Early Budget Agreement Mostly Good for State's Children

New statewide polling released today by the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA), in partnership with independent pollsters Amber Integrated, shows overwhelming support among likely Republican primary voters for action to address the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) generated sexually explicit images involving minors. The Oklahoma survey – conducted March 6–8 among 603 likely Republican primary voters – found near-universal concern about the issue and strong backing for legislative and enforcement action. According to the poll, 93% of likely GOP voters say they are concerned about AI-generated sexually explicit images involving minors, including 81% who say they are “very concerned.” At the same time, 94% say it is important for state lawmakers and state attorneys general to take action to stop the creation and distribution of this material. Support for policy solutions is similarly strong. More than 9 in 10 voters (91%) support legislation that would give state attorneys general and individuals the authority to bring enforcement actions against companies that knowingly allow these tools to be used to create sexually explicit images involving minors. Notably, 81% of voters say they “strongly support” such legislation. Further, an additional national survey commissioned by Americans on AI Guardrails & Child Safety shows a majority of voters say risks of AI outweigh its benefits, with 77% of voters in both parties responding they prefer candidates who support AI safeguards for kids. In a recent national NBC News survey conducted Feb. 27-March 3, 57% of registered voters said they believe the risks of AI outweigh its benefits. The respondents also noted that both parties need to do more to protect against the rapidly advancing technology. A second national poll, this one commissioned by the Alliance for a Better Future and conducted by OnMessage Public Strategies, showed that more than 77% of voters in both political parties prefer candidates who support safeguards to protect the public and minors from harm from AI. “This data makes clear that Oklahoma voters see this as a serious public safety issue and expect action,” said Joe Dorman, OICA CEO. “There is broad agreement across the Republican electorate that these types of images, especially when they involve minors, should not be allowed to spread without consequences. “Beyond that, voters in both parties across the nation have grave concerns about the potential harm of AI.” The polls show consistent support across key demographic groups, and the Oklahoma poll shows particularly strong intensity among women and rural voters. Women voters report higher levels of concern and support across all measures, while small-town and rural voters, who make up a majority of the primary electorate, show especially strong backing for action. Importantly, even among moderate voters, strong majorities express concern and support legislative action, suggesting that lawmakers face little political risk in advancing solutions and incur risk by not seeking solutions. The findings come amid growing national attention on AI tools capable of generating realistic, non-consensual images using publicly available photos. Some platforms, including xAI’s Grok, have faced scrutiny for how easily this type of content can be produced and for the potential risks posed to minors. “Oklahoma families want to know that there are clear rules in place and that bad actors will be held accountable,” Dorman added. “This is an issue where the public is not divided – conservatives, liberals, Republicans, and Democrats – they are all aligned and ready for action.” Survey Methodology: The Oklahoma survey was conducted March 6–8, 2026, among 603 likely Republican primary voters in the state. The margin of error is ±3.99%.

There is no question that artificial intelligence (AI) is helping improve many areas of our lives. Researchers use it to analyze medical data, businesses rely on it to streamline logistics and operations, and educators are even beginning to explore how it might support learning in the classroom. However, as with any powerful technology, there are also risks, particularly when children are involved. Over the past several years, it has become clear that the digital world our children are growing up in is changing faster than many families can keep up. When social media first became widespread, many parents worried about screen time, online bullying, predators, and whether their child’s posts might affect future college or job prospects. Those dangers still exist today, but technology has continued to evolve, introducing entirely new threats. One of the newest developments involves AI, which can generate images, videos, and conversations almost instantly, often with no direct human involvement or controls in place. Recently, there has been a lot of attention in the news involving an AI tool called Grok, a part of the social media platform X. Users can interact with Grok directly on X or through the standalone app, making it accessible for even young children. Unfortunately, while the intentions behind the technology may have been well-meaning, reporting has shown that this technology is being used to create sexually explicit images of individuals without their consent, including child pornography. This intersects with a troubling trend that child safety advocates have been raising alarms about across the country – the rise of AI-generated deepfake pornography involving children and teenagers. A report from THORN in mid-2024 found that 1 in 10 minors have friends or classmates who have created deep-fake images of other children using generative AI tools. Nearly two years later, as AI tools have only expanded and become more accessible, that number has likely grown. In many cases, these deep-fake images can be created using ordinary photos pulled from social media accounts. A picture shared online can be manipulated by another user into something degrading in a matter of seconds. For families, this means that a child’s reputation can be damaged quickly if manipulated images begin circulating among classmates or online communities. Victims may face embarrassment, harassment, or even coercion from individuals who threaten to distribute the images further. Meanwhile, parents often find themselves in an impossible position, trying to track down and remove images that may already have spread across multiple platforms. Law enforcement agencies are also grappling with how to address this rapidly evolving technology. Many of our existing laws governing exploitation and harassment were written before artificial intelligence tools made it possible to generate this type of material at scale. That is why policymakers across the country, including here in Oklahoma, are beginning to consider how these technologies should be addressed. Laws have been passed to punish the action of creating AI pornography involving children, but little has been done to get to the root of the problem of preventing platforms from allowing the images of children to be used. While lawmakers may debate the best approach, the underlying concern is widely shared: our children should not be exposed to technologies that can easily be used to exploit or harm them. The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) has long worked with policymakers to ensure that laws keep pace with the realities facing children and families in our state, including on recent Internet safety legislation. As technology continues to evolve, those conversations must continue and adapt with the times. While artificial intelligence will undoubtedly play a major role in shaping the future, the challenge before us is ensuring that innovation, and in turn legislation, move forward in a way that keeps children safe. While the digital world may look different than it once did, our responsibility to protect Oklahoma’s children remains the same. Parents, educators, lawmakers, and community leaders all have a role to play in this effort.

