Teenagers with learner’s permits could soon face restrictions on cell phone use while driving. That’s the focus of legislation approved by the State Senate on Thursday. Sen. Clark Jolley is the author of Senate Bill 1542. He said it was important for new drivers to focus on the road instead of their cell phones.

The State Senate passed a measure today to protect Oklahoma's elderly and disabled from financial scams. Senator Ron Justice, R-Chickasha, is the author of Senate Bill 1793 which makes it a felony to knowingly, through deception or intimidation, obtain or use the funds, assets or property of elderly or disabled people.

Constitutional Amendment Clears Senate Committee

The Oklahoma Senate Thursday overwhelmingly approved a measure by Senator Jay Paul Gumm that would protect rural Oklahoma from forced consolidation of public schools.

For more than half a century, artist Jim Lange has let a caricature named Mr. Voter speak on behalf of the public in the editorial cartoons of the Oklahoman. This session Lange and his creation will be in the spotlight at the State Capitol as lawmakers decide on a bill to make Mr. Voter, also known as John Q. Public, the state’s official editorial cartoon. State Sen. Todd Lamb is author of the legislation.

State Senator Debbe Leftwich, chair of the Business and Labor Committee wants to update one of Oklahoma’s estate tax law to include collateral heirs.

On Tuesday, the full Senate approved SB 1391 which Leftwich, (D-Oklahoma City) authored. It would modify the current law and allows collateral heirs to have the same exemptions that lineal heirs have.

Under current law, lineal heirs have an exemption of up to $1 million on estate taxes, but there is no exemption for collateral heirs.

The full Senate has given overwhelming approval to a bill to curb the increasing flow of illegal immigrants into Oklahoma. State Sen. Kenneth Corn, said because the federal government has failed to adequately address the problem, Oklahomans have turned to the State Legislature for help.

State Senators voted Wednesday to raise the annual operational grants for Oklahoma’s 874 rural fire departments to $5,000. Senate Bill 1735 by Senators Jeff Rabon and Frank Shurden on a 46-0 vote

“Rural firefighters have been nothing short of heroic as they’ve battled the wildfires that have ravaged our state for the last four months. By increasing the operational grants, we are giving our rural fire departments additional resources that will allow them to be better equipped should the devastation we’ve faced this year repeat itself in the future,” Rabon said.

State Sen. Kathleen Wilcoxson said Oklahomans can soon take advantage of legislation to encourage the purchase of long-term care insurance—that’s after the recent passage of a federal law authorizing such programs.

In 2004, Wilcoxson authored legislation to help Oklahomans meet their long-term care needs without being forced into poverty. Wilcoxson said the idea was to encourage more Oklahomans to plan ahead for long-term care.

Legislation by Sen. Jonathan Nichols would create a “Zone of Safety” around the children who attend daycare centers in Oklahoma, making it illegal for sexual predators to live within 2,000 feet of a licensed daycare facility. Senate Bill 1708, by Nichols, R-Norman, passed unanimously in the Senate on Wednesday.

“This bill will provide additional protection for our children when we drop them off at daycare centers in the morning,” said Nichols. “We need to make sure that these predators can’t live near these facilities or be around these facilities.”

A bill to ensure school-age victims of violence have a greater say in limiting contact with their attacker is headed to the full Senate for consideration. Sen. Charlie Laster is author of SB 1597 which has now won approval from the full Senate.