Weekly Legislative Update! 4/28

Two action alerts for this week!

You may have seen news of other state governors signing executive orders to protect their state from incoming vaccination passports and mandates. We are asking Governor Stitt to sign a similar executive order.

The pandemic response must not create two classes of people in Oklahoma, and citizens must not be discriminated against because of their personal medical decisions..

Click the button to read and sign the petition, and then share the link with your friends and family!

The second action alert is to contact your senator and ask them to support SB 658. This bill has already passed out of the Senate once, but because it was amended in the House it must be heard one last time in the Senate before it goes to the Governor’s desk to be signed.

SB 658 requires school districts to provide vaccine exemption information to parents when sending out notices about vaccinations. Why is this needed now? With a covid-19 vaccine requirement expected soon, parents need to know their opt-out rights. Only 5-10% of schools actually share the entire law! This bill also includes limitations for schools that are mandating masks and a method for parents to challenge these mandates. Read the latest version of the bill here. It may also be helpful to look up how your senator voted on SB 658 when it was first heard in the senate. Check the Senate votes here.

Step 1: Open an email and address it to kim.david@oksenate.gov. Senator Kim David is the Senate majority floor leader and can decide what bills get heard. Send her a short and polite email asking her to please add SB 658 to the floor agenda. If she is your Senator, please include that you are a constituent.

Step 2: If you do not know who your Senator is, use this link to identify your State Senator. After you enter your address you MUST scroll down to where it says “State Senate”

Step 2: Open an email and address it to your State Representative. His/her email will follow the ‘firstname.lastname@oksenate.gov‘ format. If you need any help identifying your senator’s email please send us an email at info@okhpr.com and we will be happy to help you!

Step 3: In the subject line type “FROM YOUR CONSTITUENT: Yes on SB 658”

Step 4: Write a short and polite email about why you support this bill. You may use the sample email that is included below as a guide, but please change things to make it your own. Do not just copy and paste because that is not as impactful. The opposition is calling this an ‘unfunded mandate’ so please be sure to address this misinformation. Include your stories and screenshots (if you have them) of misleading school enrollment announcements and how mask mandates at school have affected your children.

Step 5: End your email with your name and full address.

Sample Email:

Hi Senator,
Hope you are doing well!!  I wanted to take a moment to ask you to vote yes on SB 658 on the senate floor.
This bill is a simple common-sense measure that requires schools to inform parents that vaccine exemptions are an option when sending out notices involving vaccination requirements. This is NOT an unfunded mandate, as you might be told by some. It simply requires the school to add a few extra words to notices that they are already sending. For example, instead of saying “vaccination records are required for school enrollment”, the notice might say “vaccination records are required for school enrollment unless a vaccine exemption is on file.” This has no fiscal impact on our schools.
Overall, a yes on the bill gives choice to parents on masks and vaccines which is a win for health choice and parent rights.
Thank you for your time,
Name
Address

Liberty Rally Tuesday April 20th!!

Many OKHPR bills and other important liberty bills are not being scheduled on the Senate floor. We need you to come from near and far on Tuesday, April 20th because your presence could make the difference in getting them heard. This is the final week for bills to be heard! Invite your friends, family and even bring the kids. This is the time to show up, make your presence known, and your voices heard! Don’t worry if you can’t make it to the whole event, the event is come and go. Just make sure you show up!

 

Schedule of Events:
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Meet with legislators
5:00 – 6:00 PM – Pizza dinner in the 4th-floor rotunda. Bring your own water bottle!
6:00 PM – 6:30 PM – Rally in the 4th-floor rotunda
6:30 – 5th floor House Gallery to hear bills being voted on

Featured Speakers:
Don Spencer
Liza Greve
Senator Nathan Dahm
Representative Sean Roberts
Senator Warren Hamilton
Representative Jay Steagall
And many more!

Make sure you read our Capitol Day FAQ and register for the event using the button below.

Midsession Legislative Update

Action Alert!

Two bills are headed to the floor for a vote!
SB 658- Headed to the house floor
HB 2335- Headed to the Senate floor

Here is what we need you to do!

SB 658:  We need every member to call your state representative and ask that they co-author and vote YES on SB 658. It has to be heard by April 22nd or it is DEAD.

Check out the news media coverage of this bill and share it with your friends who support mask and vaccine choice!

SB 658 – Requiring school districts to provide vaccine exemption information to parents  *There is a new amendment on this bill! Click the link to read it!*

This bill gives the truth about the current vaccine law and mask choices to parents that are grounded in science.

Step 1: Use this link to identify your State Representative (House Member). After you enter your address you MUST scroll down to where it says “State House”

Step 2: Open an email and address it to your State Representative. His/her email will follow the ‘firstname.lastname@okhouse.gov‘ format. If you need any help identifying your representative’s email please send us an email at info@okhpr.com and we will be happy to help you!

Step 3: In the subject line type “FROM YOUR CONSTITUENT: Yes on SB 658”

Step 4: Write a short and polite email about why you support this bill. Include your stories and screenshots (if you have them) of misleading school enrollment announcements and how mask mandates at school have affected your children.

