[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6321715,"mediaKeyId","2349130-a56a22b5effe5217c000e22d1735c37d","parentId",2349130,"title","Votes at a glance: committee advances repeal measures, a severe-weather bill, GRDA funding change and a Donald Trump Day proclamation","audioSeconds",719,"startMs",2502000,"endMs",3221000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2349130-a56a22b5effe5217c000e22d1735c37d&start=2502&end=3221","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2349130-a56a22b5effe5217c000e22d1735c37d/thumbnail_2502000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6321715/Oklahoma/Votes-at-a-glance-committee-advances-repeal-measures-a-severe-weather-bill-GRDA-funding-change-and-a-Donald-Trump-Day-proclamation","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6321715-ac7fa601e7b79c724fc6606bb6915f6c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770877247&Signature=esoUq07~BTVGX9NwBy75GYoBUZQ5XWRV2AkAKJk55W3sn9dEEXiixKsDG~6QSJc-GiI2Bcl16NH3SemQ9vQuOs1Hvf6GsJzBVcvlTzv-U-13TkyEUuS42wS2e0GkT7BikY5U9UqTe3of9yVTL59Tx0oj9CoJX3VtLy1yBfPIru4IxQ6ZB1L1O4fH06mZF2~VnIRTXzOCuIaHFiauOfrBt7pX20Q8-P9no3gLsk-hvaDc-omKdAqPa4cq2gvNX1HsPAKXq~Y805DdiYGJfcNkgFrYIx76OmvPKA5YLEExhB5QQN1~y~E33SKSUPPAgExoRSVby3WTXajb8lR2wk28zg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","OK State Legislature","date","2025-02-19T00:00:00Z","article","The Oklahoma State Senate Committee on Retirement and Government Resources took recorded action on several additional bills. Below are the results and the key points discussed in committee.

Senate Bill 676 — Repealers (repeal of obsolete commissions)
The sponsor described the bill as a cleanup measure to repeal statutory commissions and boards that are no longer active; one item (the Southern States Energy Compact) was removed from the repealer by amendment because members indicated it might be used again. The committee adopted a senator’s amendment and then passed SB 676 by voice/roll call. Vote: 9 ayes, 0 nays.

Senate Bill 158 — Severe weather tracking privileges
Senate Bill 158 would allow a narrow category of professional storm trackers—employees of FCC-licensed television or radio stations or designated university research institutes—to operate with limited emergency privileges (red and green lights, ability to proceed through stop signs while yielding to police, fire and ambulance) so they can follow severe storms and report conditions. The sponsor stressed the bill does not authorize licensure or prohibit storm chasing. Committee passed SB 158 by recorded vote. Vote recorded in committee: 8 ayes, 0 nays.

Senate Bill 1105 — Commemorative day for November 5
Senate Bill 1105 would designate Nov. 5 as \"President Donald J. Trump Day\" to commemorate the most recent election of Donald J. Trump, as described by its sponsor. Committee discussion confirmed the bill does not create a state holiday with paid leave for employees. The committee passed the bill on a recorded vote, 6 ayes, 2 nays.

Senate Bill 36 — Grand River Dam Authority sale proceeds
Senate Bill 36 would allow proceeds from the sale of property under the control of the Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA) to be retained by GRDA rather than directed into the State Buildings Revolving Fund—putting GRDA on par with other listed entities that may retain sale proceeds. Supporters described GRDA as a nonappropriated electricity provider serving municipalities; the committee passed the bill, 8 ayes, 0 nays.

Procedural notes
All bills above were advanced by the committee for further Senate consideration. Where members asked for clarification or offered amendments, sponsors agreed to technical fixes or confirmed the bills did not carry unintended effects such as creating paid state holidays or changing licensing requirements.

