Press Releases

The Oklahoma State Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 982 Tuesday, a bill that includes education reforms that are reminiscent of those proposed by former Gov. Frank Keating during his tenure in office.

Senate Bill 982, by Senate Appropriations Chairman Mike Morgan, D-Stillwater, contains Governor Brad Henry’s Achieving Classroom Excellence initiative.

A measure designed to make sure more parents buckle up their children is heading to the House of Representatives. That’s after the Senate approved the bill Monday evening. Senate Bill 799 would boost the current fine for failing to use proper child restraints from $10 and up to $15 in court costs to $50 plus court costs.

Senator Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, is principal author of the measure. He felt the current $10 fine is not enough to persuade parents that failing to buckle up their children is not in their best interests.
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Two bills aimed at helping Oklahoma students become healthier and more fit have won Senate approval. The measures, authored by Senator Bernest Cain, would ensure schools offer more nutritional foods as well as physical education for students.
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A bill providing Oklahoma’s disabled veterans with tax breaks passed the Senate today on a bi-partisan majority vote. Passage of Senate Bill 17, authored by Senator Kenneth Corn, (D-Poteau) completes all portions of Governor Henry’s Operation Homefront Initiative.

Corn said the measure exempts veterans who are 100 percent disabled and their spouses, from paying excise taxes on the vehicles they purchase. The measure also reduces the cost of vehicle registration for disabled veterans from $85 to a ceremonial $1.
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Legislation that will toughen the math curriculum in Oklahoma’s secondary schools and increase graduation requirements for high seniors passed out of the Oklahoma State Senate Tuesday on a unanimous 46-0 vote.

Senate Bill 982, authored by Senate Appropriations Chairman Mike Morgan, contains Governor Brad Henry’s Achieving Classroom Excellence initiative and focuses on improving math instruction at the secondary level.
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A measure passed by the State Senate will allow Oklahoma school districts to further their ability to check potential employers by providing them direct access to the state Sex Offender Registry.
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"Like Governor Henry, it is my hope that Speaker Hiett will move quickly to consider the Higher Education bond plan developed by the college presidents and State Regents. Each time interest rates tick up -- even the slightest bit-- it costs us millions of dollars in additional interest on the bonds. For example, one day earlier this week, a slight increase in interest rates cost the state $10 million.

"As the House author of Senate Bill 745, Speaker Hiett can move it through the House quickly and can ensure the same kind of unanimous support it received in the Senate. read more.

State Senator Jeff Rabon defended SB 768 on Friday, saying the measure would protect Oklahoma service stations and convenience stores from massive retailers based out-of-state. He said without it, many locally- owned stations could be forced out of business, giving big retailers a virtual monopoly.
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The Oklahoma State Senate approved a measure Wednesday to clarify language of how juveniles are to be handled in the drug court system.

Senate Bill 740, authored by Senator David Myers, creates the Juvenile Drug Court Act which allows juvenile drug courts to function within the current juvenile system.
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A pair of bills aimed to lower prescription drug costs for Oklahomans cleared a legislative hurdle today, said Senator Tom Adelson.

Adelson, A Democrat from Tulsa and author of the two measures, said the vote was an important step forward in the battle to reduce prescription drug costs.

The State Senate has approved a bill to provide Oklahoma nursing homes with postings of sex offender notifications. Senator Debbe Leftwich is principal author of the SB 870. Leftwich said the bill was designed to give families greater peace of mind.
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State Senators overwhelmingly approved legislation Friday aimed at enticing more doctors to open medical practices in rural Oklahoma communities.

“The availability of healthcare is a very real concern in a lot of smaller communities across our state,” said Senator Kenneth Corn, D-Poteau. “The passage of Senate Bill 335 offers a true financial incentive for doctors to provide much needed medical services in places that are currently under-served.”

SB 335 is authored by Senator Gilmer Capps, D-Snyder.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, Senator Randy Bass, said a bill providing a $250,000 life insurance policy for Oklahoma guard members cleared another legislative hurdle today as it passed out of the Senate with bi-partisan support.

A Democratic proposal that will cut taxes by $402 million over the next four years won approval in the State Senate Wednesday.

The Helping Oklahomans Prosper Economically proposal is targeted to benefit working families, retirees and small business, said Senator Jay Paul Gumm, author of the proposal.

"This isn't another tax cut for the rich. HOPE cuts taxes the most for the people who can afford them the least," said Gumm, a Democrat from Durant.
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A measure that would have required candidates for office to pickup their campaign signs along state road and highway right-of-ways with 15 days of an election failed in the State Senate Wednesday morning.

“The state spends $4 million a year picking up trash on roadsides. State lawmakers, other elected officials and candidates shouldn’t be contributing to that problem,” said Senator Kenneth Corn, author of Senate Bill 603.
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The second phase of a study of women inmates in Oklahoma has just been released by the Commission on Children and Youth. The study focused on women inmates with children.

Senator Debbe Leftwich was principal author of SJR 48, which called for the study. Leftwich said while not surprising, the findings were nothing short of “disturbing.”
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State Senator Debbe Leftwich, D-OKC has won full Senate approval for a measure that would ban campaign contributions inside the State Capitol. Leftwich said the measure passed unanimously.

“I think this is an important day for ethics in Oklahoma. I am very happy that everyone in the chamber agreed that this is the right thing to do,” Leftwich said.
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“I am thrilled that Speaker Hiett has agreed to serve as House author of Senate Bill 745, which contains the Higher Education bond package created by the presidents of the state’s colleges and universities.

“He has promised to grant the bill a hearing the House. As House author, he has the ability to move it through the process quickly and send it to Governor Henry’s desk with the same unanimous support it received in the Senate.

“As part of an agreement with Speaker Hiett, I have also signed on as author of his Higher Education bond proposal.
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A measure that would close a loophole that allowed a former Republican lawmaker to receive his legislative salary while locked up in jail is one step closer to becoming a law.

Senate Joint Resolution 5, by Senator Jay Paul Gumm, easily cleared the Senate Tuesday on a unanimous 45-0 vote. The measure was forwarded to the House of Representatives.

The resolution would give Oklahoma voters a chance to put in the state constitution language that prevents any state legislator from being paid while locked up on a misdemeanor conviction.
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