From the Desk of Oklahoma Senator Grant Green

NEWS RELEASE – The Senate just passed the committee deadline for bills to clear their first hurdle of the legislative session. Of the 1,141 pieces of legislation filed at the beginning of the session, more than 500 advanced from committees before the deadline. The bills that did not get a committee hearing will carry over to next year and could be brought up for consideration then. The full Senate will now decide which bills to advance to the House.

The Senate Energy Committee, which I chair, advanced dozens of bills before Thursday’s deadline. I’m thrilled that my bill to impose a moratorium on using sludge and biosolid material as fertilizer unanimously passed the committee. I hope this overwhelming support continues as the bill advances to the Senate floor. Another one of my bills that passed applies to the thousands of acres of land held by the state Commissioners of the Land Office. Senate Bill 915 requires that solar farms built on CLO land must be built in a way that still allows cattle to graze on that land. This ensures the land can be used for multiple purposes and contributes to Oklahoma’s vital agriculture industry.

I also passed my first bill of this session off the Senate floor. My legislation to name a stretch of highway in Lincoln County after Sergeant First Class Tomas L. Avey easily passed the full chamber and now advances to the House.

The Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency Oversight Committee, of which I am a member, has been busy as well. The committee recently met to review a report on the operations of the Oklahoma Ethics Commission and how to improve this agency that makes rules for the ethical conduct of state elected officials and political campaigns. LOFT has also begun digging into the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services’ finances after the new director at ODMHSAS raised concerns about patterns of financial mismanagement stretching back for years. LOFT is a great resource for the Legislature to oversee state agency spending and root out government mismanagement and abuse. 

In other mental health news, the Senate recently gave final approval for ODMHSAS to settle a 2023 lawsuit that alleged the agency violated the due process rights of pretrial defendants who were declared incompetent to stand trial and awaiting treatment. This settlement, negotiated by agency leaders, the governor, and the attorney general, will help the state avoid the costs of litigation that could drag on for years.

I also want to take a moment to recognize my outstanding Senate pages so far this session. Strother High School student Cheyenne Range, of Seminole; Davenport High School student Helen Orr, of Davenport; and Carson Wilbourn, who attends North Rock Creek High School and lives in Meeker, were a huge help to my office. I enjoyed getting to know them and appreciated their service.

Lastly, I enjoyed being on Route 66 in Chandler for Friday’s legislative breakfast. A big thank you to the organizers; seeing so many friendly faces at the event was great.

It is a pleasure and a privilege to serve the people of Senate District 28. Don’t hesitate to contact my office if I can be of assistance. Call 405-521-5547 or email Grant.Green@oksenate.gov.

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