Capital update: New laws to take effect
By State Rep. Randy Randleman
Oklahoma House of Representatives
On Nov. 1, more than 350 new laws took effect, including one I authored.
House Bill 2223 allows for easier updating of the Oklahoma Dyslexia Handbook by transferring responsibility of the handbook to the State Dept. of Education. An updated handbook will help teachers know how to spot children who may have dyslexia and better aid them in the classroom.
Discussing the Oklahoma Dyslexia Handbook has led to conversations regarding ways we can address dysgraphia as well, and I’m consulting with the State Dept. of Education about developing a task force to look into this.
I also want to provide an update on legislation I filed during the last legislative session, House Bill 2931. The bill would put a filter on phones that would block pornography from being accessible to our kids, as well as prevent them from accessing websites known to be used by predators to target and groom children.
The problem of human trafficking remains high in Oklahoma and throughout the United States. Since I started working on this bill, I’ve heard from people in other states who are interested in these efforts to stop trafficking, especially of our children.
The bill is still alive and able to be considered during the next legislative session, and I’ll provide updates to its progress through the legislative process during the coming months.
In the district, I attended a luncheon Wednesday to honor two teachers from House District 15, Tanya Weston, a high school science teacher with Porum Public Schools, and Kari Cunningham, a first grade teacher with Gore Public Schools. Both of these extraordinary women were named “teacher of the year” for their school districts. It was great to visit with both of them, as well as Porum Superintendent Dr. Landon Berry and Gore Lower Elementary School Principal Tonya Pugh. At the lunch, I presented state citations to both teachers for their diligent work and dedication to our students. I also spoke briefly at the lunch and highlighted the impact that teachers have on children even outside the classroom. So many kids say they wouldn’t have ended up in a good spot in their lives without a teacher caring about them and giving them direction.
In my 46 years of involvement in education across all age ranges, I’ve witnessed this firsthand. Teachers make an impact far beyond the educational process because of the relationships they develop with kids. A teacher’s impact goes deeper than teaching academics to teaching respect, morals, and values during a student’s most formative years. Thank you to Tanya and Kari for their outstanding work, and to all of our teachers in House District 15 for their service to our students.
As always, please reach out with any questions or concerns I may be able to assist with. My contact information is (405) 557-7375 or randy.randleman@okhouse.gov.
Thank you for the honor of representing District 15.
Rep. Randy Randleman represents District 15 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, which includes portions of Haskell, LeFlore, McIntosh, Muskogee, Pittsburg and Sequoyah counties. Randleman can be reached at 405-557-7375.