Committees

Rep. Mike Osburn, R-Edmond, today condemned the governor's veto of House Bill 3320, a move Osburn said ignores the need for smarter, more effective government. HB3320  would establish a sunset review process for all statutorily created entities, requiring them to demonstrate a clear public need to continue operating. After legislative review, entities must implement any required changes within one year or be dissolved. "The governor's veto of House Bill 3320 is a deeply misguided move that prioritizes outdated bureaucracy over meaningful, effective governance. "Under the current sunset process, the Legislature spends numerous hours every year considering dozens of sunset renewals bills without any actual teeth beyond allowing them to entirely expire. HB3320 was designed to bring Oklahoma’s oversight process into the modern era. Instead, the governor chose to protect a broken, bureaucratic ritual that produces more paperwork than progress. "Let me be clear: every agency, board and commission remains subject to open meetings, public records laws, audits and legislative scrutiny at any time. This bill would have allowed the Legislature to focus on underperforming agencies, requiring specific changes and better accountability rather than wasting time on agencies that are already operating efficiently. The governor’s veto rejects a streamlined approach in favor of maintaining an arbitrary system and continues uncertainty surrounding the very boards and commissions that regulate critical services across our state. "The Legislature, and the people of Oklahoma, must continue pushing for reforms that make government more accountable and focused on results. The governor could share in this effort but instead chose the status quo." Osburn quoted former President Ronald Reagan: "The people are the government. What we create we ought to be able to control." He also pointed to the governor's veto last year of a bill extending the operations of the Oklahoma State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering, a move that risked the livelihoods of more than 77,000 Oklahomans and could have risked the health of thousands of citizens.  Legislative action  was taken to allow the Board to continue operating. 

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Rob Hall, R-Tulsa, and Sen. Kelly Hines, R-Oklahoma City, today commented on the signing of House Bill 3720 , a measure updating Oklahoma’s Homemade Food Freedom Act and expanding opportunities for small, local food producers. House Bill 3720 renames the law as the Local Food Freedom Act and updates several provisions to reflect the growth of Oklahoma’s local food industry. The measure increases the allowable annual sales cap for local food businesses from $75,000 to $250,000 and clarifies how products can be sold and delivered to consumers. "This will make it easier for small producers to grow without getting buried in red tape," Hall said. "Oklahomans have turned these local businesses into real opportunities for their families, and this law reflects that. It keeps commonsense protections in place while giving people more room to succeed." The bill also updates definitions in statute, expands where local food products can be produced, and maintains food safety requirements for products that require time or temperature control. Sen. Kelly Hines, R-Oklahoma City, is the Senate author of the measure. "This legislation gives homegrown businesses more runway to get off the ground. Right now, some of the limits in state law unintentionally hold these home-based entrepreneurs back by disincentivizing them from growing their small businesses. Under the Local Food Freedom Act, these businesses will have every opportunity to grow and flourish" The Local Food Freedom Act preserves existing labeling requirements, including clear disclosure that products are made in a facility not subject to state inspection, while continuing to exclude the sale of certain higher-risk items such as meat and poultry products. The measure takes effect Nov. 1, 2026.

OKLAHOMA CITY – A measure that would give Oklahoma families an additional end-of-life option while ensuring the process is governed by strong commonsense safeguards is now headed to the governor's desk for final approval. House Bill 3660 , authored by Rep. Eddy Dempsey, R-Valliant, would allow those who want additional options for their loved ones to do so with confidence that those options are safe and responsibly managed. "This bill is about compassion, dignity and respecting the wishes of Oklahoma families during some of the hardest moments of their lives," Dempsey said in a statement. "Families deserve the freedom to choose how they honor and lay their loved ones to rest without unnecessary government interference. At the same time, this legislation puts clear standards in place so these services are handled safely, professionally and with the respect every family deserves." Several House members debated in favor of the bill and addressed what Rep. Jonathan Wilk, R-Goldsby, described as misinformation. "Last time it was presented to this body, we heard a lot of lies, to be honest with you," Wilk said. "Lies that it had to do with humanure. That's absolutely not true. It's nowhere in that bill. Lies that it had to do with using human remains as fertilizer. That's a point-blank lie. None of that is true. There's two things that the government should stay out of: it's coming into this world and leaving this world." In his closing debate, Dempsey reiterated that the bill provides freedom to Oklahomans looking for additional end-of-life options. "All this started with is a bald-faced lie," Dempsey argued. "This is just another option for us for our families if you want it. Nobody is forcing you to do this. I've heard that funeral homes don't want to buy the equipment. Nobody's forcing the funeral homes buy the equipment. But this is the option for us, for our citizens, for equal rights. Give it back to us." HB3660 passed 58-35 and now heads to the governor's desk for final approval.