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OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Emily Gise, R-Oklahoma City, hosted Interim Study 26-014 , "Modernizing Plan Review, Permitting, and Inspections in Oklahoma's Growing Cities," which examined ways to improve permitting, plan reviews and inspection processes across Oklahoma to encourage business and residential development while maintaining protections for residents. The study brought together developers, architects, municipal leaders, tribal representatives, fire officials and housing advocates to discuss Oklahoma's growing need for housing and challenges within the permitting process that can delay residential development and increase costs. "Oklahoma is growing, and we need processes that support that growth," Gise said. "What encouraged me most about this study was the willingness of everyone at the table to work together. Our municipalities, developers and permitting officials all want safe, successful projects completed in a timely manner." During the study, Home Creations founder Jalal Farzaneh identified lot costs as one of three major factors affecting housing development and emphasized the need for greater oversight of the permitting process. Farzaneh shared an example involving a zoning dispute after the company sought approval to expand a single-family residential development. After a legal battle lasting more than three years, a judge ruled in favor of Home Creations. However, Farzaneh said legal fees, carrying costs and rising lot prices during that time added approximately $15,000 per home, costs ultimately passed along to homebuyers. The example highlighted how permitting delays and legal disputes can increase housing costs for Oklahoma families. Tyler Parette, founding executive director of Housing Forward also highlighted Oklahoma’s projected need for 372,593 housing units by 2034, including more than 105,000 affordable units, according to the Oklahoma Housing Needs Assessment. “For Oklahoma to meet the challenges ahead, the systems that impact housing development need to be firing on all cylinders,” said Tyler Parette, founding executive director of Housing Forward. “Conversations like this one bring key partners together so that we can make the improvements necessary to ensure that every Oklahoman has access to a home that fits their needs, their life, and their future.” Mike Fina with the Oklahoma Municipal League, which represents the state's 588 cities and towns, emphasized the importance of municipal oversight in the permitting process. He noted that permitting is just one step in the broader residential and commercial development process, which can take months or even years to complete. "I think the thing we all agree on here is that Oklahoma needs more development, more houses, more businesses and more economic growth. I think we need to challenge the perception that municipal government is somehow the obstacle in development," he said. "One of the most common complaints we hear from developers is that municipal permitting takes too long, but I think we need to put that into perspective. We have a very important job to do." The study also explored opportunities to improve the permitting process through public-private partnerships, better communication and transparency between developers and municipalities and voluntary modernization efforts that preserve local authority without imposing unfunded mandates. Other presenters in the study included representatives from Krittenbrink Architecture, GH2 Architects LLC, Muscogee (Creek) Nation, City of Oklahoma City and Oklahoma City Fire Department. Gise concluded the study by acknowledging the complexity of the issue and thanking stakeholders for their commitment to continued collaboration as potential solutions are considered ahead of the 2027 legislative session. "Public safety should never be compromised in the name of efficiency," Gise said. "Our goal isn’t to eliminate safeguards or undermine local authority. It’s to identify opportunities to improve communication, reduce unnecessary delays, lower housing costs for Oklahoma families and help our communities accommodate growth." The entire study can be viewed on the House Website under News & Media, live proceedings, then search the calendar for Oct. 28 starting at 2:00 p.m.

