Teenagers would be able to ring up wine and beer purchases and perform some jobs for alcohol wholesalers under legislation sent to Gov. Kevin Stitt on Wednesday by the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
Senate Bill 1708, by Sen. Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, would allow employee licenses for grocery and convenience store workers as young as 16. If signed by Stitt, the measure would mean underage checkers would no longer have to call on older workers to ring up alcohol sales.
The current minimum age is 18.
SB 1708 was not the subject of much discussion or debate but encountered substantial opposition, passing 57-35 with 51 votes needed for passage.
A similar measure, SB 1784, by Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City, would permit workers as young as 18 at liquor wholesalers. The workers could only work in merchandising and delivery and would have to be accompanied by a coworker at least 21 years old.
People are also reading…
Currently, no one younger than 21 is allowed in a liquor wholesale business.
Other bills winning House approval Wednesday included:
SB 1697, by Sen. Darcy Jech, R-Kingfisher, which would require commercial medical marijuana grows to post bonds of $25,000 or more against the cost of rehabilitating the property should it be abandoned.
In a similar vein, SB 1693, by Sen. Michael Bergstrom, R-Adair, requires commercial grows to acquire authorization for water usage.
Both bills were returned to the Senate for final consideration.
House members spent the most time on SB 709, by Sen. Paul Rosino, R-Oklahoma City, which makes the latest in a series of changes to the leadership structure and requirements of the state health department.
In its current form, SB 709 exempts candidates for state health commissioner from existing education and experience requirements if they have “at least a master’s degree” and “experience in management of state agencies or large projects.”
That experience, discussion of the bill revealed, could include serving as interim director.
Health commissioners previously answered to an independent board, but in 2019 the Legislature gave the governor direct control of the office.
Opponents of SB 709 argued that means a governor could appoint almost anyone with a master’s degree as interim commissioner, then elevate them to the position permanently.
Currently, the state health commissioner must be a physician or possess a doctorate in public health or public health administration, or hold a master’s degree and have five years’ experience in public health administration.
SB 709 also creates a chief medical officer appointed by the commissioner. The position would be advisory only.
SB 709 returns to the Senate for final consideration.
SB 1695, by Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt, which would require cabinet secretaries and agency heads appointed by the governor to file the same financial disclosure statements as elected officials, won unanimous final approval and goes to the governor.
