Sen. Micheal Bergstrom

Maddy summarySB 62 prohibits Oklahoma school districts from making payroll deductions for professional organization dues or political contributions from school employees' paychecks. This directly affects teachers and school staff who previously could authorize such deductions through their employers. The bill amends Oklahoma law to remove the requirement that districts automatically process these deductions upon employee request, instead making such deductions prohibited. Key provisions include requiring districts to stop these deductions immediately upon written employee request and preventing advance payments for future dues. The bill does not change how employees pay dues directly or impact other payroll deductions.

Maddy summarySB 16, the Oklahoma Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act, prohibits financial institutions from using payment card transaction codes to identify firearm retailers or firearm-related purchases. It specifically bans payment networks and covered entities (like banks processing payments) from assigning or requiring merchant category codes that distinguish firearm retailers from other businesses. The law also prevents government entities from maintaining lists of privately owned firearms or their owners. The Oklahoma Attorney General can investigate violations and require entities to stop the prohibited practices within 30 days.

Maddy summarySB 62 prohibits Oklahoma school districts from automatically deducting professional organization dues or political contributions from school employees' paychecks. It amends Section 5-139 of state law to remove the requirement that districts make these payroll deductions upon employee request. The bill directly affects school employees who previously could have such dues or political contributions withheld from their wages. This policy change eliminates a specific deduction mechanism, requiring employees to pay these amounts directly rather than through payroll.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment to raise the vote threshold for two key processes in Oklahoma. It would require 60% support (instead of a simple majority) from voters who actually cast ballots on a petition for both citizen-initiated laws/referendums and for legislative proposals to amend the state constitution. These changes would directly affect citizens seeking to bypass the legislature via petitions and the legislature's ability to submit constitutional amendments for voter approval. The amendment would take effect if approved by voters at the next general election.

Maddy summarySB 349 requires Oklahoma public and accredited private colleges to report quarterly any foreign funding exceeding $50,000. This includes grants, contracts, or donations from foreign governments, organizations, or individuals not U.S. citizens. Institutions must detail the funding amount, purpose, source, and related agreements in a public report posted on their website and submitted to state officials. Failure to report such funding can result in a $10,000 fine per incident, with penalties and unreported funds deposited into the state’s General Revenue Fund.

Maddy summarySB 349 requires Oklahoma public and accredited private colleges and universities to report all foreign funding exceeding $50,000 received from foreign governments, entities, or individuals each quarter. Institutions must detail the funding amount, purpose, foreign source information, and related agreements in a public report posted on their website and submitted to state officials. Failure to report such funding incurs a $10,000 fine per incident, with penalties and unreported funds deposited into the state's general revenue fund. The bill exempts standard student tuition payments but takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 346 modifies Oklahoma's school employee background check process for full-time teachers. It allows teachers applying to a new Oklahoma school district to avoid a new criminal history check if they provide a letter from their previous district confirming they left "in good standing" and including specific attestations about any allegations of inappropriate behavior between the teacher and students or pending investigations. This exception applies only if the teacher has a recent background check (completed within the past five years). The bill does not affect substitute teachers, who still require a background check each school year.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes two constitutional amendments to Oklahoma law. It would raise the required voter approval threshold from a simple majority to 60% for two specific measures: voter-initiated petitions (referendums) and constitutional amendment proposals. The changes would directly affect voters and the legislative process by making it harder for initiatives and constitutional amendments to pass. The amendment to Article V Section 3 applies to referendum petitions, while the change to Article XXIV Section 1 applies to constitutional amendment proposals.

Maddy summarySB 513 amends Oklahoma's riot control law to grant the Governor emergency authority during declared states of emergency. The Governor may prohibit public assembly, certain weapons (like Molotov cocktails), hazardous materials, alcohol sales, or other activities deemed necessary to protect public safety, but **cannot** ban legal firearm possession or religious activities in places of worship. The bill also establishes legal remedies for individuals whose rights under these exceptions are violated, including the right to seek return of seized firearms. It takes effect November 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 472, titled "Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit Act; expanding scope of scholarships while participating in the program," was withdrawn from committee on February 19, 2025, and is no longer active. The bill's original intent, as reflected in its title, was to expand tax credit eligibility for education scholarships under Oklahoma's parental choice program. However, with the title stricken and the bill withdrawn, no legislative action or policy changes were enacted. This procedural withdrawal means the proposed expansion of scholarship access did not advance.