Opinion

The Senate and House recently completed their committee work on bills from the opposite chamber. As of last week, we had considered well over half of the House bills sent to us.

To the Editor:

Are 4/20 celebrations in states where recreational cannabis is legal influencing teens to use the drug? Recreational marijuana is illegal in Oklahoma, making 4/20 Day less widely celebrated. However, this does not stop the influence it has on youth.

To the editor:

The Senate and House have now begun the legislative process over but with bills from the opposite chamber. Around 480 House bills were sent to us for consideration in our committees. I’m serving as the principal Senate author for 24 House bills, some of which have already been heard.

Oklahoma has unfortunately already endured a string of disastrous tornadoes this year. While our communities remain resilient in the recovery process, it is a reminder that we must be ready to face dangerous weather conditions that may come our way. As we enter storm season, please take the proper steps to plan and prepare.

It’s hard to believe but we’ve officially made it to the halfway point of this year’s session. An additional 100 bills were approved by the full Senate prior to the deadline, including a few more of mine. Altogether, 17 of my measures are moving on to the House for further consideration this session.

The deadline for filing your 2022 taxes with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is less than a month away, and it is critical you file your tax returns on or before Tax Day to avoid late penalties. As this crucial deadline on April 18 approaches, I wanted to share some suggestions and resources to ensure you are well prepared for a smooth and timely filing process.

It happens all too often. We put directions into our phone or GPS, and we seek to follow the provided directions to our desired location. As we are heading to our destination, we get busy talking, or distracted, and we miss our turn or exit. In that moment, a message appears on your navigational device that says, “Rerouting.” As we follow the rerouting directions, thankfully, we soon find ourselves back on the right path.

The Senate overwhelmingly passed what has been described as a pro-family measure on Wednesday, March 22 that protects women’s freedom to access birth control.

The Senate continued their efforts last Thursday to improve public safety within the medical marijuana industry. Sen. Jessica Garvin, RDuncan, said the bills focus on youth access, medical education, product potency, recalls, and other important issues requested by the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA).