Shortly after this year’s fourmonth legislative session ended, the governor called the Senate into a special session to confirm his latest appointee to the Oklahoma State University Board of Regents. On June 12, my Senate colleagues and I returned to the Capitol to begin the special session, and I presided over the brief floor proceedings. Gov. Kevin Stitt initially asked the Senate to confirm former OSU athletic director Mike Holder to the university’s board of regents. The governor has since nominated attorney Jennifer Callahan to the post instead.My fellow senators and I take our role in vetting and confirming the governor’s appointees very seriously. We don’t rubberstamp the governor’s nominees. The Senate reviews each appointee’s experience and qualifications to ensure they fit the requirements to serve. Some positions in state government require more specific qualifications than others. For example, state law requires that most OSU regents earn the bulk of their income from agricultural endeavors. Once the Senate has determined an appointee is qualified, senators will meet with them to get acquainted and learn more about their desire to serve in state government. My Senate colleagues and I will return to the Capitol on July 15 to resume the special session. The full Senate will vote on Callahan’s confirmation at that time, assuming the Senate Education Committee advances her nomination.In mid-June, the governor finished acting on all the bills sent to him during the final week of the four-month legislative session that ended in late May. Stitt signed 433 bills this year, including those making up the state budget, and four took effect without his signature. The governor vetoed another 34 bills, although the Legislature successfully overturned some of those vetoes. Three of my bills were among those that the governor signed in June.My bill requiring medical cannabis growers and processors to implement final product testing — a best practice to ensure the quality and safety of marijuana products right before they are transferred to a dispensary — took effect immediately. The governor also signed my bill that creates a five-year sales tax exemption for Bitcoin mining, a burgeoning industry. This measure will work in tandem with another new law I coauthored that protects Oklahomans’ rights to own and mine Bitcoin. Stitt also approved my bill to clarify existing state law defining mixed drinks and allowing restaurants to sell to-go cocktails. Overall, nearly 20 bills I authored or coauthored this ...
