advertisements
News
Oklahoma
Posted: Mar 11, 2022 9:16 AMUpdated: Mar 11, 2022 9:16 AM
Capitol Call 3-11-22
Tom Davis
Senator Julie Daniels and Representatives Judd Strom and Wendi Stearman comprised our panel for Capitol Call powered by Phillips 66 on Friday.
Rep. Judd Strom House authored Bill 3166, which will facilitate increased economic relationships with Southeast Asia. Strom said, "This office will lay the first brick in the path for businesses wishing to move here, promote Oklahoma businesses abroad, coordinate business outreach and produce promotional and educational materials that promote trade between the State of Oklahoma and Southeast Asia. The top trade categories for Southeast Asia are machinery, fuel, tech, aircraft and aeronautics parts and services and agricultural products. In 2020, the U.S. goods and services trade with Taiwan alone was worth an estimated $106 billion. They are currently our ninth largest trading partner, and we want more of those dollars to flow through our state."
HB 3166 passed by a vote of 82-11 and is now eligible to be heard in the Senate.
Senator Julie Daniels authored Senate Bill 1503 which creates the Oklahoma Heartbeat Act. Under SB 1503, a private civil action may be brought against anyone performing an abortion after a fetal heartbeat has been detected, except in a medical emergency.
Sen. Daniels says the bill mirrors the Texas heartbeat law, which the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed to go into effect. Daniels says that law has significantly reduced abortions in the state of Texas and has saved the lives of many unborn children. She says we can achieve the same result in Oklahoma with SB 1503.
The act would be exclusively enforced through private civil actions, authorizing anyone to bring a civil lawsuit against a person who performs or induces an abortion, as well as any individual who aids or abets. Claimants would have up to six years to file a civil suit. If the claimant prevails, he or she or would be entitled to a minimum of $10,000 in civil damages for each abortion the defendant performed, induced, or abetted. The woman receiving the abortion would not be subject to these civil actions.
SB 1503 now moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration.
Rep. Wendi Stearman brought us up to date on some election bills.
The Oklahoma House of Representatives passed a legislation to empower district attorneys to investigate potential election fraud on Tuesday.
House Bill (HB) 2974, authored by Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Roland, requires the State Election Board to perform an annual query to determine how many people are registered at the same home address. If more than 10 people in the household are registered voters, the State Election Board must provide a list to the secretary of the county election board, who will then notify the county's district attorney to investigate any potential criminal violations.
The query would have to be performed by June 1 each year, and would exempt voters registered at nursing homes, veterans centers, medical facilities and multiunit housing, as well as uniformed or overseas voters.
Another piece of legislation is aimed at consolidating some elections for efficiency purposes.
« Back to News
