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The legislative special session wraps up in Oklahoma City. State Rep Judd Strom says session was good overall. Strom said some lawmakers got emotional after the ARPA funds we allotted to help their communities that need help for water, sewers, hospitals, aeronautics upgrages and monies for industrial parks and more.

 

Strom said Bartlesville and other smaller cities got a much needed boost. Bartlesville received $1,450,000 in all for the Sunset Industrial Park.

 

Chris Batchelder, Vice President of the BDA, said the funding will not only help improve the city of Bartlesville but also could help local students with aerospace training and finding jobs after graduation.

 

The next step is for the BDA to work with the City of Bartlesville on a strategic plan for implementing the infrastructure plans 

 

Meanwhile, said the arguments over ARPA funds or "monoply money" as she calls it has been harmful to the relationships at the state capitol. She said that now the communities have to follow the rules very carefully and monitoring may be needed to make sure these funds don't pulled or taken away. 

 

State Senator Julie Daniels has been working on youth gender reassignment surgeries legislation. Senator Daniels said members of the Oklahoma Senate have approved legislation that restricts a taxpayer-funded hospital from providing puberty blockers to children or playing a role in child surgeries that cosmetically change the patient’s body to look like that of the opposite sex. 

 

She said that more work will be done on this issue during the regular session.