THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL 58 | MARCH 2025 From the Executive Director By Janet Johnson Marching Into Spring: OBA Members Work To Advance the Rule of Law THE MONTH OF MARCH in Oklahoma often feels like a wild ride. In this 31-day span, we might experience four seasons of weather – sometimes all within a 24-hour period. The happy news is that by the end of this month, we can be fairly certain spring will have sprung. Brighter days are almost here! Those who make a profession or a habit of tuning into the Oklahoma Legislature are also accustomed to a certain amount of unpredictability. Legislative bills that begin as one thing may be substantially changed during the “sausage-making” process. When a bill is finally passed, it may have shape-shifted into something totally different than what was first publicized. And that process is now well underway. By the end of March, the deadline will have passed for the third reading of bills and joint resolutions within their chamber of origin. Then, the process begins all over again in the opposite chamber. I am grateful for our Legislative Monitoring Committee, which stays busy every spring keeping tabs on these procedural deadlines. This year, we have an active and committed group of volunteers currently tracking numerous bills that could impact your practice and the administration of justice. I would particularly like to thank committee Chair Teena Gunter and Co-Chair Brett Robinson, who are leading the committee this year. During our recent Legislative Kickoff event, Ms. Gunter was also a featured speaker in the “90 Bills in 90 Minutes” portion of the program, presenting on the topic of proposed legislation affecting the practice of civil litigation. Other event speakers and covered topics were Kensey Wright, family law; James Rucker, governmental law; Mark E. Bright, criminal law; Anthony Hendricks, The 2025 Legislative Kickoff program, held at the Oklahoma Bar Center, featured a panel discussion focused on legislation expected to be considered during the spring 2025 session. From left moderator Clay Taylor, panelist Rep. Erick Harris, moderator Brett Robinson and panelist Rep. Collin Duel
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTk3MQ==