A mother and legislator, Senator Debbe Leftwich authored and gained passage of Senate Resolution 25, declaring Thursday April 28th “Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day” in Oklahoma.
The resolution was unanimously adopted by the full Senate on Monday.

The State Senate has given full approval to a measure designed to boost film and music production in Oklahoma. House Bill 1716, by Sen. Debbe Leftwich, D-OKC, and Rep. Susan Winchester, R-Chickasha, creates an income tax credit equal to 25 percent on profits for a film or music project when those profits are re-invested into another Oklahoma film or music project.

A group of grade school students from Tulsa has helped create legislation to ensure the emergency workers from two of the nation’s worst terrorist attacks will be honored. Senate Concurrent Resolution 14 by Sen. Nancy Riley honors the first responders, or Homeland Emergency Responders (HEROs) from both the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., as well as the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City. The measure, which was unanimously approved, would declare September 11, 2005, to be “HERO Day” in the state.

Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan has announced that 45 of the Senate’s 48 members have been assigned to the General Conference Committee on Appropriations.

“We have found in recent years that including nearly all of the members in the appropriations process allows our budget to truly reflect the values of the Oklahomans we represent,” Morgan said. “Having reached an agreement with the House on sub-committee allocations, it’s time for the heavy lifting on the budget to begin.”

A bill to give victims of rape and domestic violence greater economic protection won’t be heard this session after the House failed to vote on the measure by their April 21 deadline for committee action on Senate bills. State Sen. Debbe Leftwich said while she and other supporters were deeply disappointed, they were not surprised.

Republicans in the House are turning their heads to the problems that come with credit card debt and bankruptcy by killing a bill being backed by the State Chamber of Commerce. Senate Bill 378 would have required students who graduate from an Oklahoma school to take one semester of Personal Financial Economics but was killed when House leaders refused to hear the bill in committee.

Leaders of both chambers of the state Legislature today announced a bipartisan agreement that outlines a framework for the state’s budget for the next fiscal year. The agreement now allows subcommittees of the General Conference Committee on Appropriations to move forward in working out the details of a final budget.

State Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, said he was confident a measure giving tax exemptions to organizations that help feed Oklahoma’s needy citizens will make it all the way to Gov. Brad Henry. Jolley said the measure is extremely important to organizations like Edmond’s Hope Center. Jolley is Senate principal author of the measure, while Rep. Ken Miller, R-Edmond is principal author in the House.

Senator Debbe Leftwich announced today that House Bill 1653, the Graduated Drivers License Act, cleared the full Senate. The measure will provide teenage drivers with more time to develop their driving skills and learn in a low risk setting.

The Democrat from South Oklahoma City co-authored the legislation with Representative Danny Morgan, a Prague Democrat. Senator Leftwich stated that the measure follows in the footsteps of her late husband, Keith Leftwich, who brought the issue of a graduated driver’s license to the forefront.

Republicans are recklessly misleading Oklahomans when they claim the House Republicans’ road maintenance scheme won’t dramatically slash funding for education and other vital state services, State Senator Kenneth Corn said Thursday.

The Poteau Democrat said the House plan would rob $1.4 billion from education over the next 15 years

The measure, House Bill 1218, won approval in the Senate Thursday and is likely headed for a Senate-House Conference Committee.