Recorded vote counts are as announced at the committee hearing and appear in the committee clerk’s roll calls.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Retirement and Government Resources Feb 19, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","During the meeting the committee recorded votes on several bills: repeal of obsolete commissions, a narrow storm-chasing privileges measure, changing sale-proceeds treatment for the Grand River Dam Authority, and a bill designating Nov. 5 as a commemorative day. This roundup lists outcomes and key details for each item.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature OK, Oklahoma","taxId",78380,"location","Oklahoma","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6321720,"Committee approves proposal to create ongoing capital oversight role; fiscal questions remain",267,3314000,3581000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2349130-a56a22b5effe5217c000e22d1735c37d&start=3314&end=3581","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2349130-a56a22b5effe5217c000e22d1735c37d/thumbnail_3314000.jpg","/articles/6321720/Oklahoma/Committee-approves-proposal-to-create-ongoing-capital-oversight-role-fiscal-questions-remain","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6321720-ebe89079b2feaa85177dbee139af45c9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770877247&Signature=ZPMmZe7KCIyDFuH~qo42zVBko15i6KbMgmurdcxjyY5mj~AaWNqkYijjd-3x0UyC1ZfxMAW2rPXYcQCXFJp9IkID7McHXh38fatuvPghQWyZ4i1LNXjrAX4I7IWvUyjVvCcpJV2LbhFhybvdkfoKtywofiDX11RjxjTW3Lg~5qybGp0eVbJOCA0nDvJW6yd6ArKhsk5aoB-uA6yGUipXHuh7yOe0V9Vq9pena68bZlM5l5b4BKGMl4t7hvDrDszEI8ZJSVlW4XhbPodr8o0ycb7AJUJKc9ZVxlJGpIKTA82UZe7yo7SrwPk7DvLmtK9oOm4HVajzz6lDjbuL78xZSw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 171, which would establish a permanent legislative oversight function for capital management and create a liaison/coordinator role within state administration, passed the committee after extended discussion about structure, supervision and fiscal impact.

Sponsor Minority Leader Curt Kurt said the bill is intended to create regular public oversight of taxpayer dollars used on the Capitol and the Capitol complex. Kurt said he has reviewed models used in other states and prefers a moderate approach rather than creating a new agency; the bill as discussed proposed housing the role in the Legislative Service Bureau but sponsors said the position could be reallocated if another office (such as the pro tem or speaker office) is more practical.

Committee members pressed on cost and staffing. Kurt said the Legislative Service Bureau estimated a maximum fiscal impact if the position were full time at roughly $93,500 plus equipment; he and others said they expect the role could be half-time or less in practice and that staffing decisions could be adjusted.

The committee adopted an instruction to strike title to continue negotiations over administration and oversight placement and then voted the bill out of committee. The measure passed committee on a recorded vote and will move forward for further legislative consideration.","Lawmakers voted to create a standing oversight function for Capitol complex management, potentially housed in the Legislative Service Bureau (LSB). Debate centered on where the position should sit, its full- or part-time status, and fiscal impact; the committee passed the bill with changes and without specifying administration placement.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6321724,"Committee narrows Capital Medical Zoning District oversight to commercial and public properties",516,2661000,3177000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2349130-a56a22b5effe5217c000e22d1735c37d&start=2661&end=3177","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2349130-a56a22b5effe5217c000e22d1735c37d/thumbnail_2661000.jpg","/articles/6321724/Oklahoma/Committee-narrows-Capital-Medical-Zoning-District-oversight-to-commercial-and-public-properties","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6321724-d616805c937db0a9fe4f4540c5a84a32/orig.mp4?Expires=1770877247&Signature=F-afjNgtlb2oRh3POwmPctgR8gS86OoMSgMfFyJuy67yiNfelbsW~UmW1iAd2lv8uakn07Z6Zthc1lN01cPa4fnEW1rFEUYBAKb1-m4DP4tHXH4ypkrs36nEQWnIzr5e7MgKKl2OU7dgv7~7IHwl4f0Wm1yKOrPnPDbiosHmzf41PK056UPzhFADY0GNuJYUCderfYLgDt8Rk3FgmIPNBPaqrHFMj6fkvViyv8Tpq0FPGbikGcWsXLvFbOPv57Y32GqxgVIBwQ9g9z2BJpGBU7lwI4-r3kcMSWlL7bQZHlvQaKjmS4z1UdPKPs7E65pWbW5YdqO8CqruJhNJ7Vy7Ow__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 717, as amended, passed the committee after a detailed discussion about the Capital Medical Zoning (CMZ) District that governs land use near the Oklahoma State Capitol.

