PERSPECTIVE March 8, 2024
Legislative update: First major deadline passes, ag-related bills move forward he fourth week of Oklahoma’s 2024 legislative session brought with it the first major deadline on Thursday, Feb. 29. Any bills that were not passed out of committee in their chamber of origin before the deadline are now considered dead for the remainder of the legislative session. With more than 3,000 bills waiting to be heard at the start of session, slightly more than half remain after last Thursday’s cutoff. OKFB has worked diligently since the beginning of legislative session on legislation dealing with water measurement and usage. The five original bills have since condensed into two: HB 3194 by Rep. Carl Newton and SB 1341 by Sen. Brent Howard. Both pieces of legislation focus on water permitting and metering, and discussions at the state Capitol have turned to metering requirements and how the metering process would function. Only groundwater wells permitted by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board would fall under the proposed metering requirements – residential wells and other nonpermitted wells would be exempt. Both bills have passed their respective committees and await full-chamber consideration. OKFB has had a consistent voice in the water metering conversation and will continue to monitor the legislation in an effort to find a reasonable solution to fairly and equitably meter water usage for all permitted water wells, no matter
the geographic location or agricultural sector for which the water is used. Oklahoma lawmakers also sent a taxrelief bill to Gov. Kevin Stitt’s desk on Feb. 22. HB 1955, which was first heard in the House during the 2023 legislative session, was given final approval by the Senate in February to eliminate the state’s portion of the sales tax on groceries. In his 2024 State of the State address, Stitt promised to sign any tax cut that comes across his desk, and he in turn gave his stamp of approval on HB 1955 early last week. The measure will remove the 4.5% sales tax collected by the state of Oklahoma, bringing a reduced grocery bill to Oklahomans everywhere beginning in late summer. While Farm Bureau members have always been supporters of lowering taxes, OKFB members remain strongly opposed to the state turning to ad valorem taxes to recoup any lost revenue. The next legislative deadline is Thursday, March 14, where bills must advance off the floor of their chamber of origin in order to continue moving through the legislative process, and the OKFB public policy team will continue to ensure Farm Bureau members’ voices are heard at 23rd and Lincoln throughout the entire legislative session. To stay up to date on legislation OKFB is tracking, tune in to the weekly legislative Zoom call every Friday at noon. Contact your field representative for information on how to join the call.
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AGRICULTURE OKFB Foundation for Ag matching wildfire donations through March 15 he Oklahoma Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture is collecting donations through March 15 for farmers, ranchers and rural communities affected by devastating wildfires that swept across Oklahoma in early 2024. Donations will be matched dollar-fordollar with the foundation, OKFB and OKFB Insurance each matching up to $10,000 for a total donation match of up to $30,000. Oklahoma Farm Bureau members know the road to recovery after wildfires is a long, ongoing process stretching from initial response by emergency crews to replacing lost fencing, equipment and structures. Donations can be made online via PayPal at okfb.news/FireRelief24, or donation checks can be mailed to: OKFB Foundation for Agriculture ATTN: Holly Carroll 2501 N. Stiles Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73105 Donate online now through March 15:
okfb.news/FireRelief24