House Common Education Committee Chair Rep. Dick Lowe, R-Amber, has been named the 2026 Legislator of the Year by the Organization of Rural Oklahoma Schools (OROS). OROS presented Lowe with the award during its annual conference on Oct. 23, recognizing his continued commitment to advocating for rural Oklahoma schools throughout his time in the Legislature. "I'm honored to receive this recognition from an organization that has spent more than four decades standing up for rural education in Oklahoma," Lowe said. "Rural schools are often the heart of the communities they serve and help sustain the future of our towns. I'm committed to making sure rural students have the same opportunities to succeed as students anywhere in Oklahoma, and I'll continue working to ensure our rural schools have the support they need to do that." OROS is a non-profit dedicated to supporting and promoting the interests of rural school districts in Oklahoma. The organization now includes more than 320 rural school districts as members. Lowe, a former agriculture teacher, has served as chair of the House Common Education Committee since 2024.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Trish Ranson, D-Stillwater, authored a new law that took effect on Nov. 1 which establishes the first Early Childhood Taskforce in Oklahoma.  HB 1979 creates a taskforce that will look into how Oklahoma governs early childhood programs and finds solutions to improving Oklahoma children's care, health, and education rankings. “By consolidating and streamlining government services for early childhood, we aim to make targeted investments to better the outcomes for Oklahoma children,” Ranson said. “Families should be able to easily access the services they need and trust that those services will be optimized and properly funded to provide the best opportunities for our children. I look forward to working with this taskforce to fix the childcare crisis long-term, better prepare our children for school, and promote healthy living for all Oklahoma families.”  Ranson originally filed this bill in 2025, but when it did not receive a hearing, she conducted an interim study that Fall to show how an Early Childhood Taskforce can identify gaps, inefficiencies, and redundancies within services for Oklahoma families. Oklahoma currently has 19 different programs through six different agencies. The task force aims to look at how early childcare, health, and education agencies can work collaboratively so families can navigate these services easier. The 18-member task force includes the heads of the Department of Human Services, the Oklahoma State Department of Health, the Department of Commerce, the State Department of Education, and the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, and the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services or their designees, as well as a broad range of members with expertise and various community stakeholders, such as caregivers, educators, and health experts. Members of the Early Childhood Taskforce are: Jaesha Quarrels, DHS Mendy Spohn, OSDH Paula Brown, HeadStart Rori Hodges, OSDE Heather Cox, OHCA Deborah Givens, No Man’s Land Foods LLC Mandi Coleman, St. Luke’s Children’s Center Karen Tilkin, CAP Tulsa Melanie D. Anderegg, The Parent’s Child Center Tulsa Grace Kelley, Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness Elizabeth Ging, Edmond Public Schools Representative Trish Ranson Senator Christi Gillespie Dr. Stephanie Hinton, Oklahoma Association for the Education of Young Children Jenny Thom Hester, SoonerStart Interagency Coordinating Council Dr. Amanda McCabe, Professor of Early Childhood, OSU Dr. Michael Steiner, Pediatrician, OU College of Medicine Dr. Tessa Chesher, Pediatric Psychiatrist, Oklahoma Complete Health  Currently, 26 other states have implemented similar measures and are seeing positive results.  At the end of a two-year time period, the task force will have model legislation prepared to best carve out programs from existing agencies into an agency entity that solely focuses on early childhood care, health, and education services.  The Early Childhood Taskforce will host its first meeting on December 1, 2026, at the Oklahoma State Capitol. -END-

OKLAHOMA CITY – A new law prohibiting edible medical marijuana products from being made in the shape of humans, cartoons or animals, or in a form of commercially available candy takes effect Nov. 1. Rep. Carl Newton, R-Cherokee, authored House Bill 4454 . The measure also requires edible medical marijuana products to clearly indicate the number of servings of THC in each package and the amount of THC in each individual serving. This includes drinks and beverages. "These changes are intended to better protect children from accidental ingestion of these potent products and to help us better inform consumers about recommended dosage amounts," Newton said. HB4454 specifies that edible marijuana products shall not be attractive to children. They cannot use any image or words designed or likely to appeal to anyone under the age of 18. This includes but is not limited to cartoons, toys, animals, food or depictions of persons younger than 18, including any characters or phrases popularly used to advertise to those under 18. Oklahoma voters approved medical marijuana in the state in 2018 through State Question 788. The question was brought to the ballot by voters themselves through the initiative petition process.  Newton, who is a practicing optometrist, said he's aware that some in the industry have complained about the changes this new law will require to manufacturing and packaging, but his efforts are to keep the public safe. "We've got to protect our kids and make sure they don't get sick or worse thinking they are just eating some colorful candy," Newton said. "We also owe it to consumers to be clear about how much THC is contained in each package. This makes sure patients are fully informed on the medical marijuana they are taking to prevent overmedicating." HB4454 amends existing state statute. There are no new penalties in the law for licensed processors. They already are subject to up to two yearly inspections by the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority. Those found deficient have one month to correct or face a $500 fine per deficiency. 

