2 p.m. - Elgin High School Choir And if you didn't know: It's just two weeks until Christmas.......

11:30 a.m. - Lexington High School Choir 11:45 a.m. - Cheyenne Middle School 8th Grade Treble Choir Noon - Claremore High School Jazz Band 12:30 p.m. - Deer Creek High School Choir 1:30 p.m. - Classen School of Advanced Studies Dancers and Short Scene

10 a.m. - Burlington High School Choir 10:15 a.m. - D.D. Kirkland Elementary Singers 10:30 a.m. - Del City High School Choir 10:45 a.m. - Eisenhower High School 11 a.m. - Enid High School Jazz Choir 11:15 a.m. - Frontier Elementary Honor Choir

Pugh has invited members of the Senate Education Committee to invite students from their districts to participate in performances, including choir, music and dance. The performers include:

On behalf of the Senate Education Committee, Chair Adam Pugh, will host a Christmas celebration with schoolchildren from across the state today from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the fourth-floor rotunda of the Oklahoma State Capitol.

Those entities would still make the recommendation for legislative pay and explain their rationale, West said, but the ultimate decision would be in the hands of voting Oklahomans.

West said this would not do away with the Oklahoma Legislative Compensation Board or the Statewide Official Compensation Commission.

"I made a promise to the people in my district that I would attempt to let them vote on whether or not legislators deserved a pay raise," West said.

West is the second legislator to question the Legislative Compensation Board's decision to increase lawmakers' pay, which came after two votes not to do so.

Rep. Rick West said Wednesday he will again pursue legislation that would send to a vote of the people a question regarding future legislative pay changes.

In odd-numbered years between November 1 and November 30, state law allows all recognized political parties in Oklahoma the opportunity to open their primaries and runoff primaries to Independents during the next two election years by notifying the State Election Board secretary.

Oklahoma is a modified closed primary state. In order to participate in a party's primary or runoff primary, voters must be registered in that party.

“Oklahoma Democrats welcome Independents in our elections. We value their voices in selecting our general election candidates. We are working with the State Election Board to correct this error and exploring legal counsel, if necessary,” said Erin Brewer, Democratic Party chair.

In a press release, the Oklahoma Democratic Party reported it voted overwhelmingly at its state convention in June to continue its longstanding policy of including Independents in its primaries. The party said it notified the State Election Board of the decision August 4.

Good morning, early birds! The State Election Board announced Wednesday that no political party had filed a notice to allow Independents to vote in their elections during the 2026-2027 election years. The Oklahoma Democratic Party disputes that.

The filing deadline for bills and joint resolutions is January 15. The 2026 regular session begins February 2. Plan accordingly!

An additional 2,651 bills and joint resolutions were carried over from the 2025 regular session and will be eligible for consideration in 2026. More than 800 of those are shell bills which do not contain any language.

Since the 2025 regular session ended, 38 new bills and one House joint resolution have been filed.

Not every request will become a piece of legislation. The numbers do not include appropriations bills. The House speaker and Senate president pro tempore also are permitted to file bills at any time, and they can allow other members to do so, as well, although they rarely do.

Prior to the second sessions of the 57th, 58th and 59thregular sessions, lawmakers requested just over 3,000 new bills and joint resolutions be drafted for each session.