After a busy week at the Capitol last week, the Oklahoma Senate successfully cleared its second major deadline of this legislative session. The full Senate deliberated on more than 100 bills last week, sending most of those pieces of legislation to the House. On Thursday, my Senate colleagues and I were voting on bills at the Capitol until just after 10 p.m. to ensure more than 70 pieces of legislation advanced before the midnight deadline.

Bills filed in the Senate advance to the House after a committee hearing and favorable floor vote in their house of origin. Meanwhile, successful House bills now come to the Senate. At this point in the session, bills cross over to the opposite chamber, which many Capitol insiders refer to as “crossover.” This milestone also indicates that this session is nearly half over. Although some of my bills did not make it through the Senate ahead of the most recent deadline, I look forward to co-authoring numerous bills from my House colleagues in an effort to advance their legislation through my chamber.

One of the most important votes I took so far this session was to cut taxes for all Oklahomans. Last month, I voted to eliminate the state portion of the grocery sales tax, a 4.5% tax cut that everyone will benefit from when they check out at the grocery store. The governor quickly signed this important bill into law, and it will take effect in August. High inflation is driving up prices across the board, and I hope this tax cut provides Oklahomans some much-needed relief.

This year, I’m serving on Senate committees on education, agriculture and rural affairs, energy and telecommunications and administrative rules. Education and agriculture are always some of the biggest issues at the Capitol, meaning those committees are often tasked with vetting a significant number of bills. Members of the administrative rules committee are tasked with reviewing rules state agencies have proposed to carry out new state laws.

The Senate has gotten off to a productive start this session, and I anticipate we’ll maintain this quick pace until we adjourn in May. To stay up to date on everything that’s going on, you can visit www.oksenate.gov to watch legislative action and sign up for press releases.

It is a pleasure and a privilege to serve the people of Senate District 28. Don’t hesitate to reach out to my office if I can be of assistance. Call 405-521-5547 or email Grant.Green@oksenate.gov