OKLAHOMA CITY – Two new laws taking effect Nov. 1 will further strengthen Oklahoma's administrative rules process by requiring state agencies to demonstrate clear legal authority for their regulations and making agency guidance documents more accessible to the public. House Bill 4319 , authored by Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, R-Altus, requires clear legal authority for agency rules, which carry the weight of law. Senate Bill 1433 , the Guidance Transparency Act, carried by Rep. Rob Hall, R-Tulsa, requires agencies to make guidance documents publicly available and submit them for publication in a centralized, searchable format. Administrative rules are the regulations written by state agencies to enforce laws passed by the Legislature and carry the force of law. After being approved by the agency, proposed rules move to the Legislature for approval. "Administrative agencies have a responsibility to carry out the laws passed by the Legislature, but they must do so in a transparent way and within the bounds of what the law specifically allows," said Kendrix, who chairs the House Administrative Rules Committee. "We have made significant and much-needed reforms to this process over the last three years, and I appreciate my colleagues' support of these measures and the work Representative Hall has done to continue building on this important work." HB4319 limits state agencies to adopting rules supported by specific and explicit authorization in state law rather than relying solely on general statements of rulemaking authority. The law also strengthens legislative review by requiring lawmakers to determine whether proposed rules have specific statutory authorization and fall within the scope of that authority. In addition, agencies must review existing rules and determine whether they meet the requirements within three years or risk noncompliant rules being repealed. "House Bill 4319 reinforces the Legislature's constitutional authority in making law," Kendrix said. "By strengthening the emphasis on specific statutory authority, we can confirm agencies implement intended legislative policy rather than establishing requirements without proper authorization from the elected officials tasked with lawmaking responsibility." SB1433 addresses another part of the regulatory process: agency guidance documents that communicate official policies, interpretations or recommendations but are not necessarily formal administrative rules. The Guidance Transparency Act requires certain state agencies to make guidance documents available for public inspection online or at their primary places of business. Agencies also must submit the documents to the Secretary of State's Office of Administrative Rules for publication in a centralized, searchable format and keep the information current. "Making agency guidance more accessible gives Oklahomans a clearer picture of how decisions are made and what they can expect when working with state government," Hall said. "I believe this change will make a meaningful difference for people trying to navigate those processes. Greater transparency also brings greater accountability, and that's something that benefits everyone." Together, the measures build on recent efforts to limit agency overreach and restore accountability to Oklahoma’s administrative rulemaking process. In 2025, the Legislature enacted four major reforms addressing legislative oversight, agency authority and public accountability. The Secretary of State's Office also launched rules.ok.gov , an online portal where Oklahomans can review proposed rules, submit public comments and sign up for updates on agency rulemaking. 

A new Oklahoma law protecting parental rights in adoption, foster care and child welfare decisions takes effect Nov. 1. House Bill 3586 , known as the Right to Raise Act, was authored by Rep. Erick Harris, R-Edmond. The measure protects Oklahomans from being denied the opportunity to adopt or foster children solely because they use biologically accurate language or choose to raise a child consistent with the child's biological sex. HB3586 also clarifies that those actions alone do not constitute child abuse, neglect or child endangerment. "Child welfare policy should be focused on protecting children from actual harm, not punishing parents for speaking biological truth," Harris said. "The Right to Raise Act clearly specifies that the state must evaluate families based on their ability to care for children, not whether they conform to an ideological agenda. Parents are responsible for raising their children, and government has a responsibility to respect that role." When debating in favor of the bill on the House floor in March, Harris told House members that the bill is "protecting the rights of parents to parent their children in the way that they see fit." Harris also reiterated that the bill still allows for abuse or neglect charges to be brought when appropriate. "If a parent is abusing their child, this bill still allows that parent to be charged with abuse, to be charged with child neglect, and whatever else that parent should be charged with for committing a crime," Harris said . With the Right to Raise Act taking effect, Oklahoma is establishing clear protections for parents in adoption, foster care and child-welfare proceedings. Harris, an attorney, said cases in other states highlight the need for this law. In Indiana, M.C. and J.C. v. Indiana Department of Child Services involved parents who challenged state intervention related to their decision to raise their child as their biological sex, and an Oregon family filed a federal lawsuit in July 2026 alleging that child-welfare officials penalized them for using biologically accurate language when raising their child. "Across the country, families have challenged child-welfare decisions they say penalized them for their beliefs about biological sex and gender identity," Harris said. "Oklahoma's Right to Raise Act establishes a clear standard for our state: parents should not be treated as abusive or neglectful simply because they hold those beliefs." The Right to Raise Act takes effect Nov. 1, 2026.

