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Oklahoma Senate
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Showing: March, 2013
Weekly Q & A with Senate Pro Tem Brian Bingman (Week 7)
The Oklahoma State Senate has given approval to a concurrent resolution calling on Congress to enact a balanced budget or see their pay reduced. Sen. Jerry Ellis, D-Valliant, is author of SCR 1 urging citizens to demand Congress to enact a balanced federal budget beginning in fiscal year 2013.
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Sen. Ellis explains SCR 1.
The Senate unanimously approved legislation Wednesday to protect the rights of veterans who are deployed. Senate Bill 466, by Sen. Frank Simpson, would not allow a soldier’s deployment time to be used against them in legal actions.
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Sen. Simpson says bill will protect veterans from legal action when they're deployed.
Cities that want to ban smoking in municipal parks would have the legal authority to do so under a measure approved by the State Senate on Wednesday. Members voted 44 to 1 in favor of Senate Bill 501 authored by Sen. Frank Simpson, R-Springer. The legislation would give local governments the authority to ban smoking on any property they own or operate, including municipal parks and sports complexes.
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Sen. Simpson press conference on passage of SB 501.
The Senate has voted unanimously to expand Oklahoma’s Child Abuse Response Team (CART) program. First launched in 2005, the program uses investigators who are highly trained in investigating child abuse, including forensic interviews of children and case development for prosecution, to oversee and coordinate the investigation of such cases.
Sen. Kim David is principal author of Senate Bill 639 which would expand the number of CART investigators at the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI).
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Sen. David says bill expands OSBI CART child abuse investigators.
Legislation to help give Oklahomans more information about benefits versus costs for student loan debt has been approved by the full Senate. Sen. Jim Halligan is principal author of Senate Bill 156, also known as “Truth in Lending.”
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Sen. Halligan says the bill will give information about student loan debt.
9 out of 10 Oklahomans would see lower taxes or no change
The full Senate has given approval to legislation that would reduce the state income tax rate from 5.25 percent to 4.75 percent. Senate Bill 585 by Sen. Mike Mazzei, R-Tulsa, and Sen. Rick Brinkley, R-Owasso, would be fully effective in tax year 2015 and would cut income taxes by $250 million while actually enabling increased funding for core services, like education. The measure was approved 33 to 13on Monday.
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Sen. Mazzei says tax cut will improve economy and create more educating funding.
Weekly Q & A with Majority Leader Mike Schulz (Week 5)
The full Senate has given overwhelming support to legislation targeting those who plan crimes of mass violence and those who fail to report such plans. Senate Bill 995, by Sen. Brian Crain, carries a maximum penalty of life in prison for anyone who plans to commit a plan of mass violence at a school, place of worship, a place of employment, a sporting event, entertainment venue or any other location used for large gatherings of people.
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Sen. Crain discusses mass violence bill.
Too few college students and teenagers realize binge drinking can be deadly, and many may fail to seek help in an emergency because they’ve been drinking as well and are afraid of getting into trouble. That’s why Sen. Cliff Branan has authored Senate Bill 1, which was approved unanimously on Monday. The measure gives immunity to those who call to get help for a friend who may have alcohol poisoning.
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Sen. Branan says SB 1 could save lives.
