The 2022 session for the Oklahoma Legislature is upon us, and the Legislative Monitoring Committee is working hard to provide information to committee and OBA members. We hope you were able to join us for the OBA’s Legislative Kickoff on Friday, Jan. 28. Unfortunately, the omicron surge required that we hold the event virtually again, but we are hopeful this was our last virtual-only Legislative Kickoff. If you missed it, you can still register to watch it online.   

We are so appreciative of all our presenters who volunteered for the Legislative Kickoff. They devoted their time and resources to put on a great program covering “90 Bills in 90 Minutes.” We also want to thank our wonderful lawyer legislators who participated in our legislative panel.  

ISSUES FOR THE 2022 SESSION 

Despite the pandemic, there are a lot of reasons to be positive about the upcoming session for legislators. Estimates are that there will be about $10.3 billion to spend in fiscal year 2023. Approximately $1.2 billion is a one-time carryover from prior years. With that said, it has been pointed out by Senate Appropriations Chairman Roger Thompson that inflation may blunt the impact of increased revenue.  

Criminal justice reform will be another item of interest at the Capitol. For example, there is a proposal to revise Oklahoma’s sentencing code. The Attorney General’s Criminal Justice Reclassification Coordination Council is recommending a plan that uses a matrix for sentencing. Proponents say it would make the process easier for defendants, jurors and others to understand the sentencing laws. Opponents warn it could increase prison lengths, particularly for lower-level drug and property crimes. There might also be a pay increase for state correctional officers. 

Education is always an important issue as well. In a report from December 2021, the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency issued a report concluding that when adjusting for cost of living and other issues, Oklahoma teacher pay is the highest in the region. That finding has received a lot of pushback; however, the report had other important findings as well, such as “Oklahoma’s Compensation Structure Provides Limited Incentives and Options for Professional Growth and Income Potential.” We may not see legislation coming immediately from this report, but a debate has been started.  

OBA DAY AT THE CAPITOL 

The good news is there will be an OBA Day at the Capitol, so mark your calendars for Tuesday, March 22. Registration will begin at 9:30, and we have many wonderful speakers providing updates on the current legislative session. Stay tuned for further details.  

LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR 

Here are some of the important legislative dates for you to be aware of: 

• Dec. 10: Bill request deadline 

• Jan. 6: Deadline for specific information or language 

• Jan. 20: Bill introduction deadline 

• Feb. 7: Session begins 

• Feb. 21: House deadline measures out of subcommittee 

• March 3: Committee deadline 

• March 24: House deadline for third reading of bills and joint resolutions in chamber of origin 

• April 4: House deadline for SBs/SJRs out of subcommittee 

• April 14: Committee deadline for bills from opposite chamber 

• April 22: Deadline for SBs/SJRs out of full A&B committee 

• April 28: Third reading in opposite house deadline 

• May 27: Sine Die adjournment 

JOIN THE COMMITTEE 

As always, I encourage you to become a member of the Legislative Monitoring Committee. The Committee is the OBA’s largest and one of its most active, with attorneys participating from around the state. If you are already a member, continue to sign on and use the MyOKBar Communities page on the OBA website to communicate with the committee. If you have a bill that needs to be posted for others to see, please do so. If you have any suggestions or questions, please feel free to contact me through the committee’s Communities page.