House Media

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Marilyn Stark, R-Bethany, along with Rep. Brian Hill, R-Mustang, recognized Sam Madewell, an aviation maintenance instructor at Putnam City Schools, on the House floor for being named Teacher of the Year by the Oklahoma Air and Space Forces Association Gerrity Chapter. Madewell was selected for his commitment to student achievement and excellence in preparing young Oklahomans for careers in aviation and aerospace. He will now advance to the national Teacher of the Year competition. "Sam represents the very best of Oklahoma educators," Stark said. "He is preparing students for real careers in a field that is important to our state’s economy. When young people earn industry recognized credentials before they graduate, that speaks volumes about the strength of this program and the leadership behind it. Oklahoma has a proud aviation history. Programs like this are helping build the next generation of skilled professionals who will carry that legacy forward." The ATEC General Aviation Maintenance Credential is an industry recognized certification formally accepted in Oklahoma as a state approved credential. Students prepared using the Prepware School program alongside the Choose Aerospace curriculum, which mirrors the testing format used for FAA written exams and helps ensure students are ready for professional certification environments.

OKLAHOMA CITY - Rep. Jim Shaw, R-Chandler, secured committee passage of a bill that would add criminal penalties to Oklahoma’s existing prohibitions on hostile foreign ownership of land.  While state law already restricts certain foreign ownership of property, Shaw said current statutes lack meaningful criminal enforcement mechanisms. House Bill 1453  would close that gap by making violations a felony offense.  HB1453 would prohibit foreign governments, entities and businesses linked to countries subject to U.S. arms regulations, as well as entities of particular concern designated by the U.S. Department of State, from acquiring real property or agricultural land in Oklahoma. "This bill puts real consequences behind the law," Shaw said. "We already say hostile foreign actors should not own land in Oklahoma. This bill would make sure that if they do, it is not just a paperwork issue. It is a crime. If you are tied to a foreign adversary, you should not be buying up property in this state."  Under this bill, a prohibited foreign party found in violation would have one year to divest the property. If the property is not divested, the district attorney with jurisdiction or the Attorney General would be required to initiate legal action, which could result in judicial foreclosure.  If passed by the Legislature and signed into law, violations of HB1453 would be punishable by up to two years in prison, a fine of up to $30,000 or both. The bill would also require an affidavit affirming compliance with the law to be filed with any deed recorded by a county clerk.  HB1453  passed the House Civil Judiciary Committee on a 6-2 vote and now advances to the Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight Committee for further consideration.

OKLAHOMA CITY - Rep. Mike Dobrinski, R-Okeene, today urged action by the governor in concert with the Legislature to expand funding for eradicating invasive species as the state faces early wildfires. Dobrinski is the author of legislation that created the Terry Peach North Canadian Watershed Restoration Act and the House author of legislation that requires the Oklahoma Conservation Commission to implement a statewide plan targeting harmful woody species on state lands. Both are efforts to reduce materials that consume massive amounts of water and lead to fire threats. This year, Dobrinski is running House Bill 2988 , which currently recommends a tax credit for those who remove harmful woody species through qualified practices as defined by the Conservation Commission. The bill passed in the Appropriations and Budget Natural Resources Subcommittee. Dobrinski said the legislation will be amended before it reaches the House full A&B Committee to instead expand the Terry Peach Act.  "February is not traditionally a month we consider a wildfire risk," Dobrinski said. "After record snowfall last month, warm temperatures and winds have created threatening conditions earlier than usual. Woodward was spared this week, by the grace of God and the work of hundreds of firefighters and first responders. Many in the Panhandle and Northwest Oklahoma, however, have suffered great loss." Dobrinski said lawmakers have talked for years about eastern red cedars and their challenge to the western Oklahoma water supply, along with the fire threat they present for much of the state. "This issue predates my service at the Capitol by at least two decades," he said. "The Terry Peach North Canadian Watershed Restoration Act was a trial study that proved that addressing this issue would improve waterflow, restore native grasslands, return ecological balance and promote wildlife habitat."   Dobrinski said Woodward was threatened because of the proliferation of eastern red cedars southwest of the city, very much like the communities of Stillwater and Mannford, which suffered wildfires last spring. "Our own governor lost a rural residence northeast of the Oklahoma City metro area in those fires, in an area that is very thick with eastern red cedars on neighboring properties," Dobrinski said.  "As the governor approaches the end of his administration, we can celebrate many victories and improvements to our wonderful state," Dobrinski said. "I encourage him to include in his legacy being the governor that decided it was time to turn the tide on our ever increasing eastern red cedar problem. I ask him to please work with our Legislature and emphasize the need to properly fund a sustained effort to improve our state's land and water resources and ensure a safer future for generations to come."