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Showing: April, 2004

State Sen. Jim Reynolds is urging Oklahomans to mail or email petitions to U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe to help secure an appropriate location for a U.S.S. Oklahoma Memorial at Pearl Harbor. Sen. Inhofe, who supports the project, said the more public support he receives, the better the chance he’ll have of convincing fellow members to get behind the project.
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Sen. Reynolds asks Oklahomans to contact Sen. Inhofe.

A bill to bring art to communities across the state has won final legislative approval. Sen. Penny Williams, D-Tulsa, is principal author of the “Art in Public Places Act.” She said the measure will enrich the state’s cultural development—an investment that will enhance quality of life and boost economic development.
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Sen. Williams talks about Arts in Public Places Act.

The State Senate has given its final approval to a measure to attract high-paying manufacturing jobs to the state. Sen. Jay Paul Gumm is principal author of Senate Joint Resolution 54, which is aimed at bringing firearm manufacturing to Oklahoma.

“There are parts of the country that are hostile to gun manufacturing. What we want to do is get the word out that we welcome these jobs. Oklahoma has a great western heritage and a college that has a top-notch gunsmith program. We want these companies to know we’d be a perfect fit,” said Gumm.
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Sen. Gumm says SJR 54 is an economic development tool.
Movie Piracy Act Signed

Gov. Brad Henry has given the green light to legislation cracking down on movie piracy. Senator Glenn Coffee is principal author of the measure and said it will give local law enforcement the authority to go after people who illegally videotape movies.

“This is a huge problem for the film industry. The Motion Picture Association of America estimates losses of $3 billion last year because of this type of theft and it’s expected to climb even higher,” explained Coffee, R-OKC.
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Sen. Coffee discusses move piracy law.

UPDATE: Dems Seeking to Stop Gay Marriage Ban Vote in Oklahoma

Former Democrat Governor David Walters has joined efforts by state Democrat leaders to keep the people of Oklahoma from voting on the Marriage Protection Constitutional Amendment at this fall’s general election.

In a recorded phone message to voters, Walters asks citizens to call House Speaker Larry Adair (D) and demand that he kill House Bill 2259, which would send the Marriage Protection Constitutional Amendment to a vote of the people in the November general election.

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Phone message from Former Governor David Walters asking Oklahomans to call House Speaker Larry Adair and demand that he kill HB 2259.

Gov Brad Henry has signed legislation to make sure out-of-state sex offenders with Oklahoma spouses don’t evade the state’s sex offender registry.

The legislation also shortens the amount of time convicted sex offenders have to register with the Department of Corrections and local police, from three days to two days.

Sen. Jay Paul Gumm is principal author of Senate Bill 1096. Gumm filed the bill in response to a constituent who was concerned about the safety of his grandchildren.
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Sen. Gumm says it was imperative for the sake of Oklahoma's children that the sex offender bill be signed into law.

Despite efforts by the Democrat leadership throughout the legislative session to kill the issue, the Senate passed a bill that sends to a vote of the people a constitutional amendment defining marriage in Oklahoma as only between one man and one woman and prohibiting the state from recognizing homosexual marriages performed outside Oklahoma.

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Sen. Williamson discusses the marriage protection amendment.

About 30 of the remaining 149 survivors of the attack on the U.S.S. Oklahoma have come to Oklahoma City for their annual reunion. On Thursday morning some of those veterans came to the State Capitol to be honored by lawmakers. Later, at a press conference, they shared their frustrations in trying to secure a permanent memorial for the U.S.S. Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor.

Senator Jim Reynolds has been working with the group for two years on the project. He said it is high time for the U.S.S. Oklahoma to have the kind of memorial the ship and crew deserved.
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Sen. Reynolds tells the story of the USS Oklahoma and it's survivors.
Paul Goodyear, head of survivor's association, says the survivors of the USS Oklahoma are getting the run around from the Navy and Parks Department for a memorial.

About 30 of the remaining 149 survivors of the attack on the U.S.S. Oklahoma have come to Oklahoma City for their annual reunion. On Thursday morning some of those veterans came to the State Capitol to be honored by lawmakers. Later, at a press conference, they shared their frustrations in trying to secure a permanent memorial for the U.S.S. Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor.

Senator Jim Reynolds has been working with the group for two years on the project. He said it is high time for the U.S.S. Oklahoma to have the kind of memorial the ship and crew deserved.
read more.

Sen. Reynolds tells the story of the USS Oklahoma and it's survivors.
Paul Goodyear, head of survivor's association, says the survivors of the USS Oklahoma are getting the run around from the Navy and Parks Department for a memorial.

Senator Frank Shurden, a Democrat from Henryetta, today called organizations like the Coalition to Ban Cockfighting, The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the Humane Society of the U.S. a “bunch of phonies.”

“They really don’t give a damn about animals or chickens,” Senator Shurden stated. “They are only interested in punishing people.”

Shurden said the City of Oklahoma City confiscated about 90 chickens 75 days ago on January 29, 2004 from a poor Mexican-American family.
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Sen. Frank Shurden says animal rights groups don't care about chickens.