On July 1, the new fiscal year began, and more than 50 new laws went into effect. One of these that is especially important to our district protects the rights of students to wear native regalia at their graduations. Given our state’s strong Native American heritage, it’s important that we always support families in celebrating and recognizing their tribes.Another major bill will shine a light not only on special Native American landmarks, but on our state’s 13 Black historic towns and the incredible men and women who played a critical role in the Civil Rights Movement. We’ll accomplish this by establishing the Oklahoma Civil Rights Trail connecting historic locations that help share these unique stories. It was such an honor to get to co-author this measure and to have this historic trail begin right here in Senate District 10 at Standing Bear Park Museum and Education Center in Ponca City. It’ll then proceed to the site of the 1920s “Osage Reign of Terror,” in Fairfax before continuing through the state’s all-Black communities, including Boley; Brooksville; Clearview; Grayson; Langston; Lima; Red Bird; Rentiesville; Summit; Taft; Tatums; Tullahassee; and Vernon. Finally, the trail will go through Tulsa’s Greenwood Rising and the Pathway to Hope before ending at the Clara Luper Center, to be constructed in Oklahoma City.Most of the major education programs and additional school funding are among these new laws, including the six weeks of paid maternity leave for teachers, school safety upgrades, teacher pay raises, literacy program improvements, and modified school weights for transportation, low-income students, and small districts. High school students will also now be required to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to graduate. This application is used by nearly all colleges, universities, and career techs for awarding federal, state, and college-funded student aid. Too many students fail to pursue a higher education because they think they can’t afford it but there is a lot of aid available, and this application will help them see what they can get. We want to provide students every opportunity to continue expanding their minds and skills.Another new law will allow school districts to stock glucagon, a hormone that raises blood glucose levels and is used to treat severe hypoglycemia. This is an important safety measure to ensure schools are properly prepared in case of an emergency when students forget their diabetic medications, like insulin, or other necessary medical ...