The old adage about knowing being half the battle is very true when it comes to policy advocacy. I am thankful for the partner organizations with which the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) works year-round to promote awareness in not only policy issues. Many programs seek to educate their membership about ways to fully engage through legal means to encourage the best for the children of Oklahoma. OICA offers training and briefing sessions on best practices for this understanding tied to our mission. OICA provides many tools to learn how to engage directly with policymakers, with most of our guides located at https://www.oica.org/advocacy-resources on our website. Here, anyone can download materials for use for classes, conversations, or independent study. I want to run through a few of these as they might help Oklahomans who want to engage in policy work. First, our team has put together both a PDF document and a PowerPoint presentation explaining how to be an effective advocate for shaping policy. This guide helps those who want to navigate communication with policymakers, ranging from initial contact and ways to maintain useful relationships with those who create the laws that govern the state. Phones calls, writing letters, and useful social media posts all can be effective, and we discuss the best ways to engage. Another set of tools for advocates to use is modeled after lessons we learned from School House Rock or in the classroom about how a bill becomes law but adapted to Oklahoma’s unique legislative process. We provide an overview of the current makeup of the Oklahoma Legislature, along with the Executive and Judicial branches for our state, as well as an understanding of the duties of each.. A third set of resources provides an outline of how to read legislation in Oklahoma. This resource also explains the components of a bill and how to better understand why legislation is written in the format which we see lawmakers use. It also describes the process of taking an idea from individuals and shepherding it to become law. The fourth set of documents helps guide the reader through a better understanding of the different levels of government and their responsibilities. Looking at local, state, and federal levels of government, we explain the different roles of each and what policies should start where. We also discuss the multiple variations of local government, including municipal, public school, and county operations. We at OICA take great pride in visiting civic organizations to show ways they can fully engage within their individual interest in policymaking. Thanks to the generosity of donors, we can travel across Oklahoma and present to local clubs about each of these presentations, along with the history of how and why our nonprofit was formed to serve as the voice for Oklahoma’s children. Still, these are not the only organizations that benefit from understanding how government works. We at OICA are preparing a program whereby for-profit organizations, businesses, and any others beyond the nonprofit world can contract with us for presentations on navigating these governmental systems. If you have an interest in having us visit your group, please reach out to us at info@oica.org or at (405) 236-5437, extension 4. In addition to all these resources, we also provide a link on our website to find who represents you directly at the state and federal level, along with sharing different items which can help the reader better understand what is currently happening through policy work. Finally, I want to highlight a document which OICA publishes annually: our Children’s Legislative Agenda, compiled through the work done by assembled advocates at our Fall Forum conference, this year held in October in Oklahoma City. Registration will open soon for this year’s event. I certainly encourage you to join us if you have an idea for a law to ensure Oklahoma better serves its children.

