Talking Education in Oklahoma: Three Bills Senate Passed

Oklahoma State Senate

Senator Micheal Bergstrom

Senate District 1

March 18, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Senator Micheal Bergstrom
State Capitol: (405) 521-5561

Email: bergstrom@oksenate.gov          

Capitol Considerations by Senator Micheal Bergstrom

Talking Education

Since education is a top priority of mine and the Senate Republican caucus, I thought I would review some of the bills recently passed off the Senate floor.

Senate Bill (SB) 148 deals with the ability of students to enroll and dis-enroll from virtual (online) charter schools. This has been a serious problem for brick and mortar schools with students coming and going throughout the year. The bill limits enrollment in virtual schools to June 1 to September 1 and January 1 to January 30 with some common sense exceptions like illness or if the student is in need of drop-out recovery.

Classroom time is critical to student success. Currently, students in public school classrooms across the nation average 185 days a year. Some 4-day districts in Oklahoma are in class for as few as 135 days. This is hurting us as we try to recruit business to Oklahoma.

SB 441 strives to fix this while allowing local input on specific district needs by giving school officials the choice in what school calendar option they wish to use. There are three options:

* 180 days of classroom time

* 1,080 hours with a minimum of 165 days of classroom time

* 1,080 hours with no minimum of days of classroom time if districts are able to meet the minimum guidelines for school performance and cost savings. In other words, the students must be succeeding and the district actually saving money or they must choose one of the first two options. Oklahoma State Department of Education will promulgate rules for exemptions and the legislature must approve those rules.

Some computer classes across our state have been criticized for not teaching much-needed skills for the present and future workforce. SB 593 requires the development of a system for computer science programs in elementary, middle and high schools to serve as a guide to schools for implementing quality computer science programs. It also calls for $1 million in funding to provide training for teachers in this area.

Providing Oklahoma children a quality education, putting students first, is a top priority of mine. I think these bills help move us in the right direction.

-30-

Mending Medical Marijuana in Oklahoma: Here Come the Bills

Oklahoma State Senate

Senator Micheal Bergstrom

Senate District 1

February 27, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Senator Micheal Bergstrom
State Capitol: (405) 521-5561

Email: bergstrom@oksenate.gov          

Capitol Considerations by Senator Micheal Bergstrom

Mending Medical Marijuana

When State Question 788 was passed by the voters this past November, Oklahoma found itself in an interesting situation.

As written, it was a terrible piece of legislation.

The language that voters passed was about seven pages long, but all that most ever saw was the 150-word summary on the ballot.

What mattered to many was helping those with medical conditions get relief from their pain or illness. 

Let’s just say the state question, which was viewed by most voters as a way to do that, created a host of problems.

Now we have to fix it.

We, in the Republican caucus, view it this way.  We are going to create a way forward so that the will of the people is respected, while at the same time ensuring that Oklahoma’s citizens can be sure the medical marijuana products they purchase are safe and meet their needs, and making sure that our workplaces are safe and employers know how they should be dealing with those who have medical marijuana cards.

There will soon be a large bill, a unity bill, which will expand upon State Question 788 to deal with issues like labeling (to be sure that consumers know what they are buying), testing (to guarantee the product is safe) and, of course, workplace safety.

On its heels, there will likely be dozens of other bills attempting to fix issues.

Arkansas passed their medical marijuana laws two years ago. We are currently much further along in implementing our program, though there are issues to be resolved.

For example, the Oklahoma Department of Health is currently receiving approximately 1,000 patient license requests daily. Needless to say, it is a difficult task since it only has 14 days to respond.

The main thing is, as we move forward in this legislative session, that I intend to respect the will of the people by supporting legislation that solves the problems while clinging to the intent of the state question.

-30-

Optimism at Oklahoma Capitol: Making Oklahoma a Top Ten State

Oklahoma State Senate
Senator Micheal Bergstrom

Senate District 1

February 20, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Senator Micheal Bergstrom
State Capitol: (405) 521-5561

Email: bergstrom@oksenate.gov          

Capitol Considerations by Senator Micheal Bergstrom

Optimism at Capitol

There is a sense of optimism in the Oklahoma legislature this year.

Governor Stitt has laid out his goals, demanding accountability, transparency and results. These line up very well with what those of us in the Republican Senate Caucus have been calling for.

The Governor’s focus on education, criminal justice reform and financial common sense in budgeting are just what we have been working toward.

We recently released our Senate Republican agenda which has four major points:

Budget Transparency by creating a legislative budget office so we can get the answers we need to properly evaluate and manage agency budgets.

Government Accountability by giving the governor authority to hire and/or fire agency heads.

Education Investment & Reform by protecting teacher pay raises and building on the momentum from our education successes of last session, and by restoring 5-day school weeks through legislation that provides reasonable exemptions to school districts that can show that student performance is not harmed by its operating on a different schedule.

Criminal Justice Reform Advancement by providing funding and access for diversion programs to those who don’t need to be in prison. We want to make sure that those who need to be incarcerated are put in prison, but those who can be productive in society are offered the opportunity to prove themselves.

My personal goals remain the same as in past sessions. Economic development and bringing business to Oklahoma and nurturing business in our state is a top priority. We need good paying jobs in my district and throughout Oklahoma. Closely linked to that is public education, which must be supported and improved to prepare our citizens for success in the workforce of the future.

And, of course, tourism, which is vitally important to our region of Oklahoma, is an area on which I am also focusing.

Then there are my constituents. When someone in my district has an issue that I might be able to help with, I want to know about it. Just call my office at 405.521.5561 or email bergstrom@oksenate.gov.

