Video & Transcript : 'checkless payments' :

Page 8 of 451
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • non-federal share Senator Flores: of funding to unlock matching federal funds for supplemental Medicaid payments
Summary: The Senate Committee on Local Government heard several bills, most of them left pending after brief public testimony. House Bill 331, by Rep. Patterson and sponsored by Sen. Hinojosa, would create a presumption that firefighters, police officers, and EMTs who suffer a heart attack or stroke within eight hours after a strenuous shift were injured in the line of duty for workers’ compensation purposes; testimony from a firefighters’ association supported the bill, and it was left pending. Senate Bill 2655, by Sen. Flores, would authorize Burnet County to establish a local provider participation fund to help support local hospital services; a hospital administrator testified in support, and the committee substitute was left pending. Senate Bill 1443, by Sen. Hughes, would extend the Northeast Healthcare Provider Participation District in three counties, and House Bill 3307, by Rep. Noble, would allow property tax arbitrators to complete required continuing education online; both were left pending without opposition. Senate Bill 3048, by Sen. Birdwell, would create the Bluebonnet Hills Municipal Management District in Midlothian and was also left pending. The committee then took up House Bill 9 and HJR 1, sponsored by Sen. Bettencourt, which would raise the business personal property tax exemption from $2,500 to $125,000 and place the constitutional amendment on the November 4, 2025 ballot. Business groups, realtors, and taxpayers’ advocates testified in strong support, saying the change would provide meaningful relief to small businesses and help balance earlier homeowner tax relief. The City of Fort Worth testified in opposition, warning of a revenue shift to homeowners and budget impacts, but the committee adopted the committee substitutes and reported both measures to the full Senate on 6-0 votes. The committee also heard House Bill 1399 and HJR 99, by Sen. Nichols, to exempt animal feed from property tax when it is already sales-tax exempt; no one testified against them, and both were left pending. Senate Bill 2553, by Sen. West, would let owners of historic archaeological sites protest land and structure appraisals separately, and it was left pending after supportive testimony. Senate Bill 2907 and SJR 78, also by Sen. West, would exempt certain perishable inventory, including food and some prescription drugs, from property tax if approved by voters; pharmacists, business groups, a researcher, and a coalition of retailers and food/medicine advocates supported the bill, and it was left pending. Finally, Senate Bill 1331, by Sen. Hancock and explained by Sen. Middleton, would lower the population threshold for certain municipal civil-service-related petition restrictions from 950,000 to 70,000; law enforcement representatives and a San Marcos police association supported it, and it was left pending. The committee then recessed until 15 to 30 minutes after adjournment.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Senate Legislative Session Apr 16th, 2026 at 09:30 am

Oklahoma Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • The first thing it does is it allows for the payment of an MBCT stipend of $5,000 over five years to
  • We were appropriating 16.5% to each agency to be able to make a payment into the pension system.
  • Those payments are distributed equally among all student populations, regardless of enrollment.
  • , make a car payment, make tuition payments—whatever those things that you and your spouse have decided
  • payment, or we can't pay the muffler man who came by to deliver our mufflers or pay the APA bill.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Public Health Apr 8th, 2026 at 09:00 am

Public Health

Transcript Highlights:
  • It prohibits premiums from tying payments to certain contract Conditions, prevents them from being forced
  • on financial risk from PBM arrangements, and it also requires transparency and standardized payment.
Committee: House Public Health