The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) will conduct its annual Heroes Ball on Saturday, July 25, 2026. The event occurs at the end of each summer and is used to recognize those Oklahomans – heroes – who have worked to improve the quality of life for the state’s youngest residents. The event will be held at the historic Oklahoma City Farmers Public Market. Among the highlights of the evening is the presentation of the two Anne Roberts People’s Choice Awards. “The Anne Roberts People’s Choice Awards are given annually to an Oklahoma individual and an organization the public feels deserve special acknowledgment,” said Joe Dorman, OICA’s CEO. “The process begins with nominations made by the Oklahomans and culminates with voting for the winners.” The first step in that process, nominations for both the individual and organizational awards, is now open at https://qrco.de/26ARPCAHB . (NOTE: A QR Code to the address is attached to this press release.) A link to the nomination page is also available on OICA’s website at https://www.oica.org. The Anne Roberts People’s Choice Award is used to select an individual or organization with its sole mission directed at serving youth through their primary work, paid or volunteer. We would like to see nominations come in for people or programs that have demonstrated excellence in improving the lives of Oklahoma’s youth through their mission or job.  Nominations will close at 5 p.m., Friday, May 15. “From the nominations, the finalists are narrowed down by a committee of OICA board members,” Dorman said. “Then, the people will be able to vote to choose the winners in both the individual and organization categories.” Once finalists are selected, they will submit videos and biographical information that will be available for interested individuals to view on the OICA website and social media before they cast their votes, which also will occur online. People may vote for a finalist in each category. The Heroes Ball is an annual gala to recognize the state’s champions for children and raise funds for OICA’s ongoing mission of child advocacy. To learn more about how to purchase tickets, donate charity auction items, or become a sponsor of the Heroes Ball, please call (405) 236-KIDS (5437), Extension 5 or contact OICA Program Director Licia Walters at lwalters@oica.org .

Judges judging chili – Several members of the Oklahoma Judicial Branch took part in OICA’s Child Advocacy Day & Chili Cook-Off by serving as judges for the chili competition. Those who judged were (from left) State Supreme Court Justice Noma Gurich, District Judge Natalie Mai, state Supreme Court Vice Chief Justice Dana Kuehn, District Judge Thad Balkman, Special Judge Nichole Gillett and District Judge Sheila Stinson. (Courtesy Photo) On Tuesday, March 10, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) held our annual advocacy day at the State Capitol. Each year, we invite youth-serving organizations to attend and use the opportunity to network with lawmakers and others who might be visiting the Capitol during one of the busiest days of the legislative session. The event provides an amazing chance for them to promote the work they each do to benefit children in our state. We also ask each program to make a pot of chili, and we have this also serve as a competition between the organizations, because one of the things I learned over my 31 years of working in and around that building is that people enjoy the opportunity for a meal if they are too busy to leave. I am pleased to report that we had 34 programs set up and that many chili entries for the competition. The competition was fierce, but Sunbeam Family Services won first place, the Cherokee Nation got second, and St. Francis Ministries placed third. The People’s Choice winner, determined by donations, was True Wireless. The best themed entry was the Oklahoma Primary Care Association, named through votes cast by lawmakers and their executive/legislative assistants. The best entry by a public servant went to Reps. John Waldron and Mickey Dollens with their team effort. This was the first year we were inside the Capitol for the cook-off; in past years, we held the event in the Capitol parking lot. The only hiccup we faced with moving the event inside was the overload to the electrical system. We feel confident we have a fix for next year’s event. We are very grateful to our chili judges, each of whom sampled each of the entries, which could not have been an easy task even with all of them being delicious. Each year, we ask members of the different courts in Oklahoma to do this over their lunch hour. We were honored to have Supreme Court Justices Noma Gurich and Dana Kuehn participate, along with Judges Thad Balkman, Nichole Gillett, Natalie Mai, and Sheila Stinson. Of course, in line with the fun, we had a purpose: to help the participants “break the ice” to meet lawmakers and those who make the process of the capitol operate smoothly. I heard from most of the folks in attendance how valuable the day was for them to promote all that they do for children, and we hope to continue growing this event in years to come. Additionally, we used this opportunity to invite folks to come to the Capitol and serve as citizen lobbyists to promote ideas that they would like to see become law from the multiple bills going through the process which would improve the lives of children, or in contrast, voice concerns over an issue which they feel might not feel are being addressed properly. Thank you to all who joined us! It was great seeing so many attend in support, including members of the OICA’s leadership program, Advocacy Boot Camp. I want to thank those organizations who registered and participated, which include the winners listed above, along with Conscious Community Strategies, DentaQuest / Liberty Dental Plan, OKCare, the Center for Children & Families, CREOKS Health Services, Peppers Ranch Foster Community, Southern Plains Tribal Health Board, Reach Out & Read, Pioneer Library System, the Oklahoma Education Association, the Oklahoma Office of Family Representation, the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness, Count Me In 4 Kids, the Cherokee Nation, The PATH Children's Advocacy Center, the Oklahoma Indian Child Welfare Association, Mindful Resolutions, TRC - The Recovery Center, Kiwanis - Downtown OKC, the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth, Rococo on Western, New World Comic Super Hero School, Pivot, Birthright Living Legacy and Oklahoma Complete Health. If you have a youth-serving organization that would like to be a part of this next year, make plans now for mid-March in 2027 to join the fun, fellowship, and advocacy effort! 