Two Edmond-area lawmakers thanked Gov. Kevin Stitt for naming numerous census tracts as federal Opportunity Zones, an effort aimed at attracting private investment, encouraging economic development and creating new opportunities in local communities. Three census tracts located in Edmond have been designated as Opportunity Zones, creating new opportunities to attract private investment for housing, downtown revitalization and commercial development. Rep. Erick Harris, R-Edmond, who represents two of the three selected tracts, highlighted municipal leaders' coordinated strategy to connect housing needs, downtown and University of Central Oklahoma traffic and future developments along the city's southern gateway. "I appreciate Gov. Stitt's leadership in securing these Opportunity Zone nominations for Oklahoma," Harris said. "Encouraging private investment in our communities can help create jobs, strengthen our local economies and create new opportunities for Oklahoma families and businesses. These designations give local leaders another tool to support growth and make our state more competitive." In addition to other economic development opportunities, planned projects within the three tracts include: Census Tract 1082.03: A $90 million housing and mixed-use development. Census Tract 1082.04: A proposed $150 million transit-oriented development, a proposed $10 million project and a potential future commuter rail along the Edmond-Oklahoma City-Norman corridor. Census Tract 1082.07: Two mixed-use and multi-family developments totaling $76 million. Together, the three tracts have a documented pipeline of $360.5 million in planned private investment across nine identified future projects. Approximately $285.8 million in public and private investment is anticipated to be completed. Rep. Mike Osburn, R-Edmond, represents one of the three tracts designated Wednesday. "Opportunity zones can help bring private capital to projects that might otherwise face challenges getting across the finish line," Osburn said. "Edmond has already taken advantage of this program, and this designation creates another opportunity to build on that work, attract businesses and expand housing options. From housing near jobs and services to investment around downtown and UCO, these three areas each have an important role in Edmond’s future." Osburn, Harris and other Edmond legislators worked with local leaders to develop the three-tract economic approach and advocate for the designations. "This designation comes in a large part thanks to the relentless work of our Edmond municipal leaders to coordinate with private partners," Harris said. "Edmond is now in a stronger position to attract new investment that benefits our community and strengthens Oklahoma's economy as a whole." Opportunity Zones are federally designated census tracts where qualifying investments made through Qualified Opportunity Funds may receive federal tax benefits. It does not guarantee project financing, approval or construction. The U.S. Department of the Treasury must certify the selected census tracts before they receive official Opportunity Zone designation. The renewed program is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2027, with the new designations lasting 10 years. The full map of nominated tracts may be found here .

