Press Releases

The full Senate has approved legislation allowing Oklahoma voters to decide whether to repeal Article II, Section 5 of the Oklahoma Constitution, known as the “Blaine Amendment,” forbidding the use of public monies or property for sectarian or religious purposes. It was cited by the majority of the Oklahoma Supreme Courting in a 2015 ruling that forced the removal of a Ten Commandments Monument from the grounds of the Capitol.

Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, is the author of Senate Joint Resolution 72.
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Legislation was approved late Wednesday to give local school boards an alternative to suspension and expulsion to keep unruly students in the classroom. Sen. Ron Sharp is the author of Senate Bill 911 to allow school boards to create a policy where teachers can assign community service for those students who misbehave rather than suspending or expelling them.
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There are currently estimated to be over 300 homeless veterans in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Funeral Directors Association says that statewide they bury approximately 25 indigent veterans each year and absorb the costs of the funerals. On Wednesday, the Senate unanimously approved Senate 1134, by Sen. Frank Simpson, which would provide a funding mechanism for the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs’ (ODVA) Indigent Veteran Burial Program.
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The full Senate has given approval to a measure allowing Oklahomans to decide whether to modernize state laws on beer and wine sales. Senate Joint Resolution 68, by Sen. Clark Jolley and co-authored by Sen. Stephanie Bice, would let voters make the constitutional changes necessary to allow the sale of wine and strong beer in grocery stores.
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The Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 913 Tuesday to ensure Oklahoma’s Army and Air National Guard personnel can protect themselves and others while on the job. The bill, by Sen. Frank Simpson, would allow such authorized veterans to carry loaded or unloaded concealed weapons at Oklahoma Military Department facilities.
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On Tuesday, the Senate gave unanimous approval to a measure to modify the “not guilty by reason of insanity” (NGRI) defense in Oklahoma. Sen. Ron Sharp said Senate Bill 1214 would add a “guilty but with mental defect” defense for those individuals who are found guilty with a mental illness but who also have an antisocial personality disorder.
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