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State Senator Jonathan Nichols said he was outraged that members on the Senate Appropriations Committee defeated legislation that would have banned inmates from using cell phones in prison. The former prosecutor said he was stunned by the Wednesday morning vote which killed Senate Bill 654. The measure would have categorized cell phones as illegal contraband in Oklahoma prisons.
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Senator Debbe Leftwich announced today that a measure to extend the Oklahoma Quality Investment Act that was signed by the Governor during the last legislative session, has cleared its first legislative hurdle. Senate Bill 755 also renames the Act that was specifically geared toward keeping Dayton Tire Company from uprooting its multi-million dollar industry and moving to another state to the Oklahoma Specialized Quality Investment Act.
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State Senators celebrated “Higher Education Day” at the State Capitol Tuesday by sending Governor Brad Henry’s $500 million bond issue proposal for the state’s colleges and universities to the Oklahoma House of Representatives with a third straight unanimous vote.

Senators voted 47-0 in favor of Senate Bill 745, which contains the governor’s higher education bond proposal. The measure now goes to the House for consideration.

Senate President Pro Tempore Cal Hobson praised Tuesday’s bi-partisan passage of the measure.
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State Senator Debbe Leftwich announced on Friday that she will be principal Senate author of a bill to allow Oklahoma and Tulsa Counties to operate under home rule. Leftwich and House principal author
Mike Shelton, DOKC, said House Bill 9 was the result of citizen outrage over the move by two of Oklahoma Countys three commissioners to disband the county budget board. read more.

State Senator Debbe Leftwich announced on Friday that she will be principal Senate author of a bill to allow Oklahoma and Tulsa Counties to operate under home rule. Leftwich and House principal author
Mike Shelton, DOKC, said House Bill 9 was the result of citizen outrage over the move by two of Oklahoma Countys three commissioners to disband the county budget board. read more.

Dem Freshmen Adelson, Bass, Garrison and Wyrick vote in favor of bill

This week, the six Republican members of the Senate Committee on General Government – joined by just a single Democrat senator – defeated Senate Bill 662, by Sen. Judy Eason McIntyre, D-Tulsa, that would have legalized voting in Oklahoma for convicted felons who are on parole or probation.

The measure was defeated on a 7 to 4 vote.

State Senator Debbe Leftwich, D-OKC, and Representative Rebecca Hamilton, D-OKC, have co-authored legislation to give families more peace of mind when looking at nursing homes for loved ones.

Sen. Leftwich is principal author of Senate Bill 870. Her legislation would require local law enforcement officials to provide nursing homes with copies of the state’s sex offender registry. Those facilities would then be required to display the list in an area accessible to residents, employees and visitors.
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A $500 million Higher Education Bond Issue cleared its first legislative hurdle today, passing out of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, Senator Johnnie Crutchfield, chairman of the committee said.

“Today we accomplished the first step in passing the biggest economic development program Oklahoma has seen in more than a decade.” Crutchfield, a Democrat from Ardmore said. “Our goal is to get this bill through the Senate and over to the House for action as quickly as possible.”
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