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OKLAHOMA CITY – Reps. Marilyn Stark, R-Bethany, and Suzanne Schreiber, D-Tulsa, hosted an interim study examining how sales tax exemptions impact nonprofit organizations across Oklahoma. The study brought together leaders from a range of nonprofits to share how tax exemptions help them serve their communities and strengthen local economies.  “This discussion shed light on the important role nonprofits play in supporting Oklahomans and how sales tax exemptions allow them to stretch their resources further,” Stark said. “I want to thank all the individuals who came to share what they are doing for Oklahoma families and children. Their insight will help guide future policy decisions to ensure these organizations can continue meeting community needs.” Presenters included representatives from the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits, RG Foods, Jubilee Partners, Skyline Urban Outreach, The Pencil Box, Tulsa Police Foundation, Blue Rose Ranch and the Legacy Parenting Center. They discussed how tax exemptions help nonprofits expand services, increase outreach and reinvest in their missions.  Representative Schreiber said “these nonprofits deliver for our communities in so many ways. I’m glad we can look at how make their dollars go further to support the needs of Oklahomans.” Stark and Schreiber said they plan to continue reviewing ways to ensure tax policies support nonprofit work while maintaining accountability and fiscal responsibility.

Reps. Mark Tedford, R-Jenks, and Erick Harris, R-Edmond, hosted an interim study examining potential updates to Oklahoma’s child custody laws to better reflect modern family dynamics and support children’s relationships with both parents.  The study included testimony from family law experts and advocates who discussed the state’s current custody framework, which was designed in an era when fathers typically worked outside the home and mothers stayed home to raise children. Although state law requires courts to act in the “best interest of the child,” it does not presume that equal parenting time serves that interest.  “Oklahoma’s custody laws were written for a time that no longer reflects how families live and work,” Tedford said. “Most parents today share both financial and caregiving responsibilities, yet our laws still tend to favor one parent over the other. Establishing a presumption of joint equal custody would reduce disputes, keep both parents involved, and ensure children maintain meaningful relationships with each parent. States like Kentucky have already seen positive results from this approach. It’s time for Oklahoma to put children and cooperation first.” Harris said, “Joint equal custody doesn’t mean parents can’t make adjustments when necessary. Instead, it means we begin from fairness by ensuring both parents are on equal footing, not from the assumption that one parent is a caregiver and the other is a checkbook. It’s time for Oklahoma to catch up with the modern family and put kids at the center of our custody laws.” Tedford and Harris plan to continue working with lawmakers, family law experts and advocates ahead of the upcoming session to modernize Oklahoma’s custody laws and ensure they reflect the best interests of children and families across the state.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Emily Gise, R-Oklahoma City, has been named one of the 2025 recipients of the Council of State Governments’ 20 Under 40 Leadership Award. The honor recognizes 20 emerging elected and appointed state officials across all four CSG regions for their bipartisan leadership and commitment to public service. “I am deeply honored to be recognized by the Council of State Governments as part of this year’s 20 Under 40 class,” Gise said. “It’s inspiring to join such a distinguished group of leaders who are passionate about serving their states and finding common ground to make a difference. I’m grateful for the opportunity to represent Oklahoma among this outstanding group of public servants.” The CSG 20 Under 40 Leadership Award was created to strengthen engagement with younger state leaders. Each year, the program highlights public servants under the age of 40 who are making meaningful contributions to their communities while exemplifying the core CSG values of civility, collaboration and innovation. “This year’s CSG 20 Under 40 honorees are each exceptional leaders in their states. Collectively, they represent the best of America,” said David Adkins, CSG executive director and CEO. “These young leaders pursue public service with passion, and they understand the value of working collaboratively to get things done. While they have already accomplished a lot, I’m confident these state officials will make a difference for decades to come.” A recognition ceremony for the 2025 recipients will take place at the CSG National Conference, Dec. 9–13, in Chicago. Leaders from all 56 states and U.S. territories will gather to exchange ideas, address complex state policy issues and celebrate the work of outstanding public servants.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Danny Williams, R-Seminole, led an interim study to examine barriers to foster care participation and explore ways to expand safe, stable housing for Oklahoma children in foster care. The meeting focused on incentives, training and oversight reforms aimed at increasing the number of homes prepared to care for foster children. Oklahoma continues to lag behind peer states in placement stability, prompting lawmakers to explore actionable recommendations to strengthen the system. "We want to do the best we can for the kids we serve. What breaks my heart is they don't have a voice, and if we don’t speak for them, they don't get spoken for," Williams said. "The goal of this study is to find out what we can do to make things better for kids. A lot of improvements will have to be done at the local level, that is where the real benefits are going to come." Kylie Adams, a recruiter for foster homes with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, highlighted challenges facing foster parents, including outdated pay rates and limited support for emergency placements. She stated that foster parents currently receive between $16 to $21 per day, with no increase in at least five years. Adams suggested raising emergency pay by $50 per child per day and creating specialized childcare facilities to support children while parents work. She also called for investment in front-line staff to improve retention and better compete with other states. Former foster child Kris Gilmore shared personal experiences highlighting gaps in the system, saying the biggest disconnect is that foster children’s concerns are often not heard or acted upon, and in some cases, they must repeat their concerns multiple times over the years. "A lot of folks downplay it as ‘you're just children, you don’t know what's best for you,’ and that is correct in most cases, but we do know when we are in danger and when there is a situation we don’t want to return to," Gilmore said. "This has had an extreme effect on my siblings’ ability to do well in life." Lindsay Crim with the Department of Human Services spoke toward the end of the meeting, thanking foster parents for their dedication and noting that DHS has several initiatives in the works, including a well-being system and increased community involvement, such as partnerships with churches. "Child welfare is not just DHS," Crim said. "It’s community involvement, juvenile justice, behavioral health, mental health, and simply providing natural care for our children." Williams expressed gratitude to everyone who attended the meeting and shared their experiences. "We are listening to foster parents and former children in care so we can understand the real-world challenges and deliver solutions that truly make a difference," Williams said. "Every child deserves a safe home and a chance to thrive." The study, Interim Study 25-109, was heard by the Children, Youth and Family Services Committee at the Oklahoma State Capitol.

