Thursday was the deadline for filing bills to be considered during the 2019 legislative session. Together, the legislature will consider just over 2,800 bills and joint resolutions. Sen. Paul Scott, R-Duncan, filed 21 bills and one joint resolution for the upcoming session. His final bills were filed Thursday afternoon.
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State Sen. Mary Boren has filed legislation aimed at putting more resources directly in the classroom for textbooks and other teaching materials. Her legislation also requires funding allocated for instructional materials is used for that purpose.
Members of the Oklahoma Senate on Tuesday voted Senator Greg Treat as president pro tempore, the chamber’s top leadership post.
Treat previously served as the majority floor leader, the Senate’s second-highest leadership office, and was selected by Senate Republicans last year as their choice to lead the Senate. On Tuesday during organizational day, the entire Senate made it official and voted to name Treat as the Senate leader.
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On Monday, Sen. Ron Sharp filed three bills in response to the multi-county grand jury’s findings in May concerning the State Department of Health’s financial deception in recent years. The grand jury’s six month investigation found that the agency had been withholding financial information, including a $30 million “slush” fund, from the legislature for several years. The Shawnee Republican said his bills would put into action some of the grand jury’s seven recommendations in order to improve financial transparency among state agencies.
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OKLAHOMA CITY – Newly elected Senator Julia Kirt was selected to serve on four Senate committees for the 57th legislature by Senate Democratic Leader Designate Kay Floyd.
The Oklahoma City Democrat was appointed to serve on the Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, as well as the Finance and Rules Committees. She will also serve on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services.
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