Senator Nye presented the amendment and the bill, saying the change clarifies the district’s focus on commercial areas, public properties and health centers rather than residential neighborhoods. \"That will remove the neighborhoods, and it will allow again for those residents to be able to rely on the city and not the state to oversee their neighborhood,\" Nye said.

Members asked about the geographic change: the bill extends the CMZ commercial purview north from Northeast 30th to roughly Northeast 53rd (described in testimony as Northeast 50–53rd), with Lincoln Boulevard described as a key gateway corridor. Nye said the change reduces state oversight over residential areas in her district while preserving review for public buildings and commercial development around the Capitol.

Supporters said the amendment and version before the committee would make the CMZ focus more efficient and localize neighborhood concerns to city governance. The committee adopted the amendment by voice vote and then passed the bill on a recorded vote.

Senators who questioned the bill generally framed it as a removal of state-level residential oversight rather than an expansion of regulation; author Nye and other proponents said the change restores local representation for residents while protecting commercial oversight around the Capitol.

The committee approved the bill by recorded vote and sent it forward for further Senate consideration.","Senate Bill 717 passed committee after debate and an adopted amendment that narrows state oversight of the Capital Medical Zoning (CMZ) District, removing residential neighborhoods from CMZ jurisdiction and expanding commercial/public building coverage northward to better align with local planning.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6321729,"Committee orders actuarial study after approving higher municipal contributions for firefighters pension",424,1911000,2335000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2349130-a56a22b5effe5217c000e22d1735c37d&start=1911&end=2335","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2349130-a56a22b5effe5217c000e22d1735c37d/thumbnail_1911000.jpg","/articles/6321729/Oklahoma/Committee-orders-actuarial-study-after-approving-higher-municipal-contributions-for-firefighters-pension","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6321729-4b924bdb04f6b5602f7ee584dfb4d3dc/orig.mp4?Expires=1770877247&Signature=BiiGSP19SyGxv-haj5TP7EhwKeNS7lWLPCRZioY16EYna5FnAGIN9Un-BjDUzPlLOC5O6R2bOlHReffwryX7bOLIvk5IT6dA~oFGkDoUMFzj7Pr9kmcH~RBDK8gnhN-wdRF6taMaPsI-TEl8caBXLpyn~i4TsFOOeiXiB-kufO4cjt6B0I3vwqU~K9setZqvHuhlRJZHlF6-Hwk8IcmYiH6Pa3jut~Hv1rebrDObx1jkdKLKDWi1MzwYVnf97gtSlSxBABxVrj3Wl70dHylXr~gyUEcKJyCjSrVqtPaNvm2QpokADbaRXmmPyKUUDTGmg094YzbiGZAJxCWEpk5fwg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 715, which would raise the municipal employer contribution rate to the Oklahoma State Firefighters Pension System from 14% to 16%, was retained by the committee and sent for an actuarial study.

Senator Pro Tem Paxton presented the bill and said past legislative benefit increases have strained the system and the change is intended to identify how to restore fiscal balance. \"We need this in an actuarial because we do need to know what the fiscal impact is,\" Paxton said. He described the measure as a step toward funding benefits previously awarded by the legislature.

Committee members asked whether past appeals and functions of entities such as the Merit Protection Commission had been absorbed elsewhere; Paxton and staff said related duties had been transferred and that the pension system remains the most poorly funded among the state’s seven systems, at roughly 70 percent funded in 2024.

Paxton explained how the firefighters pension is funded: municipal contributions, employer contributions, and a share of the insurance premium tax. He said the system received about $34 million from firefighters, $54 million from cities, and roughly $140 million from the insurance premium tax in a recent year. The proposed change would raise the municipal share (the city contribution) from 14% to 16%, but Paxton said the committee needs actuarial analysis to estimate the dollar impact.

The committee voted unanimously to keep the bill as property of the committee and to forward it to an actuarial study. Senator Paxton said a clerical error in the original filing had mistakenly shifted a 2% increase onto employees; the committee sub corrects that intent to place the increase on employers.

