Oklahoma Weather Tracking Licensure Legislation

[Warren Faidley]

The process, as outlined by ACLU of Oklahoma:

• Bill is filed and assigned to a committee in the chamber of origin. (First Reading)
• Committee hears the bill. (Second Reading)
• Floor hears the bill. (Third Reading)
• Bills must get at least three separate readings in the opposite chamber.
• Conference Committee hears bill if neither side agrees on amendments.
• Sent to the Governor.

 

[gdlewen]

The process, as outlined by ACLU of Oklahoma:

• ...Sent to the Governor.

Don't discount this last step. The Governor has, in the past, saved the Republican-dominated legislature from itself by vetoing bills that should never have been passed. It's not beyond the realm of possibility. Lots of chances to stop the bill, still.

 

[Jimmy Dewitt]

Here in Ohio a fire department, EMS are allowed run lights and siren in their own response area only and only on a ligitimate call. If they are outside their area THEY could be arrested and fined. I don't think even Sherrif Buford T. Justice would have the unlimited authority they are conferring these people!

 

[Warren Faidley]

Don't discount this last step. The Governor has, in the past, saved the Republican-dominated legislature from itself by vetoing bills that should never have been passed. It's not beyond the realm of possibility. Lots of chances to stop the bill, still.

The Governor may also be more sensitive towards the opinions of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and other emergency response groups. It blows my mind that legislators don't give a shi_ about their opinions. Another reason this bill does not make sense.

 

[Randy Zipser]

The Governor may also be more sensitive towards the opinions of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and other emergency response groups. It blows my mind that legislators don't give a shi_ about their opinions. Another reason this bill does not make sense.

Yea, I agree, Warren. This bill, if passed, will dump a whole lot more responsibility on OHP troopers, who will already be harried enough during a deadly tornado event, let alone emergency response officials at all levels of government. And, worse yet, the bill does not make any provision whatsoever to increase the pay of these people for their added workload/responsibility. It does not take a rocket-scientist to figure out the implications of that scenario. What are the legislators thinking to ignore these legitimate first-responders while bestowing special privileges on TV crews and OU chasers? Makes no sense, either.

 

[Warren Faidley]

Is this true? When is a bill officially dead in Oklahoma?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1894428614067695684

 

[gdlewen]

Is this true? When is a bill officially dead in Oklahoma?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1894428614067695684

Sorry I missed this earlier @Warren Faidley .

Mar 6 is the deadline for bills to advance out of Senate Committees so the House has time to hear them, so if SB158 is not heard by the Appropriations Committee by March 6 then I guess it could be considered dead.

But I have seen the OK Senate violate its own rules by making full bill substitutions ON THE FLOOR in May.

On 5/15/2020 they replaced SJR31--a bill to call a state constitutional convention--with some nonsensical amendment to the state constitution. It was sneaky and underhanded (in my opinion) and

1) it went down in flames (defeated 4 ayes and 41 nays) and
2) we did not get our convention.

At least it went down in flames, which is something.

So don't count your chickens yet. We have new leadership in the Senate so here's hoping we don't see such shenanigans here.

 

[gdlewen]

P.S. Check out Oklahoma SJR31 | 2020 | Regular Session

The following amendment VIOLATED Senate Rules for the 2020 session:

"AMENDMENT NO. 1. Delete the title, enacting clause and the entire bill and insert the following:" [crazy talk inserted here]

And for some added non-transparency, if you go to the OK Senate.gov website none of this appears. Legiscan has it or you would never know it happened.

Still very cranky about it.

 

[Warren Faidley]

Erik Fox posted the following on X. "The HB/SB combined version has not been finalized and is currently slated to be released by the end of the week. Today was part of the process and language was changed. Hoping to see it myself soon. I did see the notes and email directing “some” of the changes. I can say, it’s getting super watered down."

EDIT....... They removed the "emergency status of the bill," not the "emergency vehicle portion," although that might be gone when the bill is revised and released on Friday.

As a footnote, with the possible demise of the bill on the horizon, I find it both comical and yet not unexpected that a few of the better known, popular Internet chasers (not referring to Erik), are coming out of the woodwork now to act like they have done noble and heroic things to stop this bill. WTF. Talk about "stolen glory." I've not heard a peep from them until now, when the hard work could be over and any potential backlash from supporters is fading.

 

[gdlewen]

Erik Fox posted the following on X. "The HB/SB combined version has not been finalized and is currently slated to be released by the end of the week. Today was part of the process and language was changed. Hoping to see it myself soon. I did see the notes and email directing “some” of the changes. I can say, it’s getting super watered down."

EDIT....... They removed the "emergency status of the bill," not the "emergency vehicle portion," although that might be gone when the bill is revised and released on Friday.

As a footnote, with the possible demise of the bill on the horizon, I find it both comical and yet not unexpected that a few of the better known, popular Internet chasers (not referring to Erik), are coming out of the woodwork now to act like they have done noble and heroic things to stop this bill. WTF. Talk about "stolen glory." I've not heard a peep from them until now, when the hard work could be over and any potential backlash from supporters is fading.

