Senator Jeff Rabon said today that he plans to move for acceptance of House amendments to Senate Bill 1190 when the Senate convenes today at 1 p.m. The measure will provide $9 million for rural fire departments whose budgets of have been strapped through five months of fighting wildfires in Oklahoma.

“This is beginning and not the end. I made it clear yesterday that I believe rural fire departments need more money and I have had very fruitful talks this morning with my counterpart in the House,” Rabon said.

Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Jeff Rabon said he’s pleased that the Republican leadership of the House has decided to do something meaningful to boost funding for rural fire departments in Oklahoma, but said the funding proposals in the measure passed off the House floor Tuesday fall short of the needs of Oklahoma’s first responders.

A record $2.4 billion public schools appropriation bill was approved in the State Senate Wednesday on a bi-partisan 43-2 vote. The amended version of House Bill 2165 includes a $3,000 across the board raise for state teachers and an increase in incentive pay for teachers who achieve National Board Certification.
Passage of the amended version of House Bill 2165 comes ahead of Saturday’s statutory “Fund Education First” deadline. It includes $204.3 million in new funding for Oklahoma’s public schools.

Legislation cracking down on underage drinking has cleared another hurdle after winning approval Wednesday by the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety and Judiciary. House Bill 3056, by Sen. Jeff Rabon, D-Hugo, and Rep. Thad Balkman, R-Norman, creates the Prevention of Youth to Access to Alcohol (3.2 Beer) Act.

The Senate unanimously passed a bill today that will immediately restore funds to cash-strapped rural fire departments across the state.

“It is truly a great day in Oklahoma,” Rabon said. “Senate Bill 1190 is a great step forward to give our heroic volunteer rural firefighters the funding they need to continue to keep our families and communities safe.”

The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved a measure that would reform how the state Department of Human Services and the courts handle child abuse cases in Oklahoma. The measure, House Bill 2840, is known as the Kelsey Smith-Briggs Child Protection Reform Act, named for a two-year-old victim of child abuse.

Oklahomans needing free or reduced-cost medications got one-on-one assistance Tuesday when the “Help is Here Express” bus made a stop at the State Capitol. The bus is a traveling education center making stops throughout the country to raise awareness about how to take advantage of the Partnership for Prescription Assistance program.

Senate and House leaders announced today an agreement on a $3.7 million supplemental appropriation which will keep the Department of Public Safety from furloughing Oklahoma Highway Patrol Troopers.

The announcement was made by State Representative John Trebilcock and Senator Kenneth Corn.

Two rural state senators called on Senate leaders to swiftly act to pass the funding plan for rural firefighters that unanimously passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday. Senate Bill 1190 passed the House on a 96 to 0 vote.

“With swift action by the Senate, we can put this plan on the governor’s desk by early next week and provide some much-needed help to our rural firefighters,” stated Sen. Owen Laughlin, R-Woodward, the chairman of the State Senate’s Rural Republican Caucus.

State Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan announced today that the Senate will consider a nearly $2.4 billion public schools appropriation on Wednesday. The measure includes a record $204.3 million in new funding for common education, including a $3,000 across-the-board pay raise for state teachers and an increase in the incentive pay for teachers who achieve National Board Certification.