Votes at a glance: Judiciary Committee advances multiple bills including charity registration, career-tech counsel exemption, and eminent-domain notice

The Oklahoma Senate Judiciary Committee moved multiple bills out of committee during the session.

Key outcomes:

- Senate Bill 15 34 (charity registration): Sponsor clarified which charities must register with the Secretary of State, set fiduciary standards and strengthened investigative authority for the Attorney General. The committee advanced the bill (committee announced 7 ayes, 0 nays).

- Senate Bill 17 43 (career-tech counsel exemption): Senator Greene said the bill lets career-technical education districts hire outside counsel with education-law experience and absorb costs within current budgets; the committee advanced the bill (7 ayes, 1 nay).

- Senate Bill 11 95 (race-track protections): Senator Saccheri said the bill protects an existing race track’s right to continue operations against development; the committee advanced the bill (8 ayes, 0 nays).

- Senate Bill 12 45 (removal of the 10-year look-back for repeat offenses): Sponsor said removing the look-back could cause lifetime consequences for repeat DUI offenders; the measure passed committee (5 ayes, 3 nays).

- Senate Bill 14 20 (public comments before votes): Senator Mann proposed requiring public bodies that permit comment to hold it before votes or business; the committee advanced the bill (5 ayes, 3 nays).

- Senate Bill 19 45 (landowner bill of rights and eminent domain): Senator Standridge’s amendment clarified when the landowner’s bill of rights must be provided and required an appraisal or damage assessment be shared with property owners; the bill advanced (6 ayes, 2 nays).

Committee chairs and sponsors noted that several items will be refined before floor consideration and that additional stakeholder input (including from the Department of Mental Health on guardianship language and local agencies on eminent-domain language) is planned.