Well, people who have seen notes and emails directing some of the changes are privy to inside information and that information would be very helpful. I don't see the point of reporting you have inside information unless the information can be shared. If you can't share it then say nothing. All it does is highlight the elitist nature of the process, which is extremely frustrating.

If final House and Senate versions will be submitted by Friday, I doubt anyone on the outside will see those versions until they are posted as part of a meeting agenda.

That leaves M-Th of next week for the outsiders to get any idea of what's in the final versions, and that with perhaps one days' warning. Not good. I don't even see the House Commerce and Economic Development Oversight Meeting on the schedule for next week, which is the next stop for Fetgatter's bill on its way to the Senate.

 

[Mike Thornton]

@Mike Thornton when representatives of OK emergency services met with Fetgatter and/or McMann, how did those meetings go? What were the responses to the obvious public safety concerns? This bill is such an obvious "no-brainer" I am trying to get a handle on why there is any support for it among legislators who would normally oppose such a bill.

This is a nakedly-partisan statement but it is largely true: "Conservative legislators normally oppose bills creating arbitrary protected classes or regulating human activities not related to public safety or public welfare, etc."

This bill does both and yet received conservative votes with no debate. I'd like to better understand why.

Not much more to highlight other than what I have already said. I know OEM is trying to look at other avenues such as trying to collect payments and such if the bill does pass and become legal. That said, while OEM can not publicly say if they are for or against the bill, having dealt with them and other EMs throughout Oklahoma as the SW VP Alternate for the Oklahoma Emergency Management Association, I can confidently say that no one supports the bill. Lol. Even the sheriff in the county was making fun of it recently and rejected the claim. In the public safety world, I have yet to find one supporter as we all agree this is nonsense.

 

[Warren Faidley]

Breaking.... Erik Fox has just received a copy of the revised bill. He has mixed feelings, but it does not sound good. We will see soon enough.

Edit: I'm told I will not like the revisions.

Fight on.

 

[Warren Faidley]

The bill cannot be officially released until tomorrow. I'm only getting tidbits. Very frustrating. Unless we get more active participation against the bill here, I'm going to bow out of the fight. These pages should be erupting like Krakatoa, but for the most part, crickets. If there is any chance of defeating this bill, people need to become outraged, but I don't see it.

 

[Randy Zipser]

The bill cannot be officially released until tomorrow. I'm only getting tidbits. Very frustrating. Unless we get more active participation against the bill here, I'm going to bow out of the fight. These pages should be erupting like Krakatoa, but for the most part, crickets. If there is any chance of defeating this bill, people need to become outraged, but I don't see it.

Outrage is useless unless it is backed up with a plan of action. And, in this case, action has to come from within the state of Oklahoma (we already know that the OK legislature couldn't care less about any opinions coming from out-of-state)! And waiting around and doing nothing but "keeping our fingers crossed" that things will somehow magically go our way based on the latest procedural tweak will accomplish nothing except get them closer to passing this thing.

If the OK legislature senators and reps are not already getting "blitzed" with messages (via text, e-mail, social media) like the posts appearing in this thread, then the only viable recourse would be to call in a professional legal advocate or lobbyist who has some real clout and knows how to get the "ear" and attention of the more moderate committee members, especially those who are "on the fence" but feel like they are being railroaded into passing this bill without being given adequate chance to express their concerns.

I am not on any of the social-media websites; however, if one (or more) of our ST members who reads this post and has lots of social-media connections would post a plea on social-media to work with ST members and organize a one-time, voluntary fund dedicated to covering the cost of hiring such an advocate to push our opposition views, maybe the outcome can still be influenced in our favor. Since "big time" funders are apparently not willing to "step up to the plate," I would certainly be willing to chip-in my "fair share" to a such a fund that I can prove is verifiably legitimate, provided the retainer is not unreasonably exorbitant and there are no continuing conditions, minimums, or obligations attached. As Warren and others have said, with each and every passing day, time is running out; we who want to kill this bill must go on the offensive soon...it's now or never!

 

[John Farley]

The bill cannot be officially released until tomorrow. I'm only getting tidbits. Very frustrating. Unless we get more active participation against the bill here, I'm going to bow out of the fight. These pages should be erupting like Krakatoa, but for the most part, crickets. If there is any chance of defeating this bill, people need to become outraged, but I don't see it.

I think the problem is that most of us here do not live in Oklahoma. I think, as others have said, that legislators do not care about the opinions of people from out of state. For that matter, they probably do not care about opinions from Oklahomans who do not live in their districts. So if you live in Oklahoma, by all means raise as much hell over this as you can with your legislators. But if you do not live there, I am not sure there is a whole lot that you can do. I made some comments on one of the sponsors' FB page, and got a lot of likes and several supportive comments, but I doubt he cares unless he knows I live in OK, which I do not.