Another busy week at the Capitol has come and gone. All in all, we approved another 150 measures out of our committees ahead of the March 3 deadline to approve bills that originated in our chamber. We’ve also passed about 30 measures off the Senate floor, sending them onto the House for further consideration.

Among the bills that were approved out of committee was Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat’s legislation to eliminate the state portion of the grocery sales tax. Oklahoma is only one of 13 states that applies a grocery tax, which hits working families the hardest since they are typically those who cook and eat at home the most. I know when my wife, Terry, and I go to the store, we’ve noticed the steady increase in prices for almost all items on the shelves – if you can even find what you’re looking for. Inflation is at a 40-year high, and eliminating this tax would give all Oklahomans substantial tax relief in the face of these rising costs.

I do want to reiterate that this measure only eliminates the state portion of the grocery tax. Our cities and towns rely on the grocery taxes they levy to fund fire departments, police stations and other city services. These transactions would continue as normal under this new tax structure. If the state grocery tax is eliminated, we will be one of the first to do so in our region since Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas also collect a state grocery tax.

I know election security is a top priority for many of you, and I’m pleased to share two measures that would add additional layers of voting security and integrity were approved out of the Rules Committee. The first would let the people decide if the requirement to provide proof of identity while voting should be included in the state Constitution. This is currently a law on the books, but it’s not in our constitution, meaning it could be easily repealed by future lawmakers. Adding this requirement to the constitution would make it near impossible to repeal in the future, safeguarding this critical security measure for generations to come.

The second bill would require a county election board to notify the local district attorney and attorney general if more than 10 absentee ballots are requested at a single address. As this type of voting becomes more prevalent, we want to make sure there are checks and balances in place, and this would be an additional measure to review unusually high absentee ballot requests. I look forward to supporting both of these measures on the floor.

Finally, it was an honor to welcome college students from across the state last week for Higher Ed Day at the Capitol. We had young adults from Northern Oklahoma College (NOC), Northwestern Oklahoma State University (NWOSU) and Redlands Community College stop by for a visit. Pro-life supporters also joined us at the Capitol in honor of Rose Day, which is the state’s biggest pro-life rally. I appreciated all of the roses that were dropped by my office, and as always, I look forward to voting to protect the sanctity of life.

Thank you for allowing me to be your voice at our state Capitol. Please feel free to reach out if there is anything I can help you with. You can contact me at 405-521-5630 or via email at [email protected].