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Right now, Oklahoma is only one of less than a dozen states that still has straight party voting. Sen. Debbe Leftwich, D-Oklahoma City, is the author of Senate Bill 16 which would eliminate straight party voting in Oklahoma. That measure was approved Wednesday morning by the Senate Rules Committee.
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Sen. Don Barrington wants Oklahoma's students to better appreciate the sacrifices made by our nation's military men and women for freedom. For this reason, he and Rep. Ann Coody, R-Lawton, have authored Senate Bill 17, which would create "Celebrate Freedom Week." The observance, which would take place during the week of Veteran's Day, would help better educate students about the sacrifices made for freedom and the values on which the United States was founded. The measure was approved by the Senate Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs Wednesday.
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A bill to clarify county election questions that would result in a tax increase was approved unanimously by the Senate Rules Committee on Wednesday. Sen. Anthony Sykes is the author of Senate Bill 1019. He explained the bill was the result of a situation that had occurred in 2004.
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If a bill authored by Sen. Mike Mazzei makes it all the way to the Governor’s desk, Oklahoman’s could see both their waistlines and their taxes slim down. It’s one step closer to reality after the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday approved Senate Bill 118 which provides an income tax credit equal to 20 percent of the cost of health or fitness club membership fees.
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State Sen. Kathleen Wilcoxson is well acquainted with the foster care system in Oklahoma. She and her husband, Lynden, opened their home and their hearts to a foster child whom they later adopted. Now Sen. Wilcoxson is hoping to bring attention to the need for others to do the same. Wilcoxson and the Foster Care Association of Oklahoma (F.C.A.O.) have teamed up to give the Governor, Lt. Governor and every member of the House and Senate a foster doll to care for until May.

Leaving a child alone in a vehicle can be deadly—especially in the summertime. Yet every year there are tragic reports about children and infants dying after being left alone in hot cars. Sen. Susan Paddack is hoping to decrease such incidents with SB 551, the Forget-Me-Not Vehicle Safety Act. The measure was approved by the Senate Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday.
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The Senate Business and Labor Committee on Monday gave approval to a bill that would ban the sale of cough medicine containing dextromethorphan (DXM) as well as spray paint to anyone under the age of 18. State Sen. Charlie Laster is author of Senate Bill 951.
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State Sen. Constance N. Johnson has decided against requesting a hearing for Senate Bill 487. The measure would have required all Oklahoma girls entering the sixth grade to be immunized against the human papillomavirus (HPV). In clinical trials the inoculation was 100 percent effective in preventing precancerous cervical conditions caused by the types of HPV included in the vaccine. The vaccine protects against specific strains of HPV which cause 70 percent of all cervical cancers.
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