalities, which rely on sales tax revenue for government operations, from taxing groceries.
During the first deadline week this session, Senate committees pared down the number of bills eligible to be heard from about 850 to 357. The full Senate has been hearing many of those remaining bills on the floor since we had a March 14 deadline for bills to be heard in their chamber of origin.
I have authored more bills than many of my Senate colleagues this year and many of those bills are advancing through the legislative process. More than 20 bills I authored cleared the first legislative deadline this year, in which Senate bills were required to pass through a Senate committee.
I’ve been working hard this year to improve state retirement benefits for firefighters, police officers and other retired law enforcement officers. Men and women who risk their lives to protect Oklahomans deserve the most robust retirement benefits the state can offer. Reinstating annual retirement payments for retired state law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty is just one of the reforms I’ve proposed. Several other proposed changes are awaiting a full Senate vote.
To stay informed about what’s happening in the Senate, visit www. oksenate.gov, along with my Facebook page @SenatorJessicaGarvin. You can also follow the main Senate Facebook @oksenate or the Senate GOP page @OKSenateGOP.
If you have any questions or concerns on legislative matters, please contact me at the Capitol by emailing me at Jessica.Garvin@oksenate. gov, calling me at 405-521-5522, or writing to Senator Jessica Garvin, State Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd.
