By Rep. Cody Maynard
Addison Couch, a senior at Durant High School, paged in my Capitol office this week. She’s the daughter of Pamela Couch.
Addison is a member of the Oklahoma Honor Society and the National Honor Society and is a recipient of the Character of Champion Award. She’s a four-year All-American and All-Region cheerleader and on staff with the Universal Cheerleaders Association.
After graduation, she plans to attend the University of Oklahoma to major in English Education and to continue in cheer. She eventually hopes to teach and coach and then attend law school.
It’s always good to have pages for the week. They get to shadow legislators as we attend committee meetings and hear bills on the floor, but they also get to participate in their own mock legislative session. They write their own bills and then question and debate measures by their peers. It gives them a close-up look at the legislative process and an idea of the ways state government impacts their lives.
I wish Addison the very best in her future endeavors.
Also this week, we observed Ag Day at the Capitol. Agriculture producers from across the state brought their products or information to share with legislators and the public. Everyone in our state is touched by agriculture in some way, whether it’s a livelihood, or just the food, clothing and other products we all enjoy.
We also welcomed students who are involved in 4-H. This is a phenomenal organization that does so much to give young people hands-on experience and leadership skills to prepare them for the future.
It was great to recognize these two groups.
This was a deadline week. The House finished hearing Senate bills in committee, and the same happened for House bills in the Senate. Now, we have until May 8 to complete third reading of bills on the floor in each chamber.
Five of my bills have passed final committees in the Senate and await consideration on the Senate floor. These include tax credits for anyone who donates to a pregnancy resource center; allowing for the establishment of a transactional gold and silver depository in the state; accepting gold and silver as legal currency in the state; and the repeal of a small wind turbine tax credit that previously expired.
One of my bills was amended in the Senate and has become an income tax reduction, pathway to zero income tax bill.
Bills that pass the opposite chamber without amendments can be sent to the governor for his consideration of signing them into law. He’s signed eight at the time of this writing. Bills that are amended in opposite chamber must return to their chamber of origin for fourth reading and final passage. If amendments are accepted, the bills move to the governor. If amendments are rejected, the bills have one more opportunity to advance, via the conference committee process.
We have five weeks of the session remaining.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve. It’s an honor to represent the great people of District 21.