OK Legislature Has Filed New Bills

Ok, boys and girls. I've spend nearly a week searching the OK Legislative website for new bills...new education bills. I feel like I went down Alice's rabbit hole...My shoulders (and other body parts) are tired. My eyes hurt. I'm sure I've missed something important.

I DID NOT read any of the bills...I scanned some to try to understand, but I know I missed things, and I hope you, Constant Reader, will correct, add, define...help me out.

DISCLAIMER: My organization into negative and positive is my own. Please feel free to question or disagree. And, as always, I expect you to do your own reading and researching.

Here are the education bills I'll be watching.

House –

163 Education-related bills

96 Shell bills with titles, but no language yet

One ALEC bill: Forming Open and Robust University Minds Act

Funding, reform, retirement, clarification of codes, charters, LNH scholarships, salary,OHLAP

Negative bills to watch:

                3689 – Off the Top Revenues Act 2018 – Calvey (shell)

                3586 – Higher Ed. Forming Open and Robust University Minds Act – McCall (shell)

                3543 – Prohibiting school to start until after 1^st Mon in Sept -- Caldwell

                3539 – Removes minimum salary schedule – Caldwell

                3486 – Allows placement agencies to refuse placement on faith issues – Jordan

                3311 – Requires Ss to take US Citizenship test to graduate – Baker

                3291 – District Supts can’t earn more than OSDE Superintendent – Eans

                2725 – Higher Ed. Prohibits co-ed dorms -- Russ

                2723 – Barriers to teachers’ organizations representation -- Russ

                2612 – Prohibits OSDE from creating unfunded mandates – Tadlock

Non-education bills of concern

                2680 – Bathroom Guideline Act (shell) – Strohm

                2623 – Legislative approval of immunization list – West, K

                2624 – Immunization and Parental Rights Act --Strohm

                2684 – Prohibiting infant immunization without consent -- Strohm

                2685 -- Vaccination Informed Consent – Strohm

Hopeful bills to watch

                2571 – Charters not sponsored by OSDE after local board rejected – Casey

                2572 – RSA Modifies assessment levels for promotion, retention (Unsat) – Casey

2732 – Private schools taking vouchers must file Sped report – Rosecrants

2733 – Restores NBCT stipends – Rosecrants

3130 – Prohibits OSDE sponsoring charters after local board rejected – Murdock

3446 – Charters OSDE cannot override local board denial – Gann

Non-education bill that could be positive

               2927-- Medicaid Reform Act – Nichols (shell)

Personal favorite:

                3149 – House of Rep Sexual Harassment Training – Dunnington

Senate –

88 Education Bills

No shells that I can find

2-year colleges, virtual school regulations, private vocational schools, OHLAP, consolidation

Negative bills to watch

                887 – Schools can use ad valorem funds for teacher salaries – Brecheen

                1055 – Adds two US History exams to graduate – Bergstrom

                1115 – Fines schools for exceeding class size – Sharp

                1159 – Certain licenses to carry firearms on school property – Scott

    1223 – OK Privacy Accommodation Bathroom – Brecheen

Non-education bills of concern

                957 – Guns in churches “expectation of safety” – Bergstrom

                1215 – 2^nd Amendment Preservation Act -- Dahm

                                10thAmendment Center

                1250 – Freedom of Conscience – Brecheen

                                Family Policy Alliance

                1345 – Oklahoma State Terrorist Registry Act – Brecheen

Bills I need more information about

                958 – Students can participate in certain extracurricular activities – Rader

                1056 – Removes tax-sheltered annuities – Pugh

                1190 – RSA criteria, terms – Stanislawski

                1197 – Modifies state performance levels – Stanislawski (OSDE ask?)

                1200 – Higher Education Freedom of Speech – Stanislawski

Hopeful Bills to watch

                879 – Charters—OSDE cannot sponsor school if local board rejects -- Sharp

                936 – Teacher pay – credit for Peace Corps, overseas teaching – Bice

                980 – Criteria for teacher licenses with levels of expertise – Griffin

                985 – Studying virtual charters’ graduation rates – Sharp

                1104 – Meal Application – protects kids with debt in cafeteria – Griffin

                1387 – One-time stipend for retirees – Pederson

                1408 – Restores NBCT stipends – Dossett

                1409 – School counselors must document direct services to students – Dossett

                1413 – Organizes classes, tests…encourages ‘complete works in ELA, requires US Govt – Dossett

                1436 – Virtual Charters – removes certain appeals

Oklahoma Watch has a good list of bills to watch also. If you're not already subscribing to their emails, you should be!!