After Nov. 1, the Oklahoma Transportation Commission will be required to notify previous property owners if the land they sold to the Commission is going to be offered for sale. The property owners would then have the right to repurchase at their original selling price. The change comes thanks to House Bill 1103 , passed this year by Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola. The measure was requested by Myron Grabowski who lives in Gann's House district. "Mr. Grabowski witnessed the taking of another person's land by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and then found out it was later sold without any notification to the property owner," Gann said. "This new law at least will give people in similar circumstances the ability to repurchase land that was taken from them by eminent domain." For his part, Grabowski said, “I just want what's right for the people of Oklahoma.” Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore is the Senate author of the bill. “If land acquired by the Department of Transportation is later sold, the original owner deserves the first opportunity to buy it back at a fair price,” Seifried said. “This change in law is simply the right thing to do for Oklahoma property owners. I’m proud to see this bill become law after two years of work and grateful to have partnered with Representatives Gann and Lepak on this issue. Although a previous version of the bill passed the Senate, it didn’t receive a hearing in the House, so I’m glad to see this finally come to fruition.”  Gann explained this measure extends the window of time that previous landowners have to reclaim their land – from 30 to 90 days - and specifies notification requirements by the Commission. The measure also removes the five-year time period the Commission now has to notify previous owners of the sale of the property. Rep. Mark Lepak, R-Claremore, is a coauthor of the bill and the author of previous identical legislation.  "By removing the five-year requirement, we're disincentivizing the Commission from holding onto property so they can sell it at an increased price," Lepak said. "This will hopefully encourage the Commission to more quickly offer property back to the original owner, giving them the opportunity to reclaim their land."  Gann said the changes "add transparency to the process by requiring online publication of the land sale. This also clarifies eligibility and ensures fair offers to the original landowner rather than allowing the Department of Transportation to profit off of land they've taken." The notice is to contain an offer to sell the property back to the previous owner at no greater than the original price, provided the previous owner did not use federal funds to purchase the property. Notices must be sent by registered mail and posted on the Department of Transportation's website. The act becomes effective Nov. 1. 

OKLAHOMA CITY – Beginning Nov. 1, Oklahoma drivers will be prohibited from using handheld cell phones and other electronic communication devices in active school and work zones under House Bill 2263 , authored by Rep. Nicole Miller, R-Edmond. The law strengthens Oklahoma’s existing distracted driving rules by limiting handheld phone usage in areas where extra attention behind the wheel is critical. Drivers may still use hands-free features to stay connected safely. “This law is a practical step toward safer roads,” Miller said. “It allows drivers to continue using hands-free technology while ensuring their focus stays on driving, especially in critical areas where workers and students are most at risk.”  Miller said the change is a simple but has significant impact to safeguarding Oklahoma communities.  “Distracted driving is a lead contributor to collisions and preventable harm on our roads,” she said. “This law reinforces every driver’s responsibility to remain attentive and protect those around them.”  Violations carry the same penalties as the state’s texting-while-driving ban. The law also protects driver privacy by prohibiting law enforcement from accessing or downloading data from a phone without a warrant or probable cause.  Enforcement of the law begins Nov. 1, marking a step forward in keeping school children, road crews and motorists safer on Oklahoma roads.