The actuarial study will quantify the fiscal impact and inform future consideration and potential subsequent legislation.","The committee voted to retain Senate Bill 715 and send it to an actuarial study. The bill would raise the municipal employer contribution for the Oklahoma firefighters pension system from 14% to 16%; sponsors said the step responds to recent benefit increases and declining funded status.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6321734,"Senate committee approves bill restricting DEI programs in state agencies and higher education",2354,3811000,6165000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2349130-a56a22b5effe5217c000e22d1735c37d&start=3811&end=6165","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2349130-a56a22b5effe5217c000e22d1735c37d/thumbnail_3811000.jpg","/articles/6321734/Oklahoma/Senate-committee-approves-bill-restricting-DEI-programs-in-state-agencies-and-higher-education","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6321734-eed5738b10313bafd82beee395551e8a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770877247&Signature=ERX7AHBaijB50Ws0rZuaBqEpbgnXeLK1lqAenx0AP8~UY2P~-muvQHLBv59z6~36hAJ-xQST2WfGUyQUSSj3tVz7dWvEgfcBnYa64z4cKTByxGWdDIObxScRe0-bDCbk77oij5hTM~rliiSsFYI11S2i9NlNtjoU9dJvteL3YuseJ-BUiWU0ibXzqtSO6Zlkbi3RFjQMOl0zN2Zh9-DnnohBYokbzxsiqNiKdK6R6MXgAmP~eXxp1PuY-HhBqNTYUluTjqE6zsmVQgopG1XpSADsU4qrAFyfG2L6GM8ml2PBsiKM09PaZNtdzvMyu29oK7rfIiYkN94-MQWSYMToQQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Oklahoma State Senate Committee on Retirement and Government Resources voted to pass Senate Bill 1006, a measure that would prohibit state agencies and public institutions of higher education from granting, supporting or funding diversity, equity and inclusion positions, departments or activities funded with taxpayer dollars.

Sponsor Senator Lonnie Bullard, who presented the bill, said it targets taxpayer-funded DEI activities and aims to return hiring and program decisions to merit-based criteria. \"DEI is in complete violation,\" Bullard said during debate, arguing the policy cannot survive strict scrutiny as a government-funded program.

Opponents, led by Minority Leader Curt Kurt and Senator Kaylee Boren, warned the bill’s language is broad and could chill constitutionally protected activity or widely used campus programming. Senator Boren cited student fees used for campus Christian events and asked whether the bill would unintentionally prohibit those activities; Bullard said the bill targets taxpayer-funded items and that student fees are different, and he offered to work on clarifying language.

Senator Allison Bourne expressed concerns about the bill’s enforcement provisions. Bourne warned that the measure’s penalty—loss of state appropriations for agencies found in violation—could create a “tattletale” environment in which frequent complaints trigger investigations and chill benign campus programming and student clubs.

Committee members also questioned several definitions in the bill, including “indoctrinate,” “preferential treatment” and how the proposal would treat programs aimed at recruitment or retention for underrepresented or geographically isolated students. Bill proponents repeatedly stressed the intent is to prohibit compelled or forced programs that give preferential treatment on prohibited grounds, not voluntary affinity groups or merit-based programs.

The committee adopted the measure on a 6-2 vote. Several senators said they were open to further technical changes in conference so the bill does not unintentionally affect non-DEI programs such as certain recruitment or student-club activities.

The bill now advances in the Senate process for additional consideration.","The Oklahoma Senate committee passed Senate Bill 1006, which prohibits state agencies and institutions of higher education from supporting or funding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) positions, offices or compulsory DEI training. The measure drew extended debate over definitions, enforcement and impacts on campus programs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: committee advances repeal measures, a severe-weather bill, GRDA funding change and a Donald Trump Day proclamation

Committee approves proposal to create ongoing capital oversight role; fiscal questions remain

Committee narrows Capital Medical Zoning District oversight to commercial and public properties

Committee orders actuarial study after approving higher municipal contributions for firefighters pension

Senate committee approves bill restricting DEI programs in state agencies and higher education