March 15, 2021 – Legislative Update
Right to Repair bill: HB 1011
Last week marked the crossover deadline in the Oklahoma legislature when bills must pass their chamber of origin to continue moving through the bill-making process. HB 1011, the Right to Repair bill, did not get scheduled for a floor vote before the deadline and is now considered dead for this session.
Thank you to all the dealers for taking time to make calls and send emails to your elected officials. I know many of you did not receive responses, but I can tell you that your engagement was noticed by lawmakers and was crucial to keeping the bill from being scheduled for a floor vote.
We will continue working on this issue in the interim to avoid it coming back next year.
Transportation Bills: HB 2325 & SB 531
On another front, WEDA’s priority legislation to exempt Oklahoma dealers from escort vehicle requirements due to oversized loads passed unanimously out of the House. An identical companion bill in the Senate also passed unanimously before the crossover deadline. Either bill must now pass the second chamber again to be sent to the Governor for enactment. We expect that to happen sometime soon and will keep you updated about both bill’s progress.
An additional note about the transportation bill – the legislation contains an emergency clause so it will be effective when passed. We will include a copy of the final bill when it’s passed to carry in your hauling vehicles to show enforcement officials that may be unaware of the change.
Thank you again for all your efforts this legislative session to make the dealer’s voice heard.
Notification By Eric Wareham
ERIC WAREHAM is the vice president of government affairs for the Western Equipment Dealers Association. He is a graduate of the Willamette University College of Law and Augusta State University. Eric may be reached by writing to ewareham@westerneda.com.
