2026 Regular Session
SB1545
Cities and towns; creating the Yes In God's Backyard Act; allowing faith-based organizations to apply to construct certain project. Emergency.
Legislative progress
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This summary includes only completed milestones supported by recorded actions. It does not predict the next step, and it preserves later committee reassignments, concurrence, conference, veto, and approval actions when they occur.
Partner positions
Dislikes
The OKGOP platform states we believe in sunset laws, zero based budgeting and performance audits to justify government programs.
SB 1545 sounds like it protects religious freedom, but in reality it eliminates local control. As written, it removes cities’ and counties’ authority over zoning for all religious institutions—churches, mosques, satanic temples, and others—regardless of community impact. Even more concerning, it shifts decision-making power to the Oklahoma Housing Finance Authority, an agency with no zoning or land-use expertise. That’s not limited government—that’s state overreach. Zoning exists to protect safety, infrastructure, and neighborhoods—not to restrict worship. Religious liberty does not require stripping communities of their voice. This bill centralizes power, sets a dangerous precedent.
No public reasoning provided.
Committee referrals
February 3, 2026 · Senate
Local and County Government
Instrument history
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This is the complete recorded action history in the current source package. Highlighted entries are marked as significant by the source. A roll-call link appears only when a vote-like action has one unambiguous same-day chamber vote.
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Senate Second Reading referred to Local and County Government
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Senate Authored by Senator Kirt
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Senate First Reading