Constituents of Norman’s three state House representatives should be on the look out for three bills in particular over the course of the 2021 legislative session.
58th Legislative Session Begins With State Of The State, Anti-Abortion Bills & Watchdog Report
The first full work week of the 58th Legislature began with Gov. Kevin Stitt delivering his third State of the State address in the House Chamber.
The week ended with accusations from a watchdog organization, saying Stitt s team misspent federal COVID-19 relief funds.
In his 38-minute speech, Stitt laid out what he calls the people s agenda” and said reopening businesses earlier than in other parts of the country helped save the state’s economy.
“As COVID-19 rages in Oklahoma, January was our worst month yet,” House Minority Leader Emily Virgin, D-Norman, said. “No state wishes that they would have responded to this pandemic the way that Oklahoma has.”
The service took place on the Oklahoma Capitol steps and was broadcast on Facebook Live.Â
After Rep. Andy Fugate (D-Oklahoma City) and the OU Trombone Choir performed the song âPeace Like a River,â Rep. Merleyn Bell (D-Norman) provided opening remarks, giving her condolences to the families who have lost loved ones to COVID-19.Â
âSo tonight, we come together to pray for those who have died and the families and loved ones they have left behind,â Bell said âWe do so, not as casual observers, but as fellow citizens who share in their grief and sorrow. We pray for those who have suffered loss without the comfort or consolation of a familiar ritual, grounded in religious or cultural tradition. We offer this memorial as an opportunity for shared healing, even as the pandemic rages on.â
Oklahoma’s 58th Legislative Session Gaveled In
The Oklahoma State House and Senate fulfilled their constitutional duty, meeting separately then again in a joint session to kick off the 58th Legislature Monday.
The organizational day began with another term as speaker for Atoka Republican Charles McCall. It s his third as the leader of the House.
“Pandemics, budget, tricky politics, they really can’t stop us from being positive,” McCall told the chamber. “Only we can control that.”
Across the rotunda in the Senate, Oklahoma City Senator Greg Treat was also re-elected as president pro tem.
“I challenge you to be curious and not judgmental,” Treat told his chamber. “Amongst ourselves we can learn about each other and from each other. We can love each other, yes, even when we add mentor disagree.”