As we discussed last week, the Oklahoma Legislature continues to move several potential laws forward for the 2026 session over the past month. Lawmakers have held committee meetings to initially consider the bills filed for 2026. The ones that survived committees will now be scheduled by the majority floor leaders – Rep. Josh West, R-Grove, in the House of Representatives, and Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, in the Senate – along with their teams who develop the House’s and Senate’s daily agendas. As I noted in last week’s column, if a bill would cost money, despite the value of the idea, the chance of it becoming law is slim. A good idea may pass with language stating, “if funds are available” and then not receive sufficient appropriations to function. House Bill 1016, by Rep. Michelle McCane, D-Tulsa, and Sen. Michael Bergstrom, R-Adair, would create protection for minors who appear in online content created by adults, including their parents. This legislation would require compensation, trust funds, and protections under the law included in monetized online content. Minors would be engaged in content creation work if they appear in at least 30 percent of a creator’s compensated video content within a 30-day period or if their participation generates more than $10,000 in revenue. HB 3288 by Rep. Cynthia Roe, R-Lindsay, and Senator Brian Logan, R-Paden, requires the State Board of Education to require, as a condition of accreditation, that public elementary schools provide physical education or exercise programs for students in full-day prekindergarten through grade 5. The amount of physical education or exercise must average at least 150 minutes each week, not including recess. This is an increase from the current 60 minutes required under law. HB 3636 by Rep. Emily Gise, R-OKC, and Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond, provides that beginning with the 2027 program year, the State of Oklahoma must participate in the federal Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer for Children program to provide supplemental nutrition assistance to eligible children when school is not in session. For those keeping up with this policy, Oklahoma’s executive branch has refused to participate in this program over the past three years, placing a tremendous strain on families across the state, along with churches and nonprofit organizations who work to fill the gaps in feeding the hungry. HB 4421 by Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, and Sen. Todd Gollihare, R-Kellyville, would require Oklahoma Human Services to include fentanyl and methamphetamine in drug screenings during child welfare investigations and before children are returned to parents or guardians. The legislation would require investigators to obtain a warrant for testing if parents refuse a drug test. This bill would make it a felony to knowingly expose a child to fentanyl. Senate Bill 1377 by Sen. Chuck Hall, R-Perry, and Rep. John Kane, R-Bartlesville, would require Oklahoma Human Services to provide foster children who lack a suitcase with a duffel bag or other adequate bag in which to pack personal belongings. Also, as funds allow, the department may include personal hygiene items or other personal supplies. For years, far too many children taken into foster care or moved from placement to placement have had their items placed in garbage bags for transport, so this bill would eliminate that practice. SB 1521 by Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, and Rep. Cody Maynard, R-Durant, would prohibit the design, development, or making available artificial intelligence human-like chatbots to minors, with a penalty of up to $100,000 for each violation. The measure would require reasonable age certification measures to keep the technology away from children. These and other bills will continue through the process, and the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) will continue to monitor and engage in promoting legislation which supports the best interests of the health, safety, and well-being of the youth of our state. Please sign up at oica.org to follow these and other bills through our weekly email newsletter. 