Step 5: End your email with your name and full address.

Sample Email:

Hi Representative,
Hope you are doing well!!  I wanted to take a moment to ask you to co-author SB 658 and that you vote yes on SB 658 on the house floor.
This bill gives parents the truth about vaccine exemption laws and provides mask choices to parents that are grounded in science.

Name
Address

HB 2335: Prohibits vaccination mandates by government and discrimination. 

Step 1: Use this link to identify your State Senator. After you enter your address you MUST scroll down to where it says “State Senate” Do not contact the U.S. Senators!

Step 2: Open an email and address it to your State Senator. His/her email will follow the ‘firstname.lastname@oksenate.gov‘ format. If you need any help identifying your senator’s email please send us an email at info@okhpr.com and we will be happy to help you!

Step 3: In the subject line type “FROM YOUR CONSTITUENT: Yes on HB 2335”

Step 4: Write a short and polite email about why you support this bill.

Step 5: End your email with your name and full address.

Sample Email:

Hi Senator,
Hope you are doing well!!  I wanted to take a moment to ask you to co-author HB 2335 and that you vote yes on HB 2335 on the senate floor.
This bill does not change current school vaccine law or prohibit businesses from mandating vaccines. It only restricts government entities in the state from denying services to individuals who decline to be vaccinated or who decline to have their children vaccinated.

Name
Address

Two Action Alerts for Wednesday 3/7!

It is a big week! Tomorrow, April 6th, is voting day for many local elections. You can use this link to look up your sample ballot, and then use the OKHPR voting guide to cast a vote for an endorsed candidate.

On Wednesday two bills will be heard. SB 747 will be heard at 9 AM in the House Insurance Committee. At 10 AM SB 658 will be heard in the House Public Health Committee. Separate emails will need to be sent to both of these committees.

SB 747 – Prohibiting insurer from discriminating against insured based on vaccination status

This bill prevents a policyholder from losing coverage or having their rates raised because they choose to not get a certain vaccine.

Step 1: Open an email message and copy and paste the following email addresses into the ‘cc’ portion of the email.

 chris.sneed@okhouse.gov, dean.davis@okhouse.gov, brian.hill@okhouse.gov, tj.marti@okhouse.gov, marcus.mcentire@okhouse.gov, todd.russ@okhouse.gov, kevin.wallace@okhouse.gov

Step 2: In the subject line for the insurance committee email write “Yes on SB 747” *If your senator is a member of this committee add “FROM YOUR CONSTITUENT” to the subject line*

Step 3: Write a short and polite email about why you support this bill. Representatives are asking for parents to include their personal stories of being turned away by doctors and of vaccine injury. Keep your email short but include these stories!

Step 4: End your emails with your name and full address.

Sample email:

Hi Representative
Hope you are doing well!!  I wanted to take a moment to ask for your yes vote on SB 747. 
This bill is a protective measure designed to prevent a policy holder from losing coverage or having their rates raised because they choose to not get a certain vaccine.
Name & Address

Step 5: Call each Representative and ask that they vote yes on SB 747

Representative Sneed: 405-557-7310

Representative Davis: 405-557-7362

Representative Hill: 405-557-7333

Representative Marti: 405-557-7356

Representative McEntire: 405-557-7327

Representative Russ: 405-557-7312

Representative Wallace: 405-557-7368

 

SB 658 – Requiring school districts to provide vaccine exemption information to parents  *There is a new amendment on this bill! Click the link to read it!*

This bill gives truth about the exemption law and mask choices to parents that are grounded in science.

Step 1: Open an email message and copy and paste the following email addresses into the ‘cc’ portion of the email.

cynthia.roe@okhouse.gov, toni.hasenbeck@okhouse.gov, sherrie.conley@okhouse.gov, dell.kerbs@okhouse.gov, marcus.mcentire@okhouse.gov, carl.newton@okhouse.gov, marilyn.stark@okhouse.gov, wendi.stearman@okhouse.gov

Step 2: In the subject line for the insurance committee email write “Yes on SB 658” *If your senator is a member of this committee add “FROM YOUR CONSTITUENT” to the subject line*

Step 3: Write a short and polite email about why you support this bill. Include your stories and screenshots (if you have them) of misleading school enrollment announcements and how mask mandates at school have effected your children.

Step 4: End your emails with your name and full address.

Sample Email:
Hi Representative,
Hope you are doing well!!  I wanted to take a moment to ask for your yes vote on SB 658. 
This bill gives parents the truth about vaccine exemption laws and provides mask choices to parents that are grounded in science.
Name & Address

Step 5: Call each Representative and ask that they vote yes on SB 658

Representative Roe: 405-557-7365

Representative Hasenbeck: 405-557-7305

Representative Conley: 405-557-7308

Representative Kerbs: 405-557-7345

Representative McEntire: 405-557-7327

Representative Newton: 405-557-7339

Representative Stark: 405-557-7403

Representative Stearman: 405-557-7358

 

You can also join us at the State Capitol on Wednesday at 9 AM to watch the committees. They meet in room 4S5 on the 5th floor. Please arrive early to grab a seat. Alternatively, you can also watch from home using this link.