More than 70 interim studies have been approved by Senate leadership, and among them are two by Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond to study teacher credentialing and certification as well as COVID’s impact on learning outcomes and what the state can do to overcome any negative effects. Let’s hope they also consider the question of video monitoring for Oklahoma’s classrooms. If auto repair, police and pet daycare are fitted with cameras, isn’t it time to monitor what public workers are teaching our children?

As Matt Walsh said recently on FOX News Tucker Carson Show, “Teachers as government employees… working with kids, they shouldn’t get privacy or free speech.. any more than I want a bank teller – If I’m making a deposit of a lot of cash, I don’t want them to turn the cameras off and go into a back room and say, ‘I need some privacy while I do this.’”

Last week in a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court of the United States of America ruled to uphold Arizona’s ban on ballot harvesting (a practice that allows third parties to collect and deliver ballots) and out-of-precinct voting. The Court determined that “neither Arizona’s HB 2023 banning ballot harvesting nor the policy outlawing out-of-precinct voting violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act which bans racial discrimination.”

After failing miserably to address the 2020 presidential election fraud on facts sworn; now at least the Court has shown some love for citizens and honest elections generally. Apparently bold in consideration of controversy impacting only a fraction of the population (Transsexual rights for example) when over fifty percent of citizens are betrayed by organized fraud (Trump won) the court cowered.

Nevertheless, “This is a massive victory for election integrity,” said Dr. Kelli Ward, Chairwoman of the Arizona Republican Party, in a media statement. “The Court saw right through the Democrats’ baseless accusations against our state’s ballot harvesting ban. Ensuring that the chain of custody with mail-in ballots remains intact is a vital part of ensuring election integrity, and this law helps to do just that,” she said.

I’m proud to say that this was one of the most productive legislative sessions we’ve ever had. We made tremendous strides in strengthening Oklahoma’s economy and helping improve the lives of our citizens.

Altogether, the governor signed close to 600 bills, which included nearly 15 of mine. One of those will help our dedicated 33,000 state employees by modernizing the annual state employee flexible benefit allowance to better address ever-increasing healthcare costs.

Oklahoma is now among those states officially calling for an Article V Convention of the States.  Authored by Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, and House Majority Leader Jon Echols, R-Oklahoma City, Senate Joint Resolution 23 was approved by Gov. Stitt on Tuesday.

Standridge said he worked for several years with his friend, the late U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, to advocate for a Convention of States, even coauthoring a book on the topic, Smashing the DC Monopoly.  Standridge said the number of states calling for an Article V Convention is approaching 20.