Press Releases

A bill to offer enhanced incentives for job creation in Oklahoma is on its way to the House of Representatives for a final vote. That’s after the State Senate voted unanimously to approve Senate Bill 909 on Thursday. Sen. Mike Mazzei is the principal author of the measure.

“Following the oil bust in the 1980’s, Oklahoma began looking for innovative ways to diversify and grow our economy. One important component of achieving that goal was the passage of the Quality Jobs Act,” read more.

Gov. Brad Henry, House Speaker Chris Benge and Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee announced a budget agreement today that protects the four core functions of government, including education, health care, corrections and transportation.

Those four areas are at least held harmless in this agreement, all while not tapping the state’s Rainy Day fund, leaving about $600 million in place for future needs if necessary.

The task to return professionalism back to the appointment and management of tag agencies took yet another huge step on Thursday with wide bipartisan approval from the Senate.

"Today we have finally settled the issue of tort reform, and now we must continue the more important debate about lowering the cost of health care for all Oklahomans.

“The only way to lower health care premiums in Oklahoma is to enact meaningful insurance reform and the Democratic Caucus stands ready to lend our voice to help bring real relief to all Oklahoma families who struggle every day to pay for health care.”

The Choctaw Nation was honored by the Oklahoma State Senate Thursday for its outstanding support of the National Guard and Reserve as well as veterans. Sen. Jay Paul Gumm, a Democrat from Durant, was author of Senate Resolution 48, praising the tribe which was the recipient of the 2008 Pro Patria Award—the highest honor bestowed for support of military men and women. The Choctaw Nation was also awarded the 2008 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.
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Oklahoma is one step closer to making history as a bipartisan lawsuit reform bill passes the State Senate Thursday with a 42-5 vote.

House Bill 1603, authored by President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, is a multi-faceted measure, including several key components of reform which will improve health care access to all Oklahomans, as well as assuring small business’ health and viability in the state.

Pro Tem Coffee comments on passage of the landmark legislation:

State Sen. Jay Paul Gumm said he was extremely pleased that a tort reform provision he had authored for several years was included in the lawsuit reform bill approved by the Senate on Thursday. The provision would prevent a gun manufacturer from being sued if their product was used in the commission of a crime.
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The Water Resources Board should not have sole authority in determining whether Oklahoma water should be sold to Texas. That’s according state lawmakers concerned about a proposal expected to come before the legislature in the final days of the session.
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State Sen. Randy Brogdon said he was “elated” after the Senate joined the House in approving House Concurrent Resolution 1028, asserting Oklahoma’s sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. An earlier legislative attempt by Brogdon to stop the federal government from overstepping its bounds was vetoed by Gov. Brad Henry.
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Legislation that will help law enforcement solve cold cases, including murder, rape and child molestation, has been approved by the Senate. Senate Bill 1102, by Sen. Jonathan Nichols, R-Norman, would add new misdemeanor crimes to those that can result in the harvesting of DNA. The DNA would only be collected upon conviction of those crimes.

Nichols authored legislation that first expanded the state’s DNA database, which directly led to the arrest and conviction of the man who murdered OU Ballet student Julie Buskin.

The President Pro Tempore thanked the Governor for signing legislation that would aid in streamlining government.

Senator Coffee’s House Bill 1676 moves the Oklahoma Criminal Justice Resource Center (CJRC) out of the Legislative Service Bureau, reassigning its functions and staff to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) and the Attorney General, in an effort to improve efficiency and accountability at the CJRC.

A bill to require full disclosure of adoption fees is one step closer to the governor’s desk. Senate Bill 1029, by Sen. Steve Russell, was given final approval by the State Senate on Wednesday.

“I want to thank my fellow members for their support. Each time this bill has been considered by the Senate it has gotten unanimous approval,” said Russell, R-Oklahoma City. “I believe all of us want to do what we can to improve the adoption process in our state and help more children find loving, adoptive parents.”
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A bill to require full disclosure of adoption fees is one step closer to the governor’s desk. Senate Bill 1029, by Sen. Steve Russell, was given final approval by the State Senate on Wednesday.

“I want to thank my fellow members for their support. Each time this bill has been considered by the Senate it has gotten unanimous approval,” said Russell, R-Oklahoma City. “I believe all of us want to do what we can to improve the adoption process in our state and help more children find loving, adoptive parents.”
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Senator John Ford said Wednesday he was disappointed the Governor vetoed Senate Bill 586 which allows charter schools to be sponsored by a federally recognized Indian tribe.

Ford, author of SB 586, said Wednesday that the Governor’s veto prevents students and parents from receiving quality choices in education.

The state Senate on Wednesday approved a resolution urging the United States Senate to reject the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Sen. Dan Newberry, Senate author of House Concurrent Resolution 1033, said the U.S. government should work to strengthen the rights of parents, rather than adopting international treaties that could weaken the foundation of the family.
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Child abuse victims will be receiving help and protection sooner under a new law signed this week. House Bill 1738, by Rep. Ron Peters and Sen. Gary Stanislawski, amends the Oklahoma Child Abuse Reporting and Prevention Act to include “or other health care professional” to the list of persons required to report suspected abuse or neglect of a child.

The Governor recently signed two environmental bills that could help make Oklahoma a national leader on such issues. Sen. David Myers is the author of SB 679 which re-creating the Oklahoma Geological Storage of Carbon Dioxide Task Force. He also authored SB 953 which creates the Oklahoma Clean Energy Independence Commission.
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A concurrent resolution asking the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture to name their complex the “Clem Rogers McSpadden Agricultural Complex” was approved by the House of Representatives after winning unanimous approval in the Senate on Monday.

McSpadden was a former President Pro Tempore of the Senate, but had also won international acclaim as a professional rodeo announcer. He was a fifth generation rancher and the great-nephew of Oklahoma humorist Will Rogers. McSpadden, who was also a U.S. Congressman, died in 2008 at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
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Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee praised the passage of Senate Bill 932, which creates the Victims Rights to Protection Task Force.

The purpose of the task force is to study the needs and ability of victims to lawfully defend against harmful conduct and the right to self protection. One main objective during the study will be to determine the merit of allowing those who have sought protection from an emergency Victim’s Protective Order (VPO) to obtain an emergency concealed carry license for their protection.

Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee said he is encouraged by the signing of Senate Bill 622 that will make the process of organ donation more efficient and more accessible.

The Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, Senate Bill 622, mirrors similar laws in various states that help families throughout the nation receive vital organs for their loved ones. Families are often put through unnecessary waiting periods and paperwork from state to state in order to obtain an organ donation for a family member.