Audio

Senate Democratic Leader John Sparks, D-Norman, issued the following comments in response to the passage of the state’s fiscal year 2017 budget and the close of the legislative session.

Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, commented on the close of the 2016 legislative session:

Sen. AJ Griffin, R-Guthrie, and Rep. Scott Biggs, R-Chickasha, principal authors of House Bill 2398, issued the following statement on Monday after the full Senate gave final passage to the measure which closes a loophole in Oklahoma’s sodomy law. The legislation was written in response to an Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals discussion upholding a lower court’s dismissal of a sodomy case on the grounds that Oklahoma’s rape law covers people who are unconscious and unable to give consent, but didn’t specifically address sodomy under such circumstances.

The full Senate voted Monday to approve a group of bills aimed at helping close the budget gap for the 2017 fiscal year. The finance reform measures will generate more than $250 million that can be appropriated in the 2017 budget as part of a comprehensive effort to address the state’s $1.3 billion shortfall.

Senate Finance Chair Mike Mazzei presented the measures on the floor.

The Oklahoma Senate Thursday approved a measure to eliminate a tax rebate for economically at-risk oil and gas wells, which has ballooned in cost as a result of low commodity prices.