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OKLAHOMA CITY – Legislation creating the State Broadband Deployment Grant Program is one step closer to becoming law. On Wednesday, the full Senate voted in favor of House Bill 1124, by Sen. James Leewright, R-Bristow, and Rep. Logan Phillips, R-Mounds.

OKLAHOMA CITY –The pay of school support staff will be protected during future epidemics and state emergencies thanks to legislation signed into law Tuesday. Senate Bill 807, by Sen. Chris Kidd, R-Waurika, will ensure support staff have the same pay protections during such events as teachers and administrators.

Intrastate crowdfunding is now legal in Oklahoma after Governor Kevin Stitt signed Senate Bill 568 on Monday.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The full Senate has approved legislation to better protect bicyclists in Oklahoma.  Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore, and Rep. Mike Dobrinski, R-Okeene, are the principal authors of House Bill 1770, which would allow people on bicycles to treat stop signs as yield signs and red lights as stop signs.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Senate has given approval to a pair of bills to reduce the number of abortions in Oklahoma. 

Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, is Senate principal author of House Bill 2441, by House principal author, Rep. Todd Russ, R-Cordell.  Under this bill, no abortion could be performed on an unborn baby who has a detectable heartbeat.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Legislation was signed Monday to stop the unfair practice of people being unfairly punished for missing court dates due to being incarcerated or detained by law enforcement. Senate Bill 44’s author, Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, said she was pleased to see the commonsense measure signed into law.

The Senate has given final approval to House Bill 2687, also known as the No Patient Left Alone Act, which would provide protections for hospital patients and their families during declared health emergencies.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Kay Floyd said she was very gratified that three bipartisan bills she’d introduced this session are now one step closer to becoming law.  Floyd, Senate Democratic Leader, said Senate Bills 16, 21 and 22 have now been approved by both chambers and are awaiting the governor’s signature.

Floyd, D-Oklahoma City, said SB 16 is a request from the state’s Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence (SAFE) task force, which Floyd has served on for several years.  The group was formed to address the backlog of sexual assault forensic evidence kits.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The full Senate has joined the House in approving a measure making sure that drivers of electric vehicles are helping support the state’s transportation infrastructure.  House Bill 2234, by Senate principal author, Sen. Zack Taylor, R-Seminole, and House principal author, Rep. Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, creates the Driving on Road Infrastructure with Vehicles of Electricity (DRIVE) Act of 2021.

House Bill 1821 is now heading back to the House for final approval after passage from the Senate on Thursday. The measure, authored by Sen. Dewayne Pemberton, R-Muskogee, and Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore, would modify the Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant (OTAG) program to ensure more Oklahoma students can afford higher learning options.