On the heels of the pandemic and amid concerns about the millions of dollars in education funding that would have to be replaced, Senate Republicans have halted plans to cut taxes.
Lawmakers pushed through two bills as part of Republican backlash to voter mandates on Medicaid expansion, medical marijuana and criminal justice reform.
Oklahoma has $289 million in rental assistance and grants as a federal moratorium on evictions draws to an end.
Lawmakers say they won’t allow tax restructuring to impact education funding, but the bills are continuing through the legislative process without details on how money now dedicated for schools will be replaced.
Lawmakers say they are trying to address instances of violence or extreme disruption, but activists believe lawmakers instead chose to criminalize those who already feel targeted by police.
After five years of sweeping policy changes led primarily by voters in the state’s metropolitan areas, the Republican-controlled Legislature is poised to make substantial revisions to the initiative petition process during the 2021 legislative session.
