The state Senate on Wednesday approved an amendment that would prohibit elected officials and state employees from accepting gifts from lobbyists.

Sen. Debbe Leftwich, author of the amendment, said it was time for the Legislature to act with courage to restore the public’s trust in the legislative process. Her amendment to House Bill 2196, which creates the Oklahoma Clean Campaigns Act of 2008, was approved with broad bipartisan support.

Oklahomans could vote this fall to change how the state handles funds from the Constitutional Reserve Fund, commonly known as the Rainy Day Fund, following natural disaster declarations. Sen. Don Barrington said his amendment to HB 1519, both of which the Senate approved Tuesday, would get communities and counties their money faster following natural disasters.

Sen. Kenneth Corn on Wednesday was successful in winning the Senate’s approval for two amendments intended to curtail the influence of special interests in Oklahoma’s electoral process and restore integrity to the system.

The amendments were made to House Bill 2196, which creates the Oklahoma Clean Campaigns Act of 2008. The first of Corn’s two amendments would ensure that contributions accepted by a candidate for a specific state or local office not be used in a campaign for a different office.

A bill that will assist hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans facing hunger passed the Senate on Tuesday in a unanimous, bipartisan vote, according to the bill’s co-author, State Senator Andrew Rice.

“When our neighbors are going hungry, all of us are affected – it’s a moral issue. I’m encouraged that all of my Senate colleagues, from both sides of the aisle, share my views and showed they are willing to take immediate action to combat food insecurity,” Rice said.

The state Senate on Wednesday approved legislation that would close a loophole in the state’s Sex Offender Registration Act. House Bill 2783 would require the Department of Corrections to conduct risk assessments of sex offenders who move into the state of Oklahoma.

Sen. Kenneth Corn, Senate author of the measure, said the legislation was prompted by instances in which sex offenders had moved into the state, yet were not held to the requirements of Oklahoma’s Sex Offender Registration Act.

A majority of the Senate shot down an attempt by state Sen. Bill Brown to make Oklahoma's lakes safer on Tuesday. Brown said he was extremely disappointed in his colleagues for putting recreation before safety.

The state could soon be getting a boost in funds dedicated to the construction and maintenance of roads and bridges, following the Senate approval of House Bill 2551 on Wednesday.

The measure would remove language requiring the State Board of Equalization to certify three percent growth in the General Revenue Fund before appropriating $50 million to the Rebuilding Oklahoma Access and Driver Safety (ROADS) Fund.

The Oklahoma State Senate approved legislation Wednesday requiring the State Board of Education to adopt a policy that establishes different levels of content and rigor of subject matter being taught in schools during Veteran’s Day and Celebrate Freedom Week, and that content should be grade-appropriate.

House Bill 2229 is authored by State Senator Earl Garrison, D-Muskogee and Rep. Ed Cannaday, D-Porum. The bill now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.

In late January, just before session began, members of the Senate Democratic caucus announced their intentions to elevate the debate over health care to a new level this legislative session. With several of their health care measures winning approval in the Senate and awaiting action by the House of Representatives, they have made good on that promise, and seem more determined than ever to keep the fight alive.

The full Senate has given approval to a measure known as the “Scum of the Earth Bill.” Sen. Debbe Leftwich is Senate author of House Bill 1897 which strengthens penalties for assaulting a pregnant woman.

“The number one cause of death for pregnant women is domestic violence,” said Leftwich, D-Oklahoma City. “Here in Oklahoma, more than 3,000 pregnant women are attacked every year, and usually the attacker is the father of the baby, often with the intent of causing the mother to miscarry. It is a heinous crime, and the men who do this deserve stronger punishment.”