Our View: This legislative session brings several important bills to watch.

The Oklahoma legislature is back in session today, gearing up to consider 2,005 new bills and 1,822 still alive from last year. Some of the issues those bills are set to tackle are not immediately compelling, but much of this session’s business will be interesting to more than just the political science majors.

Among the usual political business and budget negotiations, several bills address important, controversial issues and could have drastic results.

A series of bills would loosen restrictions on concealed weapons laws. These potential measures include everything from lifting the ban on concealed weapons in elementary schools to allowing weapons to be openly carried in plain sight to removing the fingerprinting requirement from concealed weapons permit applications.

While some of these bills, such as SB 1785, which would set up a reciprocity agreement with states that don’t allow concealed carry licenses, are interesting suggestions worthy of consideration and debate, the majority of these bills are like the ones mentioned above, which would endanger Oklahomans and reduce the effectiveness of gun safety measures.

The legislature also will consider several bills that would tighten restrictions on abortion and stem cell research. SB 1418 would restrict the use of aborted human fetuses in the ingredients of food products, or in research by food companies.

This bill, based on a 2010 conspiracy theory by an ultra-religious group that alleged Pepsi was using human fetuses in its development process, is simply a ploy to frighten voters and win re-election points due to a non-issue.

In a similar vein, SB 1274 would require women to listen to the heartbeat of the fetus before having an abortion. Sound familiar? That’s because a similar restriction, designed to shame and guilt women into not having a perfectly legal procedure by forcing them to have an ultrasound before the abortion, passed last year and is now facing legal challenges.

Oklahoma has spent at least $120,000 defending prior laws putting restrictions on abortions, the Tulsa World reported Jan. 30. Instead of wasting time and taxpayer money on these repetitive bills, lawmakers should let the legal process run its course and focus on the thousands of other bills before them.

Other important issues to watch include prison reforms, an overhaul of the foster care system and attempts to drastically re-organize the tax code to further limit taxes (and state revenue). More information about these efforts and the specific plans involved will be revealed this afternoon in Gov. Mary Fallin’s State of the State address.

These are some of the bills we’ll be watching and reporting on in 2012. Do you know of any we’ve missed? Email dailyopinion@ou.edu to let us know which bills you’ll be following, and we’ll collect a list to share with your fellow Sooners.

But it takes more than watching and waiting. Don’t wait for the floor debate on any of these bills. If these issues are important to you, contact your legislators today and let them know which bills they should support — and which they should avoid at all costs.