The February revenue report is encouraging, and it’s good to see our revenues meeting projections for the first time in over a year, but we must keep in mind as we craft our 2011 budget that we are still well below where we need to be, and we will plan accordingly as we move through the process

A measure to strengthen state laws aimed at stopping human traffickers has been unanimously approved by the State Senate. State Senator Clark Jolley is the author of Senate Bill 2258, which would increase penalties for stealing or destroying another person’s official identification papers or passport.

The full Senate has given approval to legislation mandating a two year cooling off period before a former lawmaker could become a lobbyist. State Sen. Debbe Leftwich is the author of Senate Bill 847, which was approved with overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate, passing on a vote of 40 to 5 on Tuesday.

The Senate passed three significant education reform bills today. Senate Bills 1862, 2033 and 2083 by Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee all received bipartisan support.

Students and parents in Oklahoma’s two largest cities will see the expansion of school choices with Senate Bill 1862. This legislation grants the mayors of the state’s two largest cities chartering authority, and removes the number of caps on allowed charter schools.

The Oklahoma Senate approved a measure Monday that supporters say would be a critical component of the state’s effort to support small businesses.

Senate Bill 1723 would establish an “Entrepreneur Ready Community” program, helping communities find ways to encourage creative Oklahomans to take their ideas and turn them into goods and services. Senator Jay Paul Gumm of Durant wrote the measure.

While many have expressed concern over DHS’s budget-induced reductions in senior feeding programs, Senator Dan Newberry (R-Tulsa) has been working with local pastors in his district to step up and fill the need for their local community.

Legislation to reduce recidivism and help more Oklahomans pursue better paying jobs has been approved by the full Senate. Senator Harry Coates, author of Senate Bill 2070, said the bill would simply enable individuals who have been convicted of a felony crime and have completed their sentence to later apply for a professional license as long as it is in a field unrelated to their crime.

Legislation to increase access to mental health courts has been approved by the full Senate. Sen. Debbe Leftwich is the author of Senate Bill 2153, which would enable the creation of more mental health courts once resources are available.

“We have the potential to save millions of dollars every year in state spending on corrections, healthcare and public assistance,” Leftwich said. “Mental health courts have been proven to be far less expensive and have enabled individuals with mental illness to become much more productive by giving them access to the treatment they need.”

The full Senate has given approval to a measure ensuring greater consumer protection for renters through passage of the Clandestine Drug Laboratories Remediation Act. Senate Bill 2241, by Sen. Roger Ballenger, D-Okmulgee, and Rep. Wade Rousselot, D-Wagoner, would require property owners to remediate an apartment, hotel room or residence used to make meth before it could be rented to anyone.

The state Senate on Monday adopted an amendment that would allow the Legislature to reduce the salaries of statewide elected officials in the event of a revenue failure.

Sen. Kenneth Corn, author of the amendment, said elected officials should be prepared to shoulder their part of the burden in a struggling economy.