OKLAHOMA CITY – Those who commit repeat peeping Tom offenses will face harsher penalties under an act that takes effect Nov. 1.  Rep. Ross Ford, R-Broken Arrow, is the author of House Bill 4104 . The new law will require repeat offenders and those who record others secretly in private spaces to register as sex offenders. "Watching or recording someone in a private space without their knowledge or consent is invasive and abusive and should be appropriately punished," Ford said. "We, of course, hope that stronger punishments will deter these crimes, but at the very least they will assure justice is served against those who choose to commit these offenses."  Ford explained the bill deals with three subsections of Oklahoma's Peeping Tom statute. One addresses watching people in a clandestine manner, such as watching someone changing clothes through a window, which is currently a misdemeanor. Another deals with attempting to take photos of peoples' private areas while they are in the public – also a misdemeanor. A third addresses an individual who hides a camera in a private area such as a locker or dressing room or a space where people would assume privacy when the offense involves three or more victims. This bill would turn second or subsequent misdemeanor offenses under this area of statute into felonies and require any felony offender to register as a sex offender. Perpetrators will face imprisonment of between one to five years and fines of up to $5,000. Ford said requiring offenders to register as sex offenders will grant greater public transparency and allow law enforcement to better protect the public moving forward. The measure was requested by the Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence (SAFE) Board, which is staffed by the office of the state's attorney general. Ford also is the author of House Bill 4108 , which adds trespass or willful damage to the operational area of an airport to the list of crimes punishable by misdemeanor. This too takes effect Nov. 1 The bill specifies the operational area of an airport is to be considered as critical infrastructure. Those found guilty will face a fine of not less than $1,000 or imprisonment in a county jail for a term of six months or both. An organization found to be a conspirator will face a $10,000 fine. "Airports are vital to our national transportation system," Ford said. "It's important we keep public travelers and airport staff safe not only from terrorist attacks but even from thoughtless pranksters whose actions can create havoc, delay travel or cause costly damage to these structures."

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Steve Bashore, R-Miami, is the author of two new laws that take effect Nov. 1, both designed to improve public safety. House Bill 3244 strengthens punishments for organized retail crime and identity theft and closes loopholes to protect the vulnerable. House Bill 2941 requires first responders to notify law enforcement when treating a drug overdose and establishes that in cases of fatal overdoses involving fentanyl, that will be the presumed cause of death. "Both measures are designed to protect the public," Bashore said. "Whether it's cracking down harder on criminals who are stealing personal information and defrauding citizens and businesses, or getting people faster help during a drug overdose, the emphasis is on making sure Oklahomans are safe." HB3244 expands the definition and pattern of retail and identity theft crimes, and it closes a loophole where criminals exploit vulnerable populations, including the elderly and minors. It is reported that fraud cases have risen sharply in recent years. In 2019, the Federal Trade Commission received 3.5 million fraud reports. By 2025, that number had jumped to 6.5 million, with an estimated $12.5 billion in losses. HB3244 also strengthens identity theft laws by expanding the list of personal information someone can illegally possess or use with fraudulent intent to include fingerprints, PIN numbers, DNA, usernames, passwords and more. The bill strengthens penalties for repeat offenders and improves coordination between law enforcement and financial institutions investigating suspected fraud. Punishment ranges from 10 to 20 years in prison, fines of between $20,000 and $100,000, or both. HB2941 requires first responders to notify law enforcement as soon as practicable after attending to the medical needs of the person they are treating when a drug overdose is suspected. Legal immunity will be granted to those who make the notification in good faith. The measure also establishes that in cases of fatal overdoses involving fentanyl, that will be the presumed cause of death. The Oklahoma State Department of Health reports fentanyl was involved in 86% of opioid-related overdose deaths in 2024, compared to approximately 10% to 20% annually prior to 2020.  "Fentanyl is a growing problem in our state and across the nation, Bashore said. "Having more detailed data on the spread of this deadly drug in Oklahoma will help law enforcement identify problem areas, direct resources where they are needed most and better target those responsible for distributing this deadly drug." Bashore also authored House Bill 2959 , which took effect in May. The bill requires allegations of abuse or neglect by a school employee to be reported to law enforcement within 24 hours, prior of any formal investigation by the school or school board or the questioning of the subject of the accusation. "Too often, schools were interpreting the law to mean they had to notify law enforcement only after the school had finished its investigation into an allegation of abuse," Bashore said. "This clarifies the definition of immediately to mean within 24 hours. It gets quicker help for those traumatized by abuse and stops others from being victimized."