Oklahoma Senate
The Senate has passed Senate Joint Resolution 44, authored by Sen. David Holt, by a vote of 46-1. The legislation, approved Monday, would give the people of Oklahoma the opportunity to measure the current 15 percent cap on the state’s Rainy Day Fund against the total state budget of approximately $24 billion.
read more.Senate Democratic Leader John Sparks announced Monday he’s submitted a formal request to Superintendent of Public Education Joy Hofmeister for a fiscal impact statement on bills currently before the Oklahoma legislature regarding vouchers, or the inaccurately named Education Savings Accounts.
“This request specifically asks for the direct fiscal impact these voucher bills will have on Oklahoma’s public schools once they are fully implemented,” said Sparks, D-Norman, “not the fiscal impact they will have on the state budget.”
read more.The full Senate has given approval to a measure allowing Oklahomans to decide whether to modernize state laws on beer and wine sales. Senate Joint Resolution 68, by Sen. Clark Jolley and co-authored by Sen. Stephanie Bice, would let voters make the constitutional changes necessary to allow the sale of wine and strong beer in grocery stores.
The full Senate Appropriations Committee has approved Senator David Holt’s legislation to make “revenge porn” against the law in Oklahoma. Senate Bill 1257 will now advance to consideration on the Senate floor. Approved Wednesday on a vote of 37 to 1, the measure criminalizes the dissemination of non-consensual pornography, sometimes known as “revenge porn.”
A bill that could potentially save the lives of domestic violence victims has won approval by the Senate Appropriations Committee and is headed to the full Senate for a vote. Senate Bill 1491, by Senator Bryce Marlatt said his legislation deals with how many prior convictions of domestic violence are required to establish a pattern of physical abuse.
Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman, Victoria Vazquez, Deputy Speaker of the Tribal Council,
Deputy Principal Chief S. Joe Crittenden, Miss Cherokee Ja-Li-Si Pittman, Principal Chief Bill John Baker,
Little Cherokee Ambassadors Nathan Lowrey, Max Purget, Maysi Fields, Logan Dreadfulwater,
Kashyah Teehee and Jr. Miss Cherokee Madison Whitekiller listen as a Senate Citation
honoring the Cherokee Nation is read in the Senate Chamber.
Senate honors Cherokee Nation
read more.“It is unfortunate the Personal Asset Protection Act was not given a fair hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Oklahomans of all walks of life and political ideologies support civil asset forfeiture reform. However, Chairman Sykes did not think their voice should count in the political process. I am disappointed but not discouraged. I am resolute and will work to make sure real reforms are put in to place to protect the private property of Oklahomans.
Sen. Mike Mazzei issued the following statement after Tuesday’s vote by the Senate Finance Committee approving SB 1073, a measure that would delay the reduction of the state income tax top rate from 5.25 to 5 percent and eliminates “double-dipping,” which is the itemized deduction for state and local taxes.
read more.The Senate Education Committee has given unanimous, bipartisan support to legislation to eliminate state-mandated End of Instruction exams (EOIs). Under current law, high school students must pass four of seven EOIs in order to graduate from high school, even if they received passing grades in all required classes.
read more.Sen. David Holt, the Oklahoma City Convention & Visitors Bureau, Gov. Mary Fallin, Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman, and House Speaker Jeff Hickman announced today that “American Ninja Warrior” is coming to Oklahoma for the first time and will shoot on the south plaza of the Oklahoma State Capitol.
