Chambers swap bills

by Chris Kidd

Budget negotiations continue at the Capitol, and the Senate and House are working toward the April 27 deadline for completing floor votes on bills sent over from the opposite chamber. We have until Thursday to consider the remaining House bills on our agenda that we’d like to see move forward this session. 

So far, the governor has signed more than 50 bills into law, including my HB 1897 to modernize our state’s 9-1-1 emergency system to make emergency response and coordination more efficient statewide.

Several more of mine are on his desk awaiting his consideration, including HB 2863 to address Oklahoma’s desperate need for more large animal veterinarians. This would create the Oklahoma State University Veterinary Medicine Authority (OSUVMA) to oversee and support the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine, which is the state’s only veterinary medicine program and the only veterinary teaching hospital for both large and small animals. 

The OSU and OU Medical Centers both have existing authorities that have helped grow those into nationally renowned organizations. HB 2863 would do the same for the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine, helping it become a world-class veterinary health care complex.

This legislation will create a mechanism to support and stabilize the veterinary medicine teaching hospital through targeted funding from both public and private sources to rebuild a long-term sustainable veterinary medicine program.

Many of Oklahoma’s large animal vets are quickly approaching retirement age, which presents challenges for rural Oklahoma. Our state has the second highest number of beef cattle in the nation, so it’s imperative that we get more vets trained to provide necessary support to our ranching community.

Last year, the USDA classified seven regions in 29 counties as “Private Practice Rural Area Food Animal Medicine Shortage Areas.” Today, there are more than 12 jobs available for every applicant in the veterinary medicine school. This is a crucial food safety and production issue for rural Oklahoma. We need more large animal veterinarians, and we need them in rural Oklahoma.

HB 1036 would create the nine-member Veteran Suicide Prevention Task Force to study and make recommendations about the causes and prevention of suicide among Oklahoma veterans. Approximately 17 veterans die in the U.S. from suicide each day. Research shows that task forces and other similar initiatives have helped reduce that number in recent years down from a daily average of 22. In 2020, 100 Oklahoma veterans tragically took their lives, and we hope this task force will help.

Finally, HB 2538 would require any pooled investment program for a county or municipality to be governed through an interlocal cooperative agreement. The governing body of the local government must amend their written investment policies prior to participating in a qualified program. It also allows investment purchases by a qualified program to bypass existing investment restrictions.

This session, we’ve enjoyed celebrating both Ag Day and, most recently, OSU Day at the Capitol to recognize the important roles each play in our state. Agriculture is one of our state’s top industries, contributing billions to our economy and supporting tens of thousands of jobs, and it’s always a joy to celebrate the farmers, ranchers and agriculturalists who keep this industry strong.

America’s brightest orange also filled the Capitol halls as we applauded the outstanding programs and vision of Oklahoma’s largest university system that positively impacts the lives of more than 33,000 students each year, and I’m proud to be one of those alums. 

If I can be of any assistance, feel free to contact me at (405) 521-5563 or Chris.Kidd@oksenate.gov.