As the Oklahoma Legislature enters its second month of work, there has been much progress made on the proposals the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) supports. We deeply thank all the lawmakers for their work on the many bills going through the committee process and those which have advanced for consideration by either the full House of Representatives or Senate. We encourage you to reach out to your lawmakers if you feel strongly about a topic. A few calls from “back home” truly can make a difference on whether a legislator votes for or against a bill. Many ideas have already been shelved for the year because anticipated revenues are significantly less than lawmakers had last year. Combined with inflation, even some noble concepts simply will not make it through the process. One such idea was in House Bill 2935 by Emily Gise, R-OKC. This would have created a sales tax exemption for the purchase of infant diapers. I have been told that the citizen behind this idea is looking for another bill to attach this as an amendment, so it is possible this concept might become a law, but the original bill will not move forward. HB 1979 by Rep. Trish Ranson, D-Stillwater, would create an Early Childhood Task Force to assess improved efficiency for delivery of early childhood services by consolidating different divisions of youth-serving agencies into one new freestanding state department. A similar bill, Senate Bill 1570 filed by Sen. Paul Rosino, R-OKC, would create a consolidated agency by September of this year which would house the Office of Juvenile Affairs, the Child Welfare Division of Oklahoma Human Services, and other such divisions within agencies. Both bills have garnered much attention and remain alive. Another bill, one which OICA has worked on for three sessions now, is moving forward in the form of Senate Bill 1708 by Sen. Darcy Jech, R-Kingfisher and Rep. Mark Tedford, R-Jenks. This legislation would create a rebuttable presumption in divorce cases that joint custody and equally shared parenting time is in the best interest of the child. Data clearly show that the loss of time with a parent impairs the well-being of children. Too often children are used as pawns during a divorce to punish a parent by continually forcing them into court for custody cases. Senate Bill 1591 by Senator Rosino and Rep. Carl Newton, R-Cherokee, would limit THC amounts in certain medical marijuana products and prohibit packaging which could mistakenly look like candy. There has been a significantly elevated number of cases where children have been taken to emergency rooms due to ingesting these products, so there is hope this will help protect children from harm caused by not safely and properly storing such items by adults. Senate Bill 1806 by Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, would raise the age from 18 to 21 for extended services to Oklahomans transitioning from foster care into adulthood. Research shows that these youth, due to being in the system, have a much tougher time of coping with the adjustment of self-sustaining success once they reach adulthood. This bill would allow for three additional years to provide support for them to achieve successful independence. Finally, we are pleased to report that House Bill 1484 by Rep. Ronny Johns, R-Ada, and Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore, named “Rain’s Law,” has been signed by the governor. This law requires instruction in schools on fentanyl and how to prevent abuse. We at OICA have high hopes this new law will help reduce needless death and harm caused by this deadly illicit drug. I will continue to update you in future columns about these and other bills. You can follow our policy report in our free weekly newsletter every Thursday by subscribing on our website at https://www.oica.org . Please join us for our Child Advocacy Day & Chili Cook-Off at the State Capitol on Tuesday, March 10!

Last week, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, a well-known political figure who first got his start in the public eye by working with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and later ran for the Presidency of the United States of America, passed after a long health battle. I am fortunate that there are only a few instances I can look back on my life, and especially my career, and feel regret over something. One such instance was how I handled issues related to race during my time in elected office. Reverend Jackson’s death sparked such a memory. I met Reverend Jackson twice. The first was when he was in Oklahoma City promoting storm shelters for schools thanks to my good friend, attorney David Slane. The second time, we dined at a local restaurant, along with former state Sen. Connie Johnson. I was fascinated to hear them converse about their experiences with fairness and equality, and while much had been overcome, there was still much to resolve. I grew up in a small town and there were not many folks who looked too different from me, a white kid. Occasionally, a minority family moved to town, but they often did not stay. They were not run out of town as might have happened in the past in some communities, but they certainly did not fully engage, likely due to racial barriers. In college, I had the opportunity to have a roommate who was Black and another who was Indonesian; I never at any point felt we were in any way different. For that, I thank my mother and other influences in my life who ensured that I did not hold views that people were in any way different because of skin color. We live in a changing world, and I do feel that the issue of race is being broken down with each generation, but there are obviously still problems. Part of this comes from those who are overtly racist without care, some from those who do not realize they are being offensive simply out of ignorance, and others who judge rather than attempt to grow beyond that prejudice. Mind you, I am not saying we should not condemn racism; we should, wholeheartedly. The fact remains the practice of solely judging an individual based on their skin color rather than the content of their character exists in our world. It is only through education, empathy, and understanding that this destructive bias will be overcome. I had my photo taken with Reverend Jackson, but I did not get a copy – intentionally. The reason was out of my fear that a photo of me with such a polarizing figure would hurt me in my election efforts. Politicians are risk averse, and I was conditioned into this due to an earlier incident where a person told me, point-blank, that they had looked for a photo of me with former President Barack Obama to run with editorials attacking my views. There was only one reason for that: to alienate people who would have viewed such a photo of us together as a negative and which would have encouraged them to vote against me due to that association. I am not only ashamed of myself for avoiding those photo opportunities, but also that I did not use that platform to influence conversations over division. Now, I realize that I should have proudly displayed that photo and used it to break down those barriers. Today, I have moved beyond my fear of what people think regarding disagreements with me on matters of race. I instead try to influence them to a different outlook, and I appreciate David, Reverend Jackson, and all those who helped me understand the barriers faced by so many. Thank you to those who gave me grace as I have aged into what I believe is a better person. It would be easy to condemn me, but that dialogue helped me grow. I hope that you will take these thoughts with you and do better than I did back then

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