-30-

Bergstrom Vice Chair of Senate Transportation Committee: Expanding and Protecting Oklahoma Economy a Top Priority

Adair legislator tapped as Vice Chair 

of Senate Transportation Committee

OKLAHOMA CITY –   State Senator Micheal Bergstrom was selected this week to serve as Vice-Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee of the 57^th legislature. 

“I am incredibly honored to have been selected to chair this committee,” said Bergstrom, R-Adair.  “I appreciate the opportunity to serve in this capacity and I’m ready to get to work as we strive to find ways to help Oklahoma and its citizens prosper with common sense, conservative ideas.

            In addition to being appointed to his newest post as Vice-Chair of the Transportation Committee, Bergstrom also was selected by Senate President Pro Tempore-designate Greg Treat to serve this year on the Public Safety and Business, Commerce and Tourism committees, as well as the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education.

"Economic development and finding ways to help expand and protect our state's economy are among my top priorities," said Bergstrom. "I am pleased with these committee assignments because they will help me to focus on those areas, work on education issues to make sure our young people are prepared to participate in the workforce of tomorrow, and look for ways to make sure our citizens are safe while helping those who have run afoul in our criminal justice system have an opportunity to return as productive and successful members of society."

Bergstrom was elected to the Senate in 2016 and lives in Adair.

-END-

Bergstrom Calls For Caution Following Improved Revenue Forecast

Bergstrom comments on Board of Equalization certification

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – State Senator Micheal Bergstrom indicated he was pleased and encouraged after the state Board of Equalization certified an estimate indicating lawmakers will have an extra $612 million to spend in the 2020 fiscal year, which begins July 1.  The Adair Republican noted the actions taken at the Capitol the last two years have put the state in a much more stable positional financially going forward. 

“Oklahoma’s economy is definitely recovering and our budget situation is far better today than it was the past few years. The Board of Equalization’s preliminary revenue certification which projects the legislature will have perhaps an additional $600 million in revenue than we had for the 2019 budget is a positive sign,” said Bergstrom. “However, we need to be cautiously optimistic. We’ve had to make tough choices the past couple years and we will have to make more this session. Many state agencies have not yet submitted their budget requests and those requests received already exceed the $600 million mark.  Additionally, we have outstanding obligations that must still be met, like bonded indebtedness and funding for teaching hospitals.”

Bergstrom pointed out that the economy is cyclical and that the national economy will eventually slide into recession again and says planning for the future now and not overcommitting will help the state avoid another budget shortfall like it has seen in recent years.

“Education remains a top priority for Senate Republicans. Our passage last session of the largest teacher pay raise in state history is evidence of that,” said Bergstrom. “We intend to build upon that huge investment this session, while at the same time striving to establish our priorities and commitments for the long term.”

The Board of Equalization will return in February to certify a final estimate on how much lawmakers will have to spend in the upcoming legislative session.

-30-

Being Agile in education and the workplace means being able to adjust and adapt to change.

Bergstrom attends 

‘Age of Agility’ Summit in OKC

OKLAHOMA CITY - State Senator Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair, attended the Age of Agility Summit in Oklahoma City on August 30, joining business, education and policy leaders to hear insights and perspectives on what the future of work looks like in the current age of education and careers.

“Modern technology often forces radical shifts in the workforce, so it is imperative students are equipped to meet those challenges and utilize the rapidly changing tools needed in their chosen careers,” said Bergstrom. “In this modern Age of Agility similar to a renewed Industrial Revolution, leaders are now calling for changes in education that rise up and meet the new challenging forces in the economy.”

“For too long, Oklahoma has lagged behind much of the rest of the nation in getting our students prepared to enter the workforce, to excel in the marketplace,” Bergstrom said. “This past session with the education funding package we passed, we sent a clear message to our citizens and to business around the nation and the world that Oklahoma is taking education seriously. Now we need to continue that process, and part of what needs to be done is adjusting our education system to train students for quality jobs today and into the future.

“The Age of Agility Summit was an opportunity to meet with business and education leaders and discuss how we can get there,” Bergstrom stated.

This week’s event in Oklahoma City, sponsored by Oklahoma Achieves, America Succeeds and the U.S. Chamber Foundation, provided a discussion platform for restructuring the delivery of education, including crowdsource strategies and inventive solutions within Oklahoma as well as across the nation. The summit events were focused on improving the education-to-employment pipeline, while crafting strategies to modernize education, training and workforce preparedness.

-30-

Cutline: Pictured at the Age of Agility Summit in Oklahoma City are Executive Director of Oklahoma Achieves Jennifer Monies and State Senator Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair.

Bergstrom Joins Adair Firm Welcoming Georgian Ambassador

Bergstrom joins Trécé in welcoming 

Georgia Ambassador to Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY - State Senator Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair, was recently joined by Trécé executives to welcome David Bakradze, Ambassador of Georgia to the United States, to Oklahoma earlier this summer. 

Bergstrom said Trécé was celebrating the expansion of its corporate facility as well as the success of their growing relationship with the Republic of Georgia.  The company’s involvement in Georgia was initially launched with the purchase and shipment of Trécé’s Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) lure and traps.  This was made possible by Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA), which is a global group implementing a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) project in Georgia.  Trécé sponsored a group of scientists earlier this year to study the BMSB infestation in Georgia and helped the nation salvage a crop from insect destruction by using the company’s environmentally friendly product.

"Trécé is a prime example of American innovation and entrepreneurship. Their products are used around the world and are making the lives of many more prosperous and secure,” said Bergstrom.   "It was a great privilege for me to join the company in its celebration of its success so far and to meet and welcome the Georgian Ambassador."

-30-

Cutline:  Pictured from left to right are Bill Lingren, President and CEO of Trécé, Inc; Sen. Micheal Bergstrom; Brock Bierman, USAID Assistant Ambassador; and Ambassador David Bakradze, Ambassador of Georgia to the United States.