OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Mike Dobrinski, R-Okeene, today advanced two bills in the House of Representatives.

House Bill 2242 would require public utilities and municipally owned utility providers to waive the initial credit and deposit requirements for documented victims of domestic violence. Dobrinski said the measure is a constituent request modeled after a plan proposal by the City of Edmond.

"We're just trying to make sure victims of domestic violence are able to get somewhere safe away from their abuser. Easing the burden of these up-front fees will help," he said.

Dobrinski also passed House Bill 2239, which would establish a pilot program to address the red cedar infestation throughout the state, beginning with a concentration on the North Canadian Watershed. The bill would create the Terry Peach North Canadian Watershed Restoration Act, named after for the former Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Terry Peach who died last year.

"Red cedars deplete our water supplies, they pose a great fire danger in our state, and they are an overall nuisance," Dobrinski said. "We've been working on this problem for a long time, and it will take a large investment of time and money to address the problem statewide, but taking action is a must."

Dobrinski said he's worked with others to craft the bill and particularly thanked former state Sen. Don Williams of Balko who has been following and working on this issue since the 1990s.

Both pieces of legislation now move to the state Senate to await committee assignment. HB 2242 is authored by Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond. HB 2239 is authored by Darcy Jech, R-Kingfisher. 

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