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The full Senate voted unanimously Wednesday for a bill by Senator Jay Paul Gumm to increase the “zone of safety” around schools, childcare facilities, playgrounds and parks.

Under current law, sex offenders are prohibited from loitering within 300 feet of those places where children congregate. Gumm’s bill – Senate Bill 2064 – would extend the zone of safety to being within 500 feet of the locations. Further, the bill would put new restrictions on sex offenders who enter the zone to pick up or drop off their own children.

The full Senate has reaffirmed three pieces of legislation aimed at protecting the rights of the unborn in Oklahoma and the health of Oklahoma women. Senate Bill 1890, by Sen. Todd Lamb, R-Edmond, would prohibit the performance of an abortion due to the sex of the unborn child. Lamb said his measure and two others approved by the Senate on Wednesday were approved with bipartisan support.
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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.
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Oklahoma’s worker’s compensation system took a major step toward reform today with the passage of SB 1973, sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee.

Oklahoma’s worker’s compensation system took a major step toward reform today with the passage of SB 1973, sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee.

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.

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.

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.
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State Sen. Earl Garrison has won unanimous Senate approval for a bill to make it illegal to videotape assaults and post them on Internet sites such as YouTube. Senate Bill 1981 is aimed at individuals who have prior knowledge that an attack is going to take place, then videotape the assault for the Internet.
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A bill now moving to the House of Representatives contains legislation that will put Oklahoma in a better position to attract high-paying manufacturing jobs—that’s according to Sen. Jay Paul Gumm. The Democrat from Durant said his legislation, which the full Senate approved on Wednesday, shores up his long-term efforts to attract a firearm manufacturer to the state.
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