OKLAHOMA CITY – A new law requiring cultivated- or manufactured-protein food products – including those derived from plant or insect proteins – to be clearly labeled as distinct from meat takes effect Nov. 1. Rep. Jim Grego, R-Wilburton, authored House Bill 1126 . The measure requires food manufacturers to clearly disclose that cell-cultivated or cultured products or those that come from a lab, plants or insect proteins are not meat. Those convicted of false advertising could face a misdemeanor.  "This law is an effort to help the buying public distinguish between what is real meat from an animal and what has been grown or manufactured in a lab or from a nonanimal source," Grego said. "This also will protect our state farmers and ranchers against the flood of products claiming to be meat." Grego said consumers will still have the freedom to purchase lab-grown or nonanimal products if they wish, but this new law adds clarity for how they were produced to be clearly stated on the product's label. "This is truth in labeling," Grego said. Under the provisions of the act, "Agricultural food animal" means any domesticated animal belonging to the bovine, caprine, ovine or porcine species, or any domesticated chicken or turkey. "Cultivated-protein food product" means a food product having one or more sensory attributes that resemble a type of tissue originating from an agricultural food animal but that, in lieu of being derived from meat processing, is derived from manufacturing cells or nonanimal sources, including processes in which one or more stem cells are initially isolated from an agricultural food animal, are grown in vitro, and may be manipulated, as part of a manufacturing operation. "Manufactured-protein food product" means a cultivated protein food product, insect-protein food product or plant-protein food product containing more than a trace amount of plant-protein food products. The Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry will be responsible for investigating all credible complaints that food products are falsely advertised or misbranded as meat products. Sen. Roland Pederson, R-Burlington, is the Senate author of the bill. -END-   Jim Grego serves District 17 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes Latimer County and part and Pittsburg County. 

OKLAHOMA CITY - Rep. Mark Tedford, R-Jenks, hosted an interim study examining how living wage laws affect employers and job opportunities. Presenters from business and policy organizations highlighted the need for market-driven solutions that raise wages and expand opportunity without government-imposed mandates. “Living wage laws, while well-intentioned, often create unintended consequences that hurt both employers and workers,” Tedford said. “They can reduce entry-level jobs, limit hiring or push small businesses to close locations, all of which affects the very people these laws aim to help.” Experts noted that states with higher mandated minimum wages often experience slower job growth and higher unemployment. For example, Missouri saw unemployment rise from 2.8 percent to 4.3 percent after its minimum wage increase took effect, and California, home to the nation’s highest minimum wage, also leads in unemployment rates. James Leewright, CEO of the Oklahoma Restaurant Association, added that less than 2 percent of workers nationally earn the federal minimum wage and many of those are in entry-level positions that give young people their first work experience. Tedford said employment provides more than income. It builds skills, experience and confidence. He cautioned that rigid wage mandates risk eliminating first-step opportunities for young workers, rural residents and individuals reentering the workforce. Data from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce shows that while Oklahoma follows the federal minimum wage, most skilled workers earn well above a living wage. “That tells us market forces are working,” Tedford said. “When people build skills, their earning potential rises naturally.” Throughout the discussion, participants explored targeted alternatives such as workforce development, income tax credits and skills training programs, approaches that strengthen both the labor force and the economy. “These strategies empower Oklahomans to earn more through skill and effort,” Tedford said. “That’s the right way to build opportunity, not through government mandates that limit it.”

OKLAHOMA CITY – Reps. Daniel Pae, R-Lawton; Emily Gise, R-Oklahoma City; Danny Sterling, R-Tecumseh; and Dell Kerbs, R-Shawnee, released the following joint statement after the resignation of Office of Juvenile Affairs Director Tim Tardibono amid recent concerns at the Central Oklahoma Juvenile Center: “We acknowledge Tim Tardibono’s decision to step down as director of the Office of Juvenile Affairs. This change gives the agency a chance to restore stability and refocus on its core mission of helping Oklahoma’s youth succeed. “New leadership is a positive step but we know that leadership changes alone don’t fix long-term problems. The challenges at COJC, including staff injuries, low morale and daily operational strain, need real, lasting attention. “We’re calling on the interim director and the OJA Board to move quickly and transparently to strengthen the agency. That means ensuring safe staffing levels, rebuilding morale, supporting trauma-informed care and keeping the focus on rehabilitation and youth development. “We welcome Sharon ‘Shel’ Millington as interim director and look forward to working with OJA leadership, state officials and community partners to bring forward meaningful reforms next session. “The work ahead is significant but we share the same goal: to protect staff, support youth and restore public confidence in Oklahoma’s juvenile justice system.”