We hit the ground running this past week for the start of the First Session of the 58th Legislature, beginning with Gov. Kevin Stitt’s third State of the State address. His annual remarks are a way to share his legislative priorities for the upcoming session, as well as his proposed budget for the state agencies that receive legislative appropriations.

He covered a lot of different topics in his address, but he really emphasized the importance of an inschool learning option for our students, and I whole heartedly agree. I support the governor’s efforts to get our kids back to the classroom. While some students thrive with online learning, I’ve heard from numerous parents who are frustrated because their children are falling behind.

The vaccination rollout will be crucial in getting our kids back to the classroom, and the governor shared that teachers will be able to receive the COVID-19 vaccination beginning this month. While supply has been limited, it seems that Oklahoma’s rollout has been quite successful nationally. According to the Centers for Disease Control, Oklahoma now ranks sixth in the country for the number of people with one shot per 100,000. As of Feb. 5, the Department of Health had administered nearly 500,000 doses of the vaccine.

We’ve already begun committee work, and by the end of the week, we heard a little more than 100 bills in the various Senate committees. There were 1,035 Senate Bills and 26 Senate Joint Resolutions filed for this session, so we have quite a few bills to get through prior to our Senate Committee deadline of Feb. 25.

We also unanimously passed our first bill off the Senate floor. Authored by Pro Tem Treat, SB 1031 would renew exemptions to the Open Meeting Act put into place last year that allowed public bodies to hold their meetings remotely. It did include a few minor changes to include additional language promoting access and participation. These exemptions are useful for all levels of government to conduct their public meetings in a safe, efficient and transparent manner during the pandemic. This measure now must be approved by the House before heading to the governor’s desk for signature.

I’ve filed 10 bills for consideration this session, many focusing on election access and safety. I’ll keep you updated on these and others as they move through the legislative process.

It’s also been great to work with our new members of the Senate thus far. They each bring a different perspective and background based on their life experiences and careers, and I always enjoy learning from them. I’m excited to work with them, as well as all of my colleagues, to move our state forward in the coming years.

Thank you for allowing me to be your voice at our state Capitol. If there’s anything I can do to help you, please reach out. You can contact me by email at Darcy.Jech@oksenate.gov or by phone at 405-521-5545.