Monday, April 28 to Thursday, May 1, 2008

Monday, April 28

• The Senate met Monday and approved the following legislation:

-SB 539 by Sen. Randy Bass, provides that the spouse of a package store license holder or partner is not deemed to be a partner or have a beneficial interest in a package store unless his or her name appears on the license.

-SB 1392 by Sen. Johnnie Crutchfield, exempts the Trucking One-Stop Shop Fund from being subject to legislative appropriation.

-SB 1453 by Sen. Roger Ballenger, adds metal beer kegs that are clearly marked as being the property of the beer manufacturer to the list of items junk dealers are prohibited from purchasing without proof that the seller owns the item.

-SB 1463 by Sen. James A. Williamson, prohibits the operation, sale, use or offer of any computer software or service that allows a person to remotely control a firearm or weapon to hunt any live animal or bird.

-SB 1507 by Sen. Jay Paul Gumm, requires reports, administrative rules, budget work programs and requests and any other document to be filed with the Governor and leaders of the Legislature electronically.

-SB 1641 by Sen. Mike Mazzei, states that elected officials who become members of the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System on or after July 1, 2008, will receive retirement benefits based on existing contribution rates and the member’s highest annual compensation received as an elected official and only for those years of credited service as an elected official.

-SB 1662 by Sen. Don Barrington, allows incorporated cities and towns to permit landowners of agricultural land located within the city to burn debris originating from their property following a flood or other natural disaster.

-SB 1673 by Sen. Don Barrington, authorizes agencies to request national criminal history records checks on all persons authorized to access or review national criminal history records checks information.

-SB 1685 by Sen. Jim Wilson, modifies language related to funds paid toward a mutual investment certificate or funds paid toward any other interest in a banking or financial organization which is presumed abandoned unless the owner within five years has met specified conditions.

-SB 1766 by Sen. Charles Wyrick, authorizes the Oklahoma Conservation Commission to establish and maintain an Equipment Revolving Fund to be used to loan conservation districts funds to buy equipment for installing conservation practices.

-SB 1839 by Sen. Kenneth Corn, clarifies language related to the Uniform Arbitration Act and adds contracts between insurance companies to the Act’s jurisdiction.

-SB 1872 by Sen. Earl Garrison, adds an exemption within the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Commission that only the ex-officio member shall be able to seek elected office.

-SB 2000 by Sen. Randy Brogdon, changes the name of the Youth Suicide Prevention Act to the Suicide Prevention Act.

-SB 2163 by Sen. Debbe Leftwich, permits courts to order certain defendants to use Global Positioning System monitoring devices as a condition of pretrial release.

-SB 2186 by Sen. Tom Ivester, creates a Task Force on the Effect of Alzheimer’s Disease on Oklahoma.

-SB 811 by Sen. Charlie Laster, provides inmates in pretrial detention or custody of a county jail the opportunity to receive necessary medical care for a preexisting condition, the cost of which is the responsibility of the inmate.

• Senate committees took no action on Monday.

• The House convened Monday and rejected Senate amendments to 13 House bills.

• House committees took no action on Monday.

Tuesday, April 29

• The Senate met Tuesday and approved the following bills:

-SB 1181 by Sen. Jeff Rabon, modifies reference from the Oklahoma Transportation Authority to the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority as it relates to construction management and design consultant services.

-SB 1186 by Sen. Mary Easley, increases the amount of physical education or exercise required for public elementary school students from 60 minutes to 120 minutes each week.

-SB 1390 by Sen. Tom Adelson, exempts the Oklahoma College Savings Plan from being considered in determining eligibility for temporary assistance for needy families, Medicaid and food stamps, if federal rules permit.

-SB 1595 by Sen. Jonathan Nichols, authorizes the staff of the Office of Accountability Systems and independent contractors performing internal investigative services to be directly supervised by the director of the Office.

-SB 1608 by Sen. Jay Paul Gumm, modifies language related to the definition of “current net price” for certain vehicle contracts.

-SB 1675 by Sen. Don Barrington, authorizes the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to disclose investigative information to employees of the Department of Human Services for the furtherance of child abuse investigations.

-SB 1799 by Sen. Jay Paul Gumm, modifies language related to tax credits for qualified railroad reconstruction or replacement expenditures.

-SB 1873 by Sen. Debbe Leftwich, appropriates $11,730,000 to the Employment Security Administration Fund from funds made available by the federal REED Act Distribution to be used by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission to pay administrative expenses to the Employment Service Program, the One-Stop Career Center and the Unemployment Insurance Program.

-SB 1855 by Sen. Earl Garrison, modifies language requiring agencies to make monthly transfers of money deposited in clearing accounts, removing language that exempted state parks and lodges under the control of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department.

• Senate committees took no action on Tuesday.

• The House on Tuesday approved the following resolutions before rejecting Senate amendments on 13 House bills:

-HCR 1076 by Rep. Joe Dorman, declares April 29, 2008, to be Meningitis Awareness Day and encourages education concerning the disease.

-HCR 1078 by Rep. Anastasia Pittman, declares April 29, 2008, as Infant Mortality Awareness Day.

• House committees took no action on Tuesday.

Wednesday, April 30

• The Senate met Wednesday and approved the following bills:

-SCR 89 by Sen. Jay Paul Gumm, recalled SB 1507 from the Governor’s desk.

-SB 1577 by Sen. Debbe Leftwich, creates the Oklahoma Anesthesiologist Assistant Act, directing the State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision to examine and license qualified applicants.

-SB 498 by Sen. Susan Paddack, declares it the goal of the Legislature to encourage the recycling of at least 10 percent of the entire solid waste stream of the state by Dec. 31, 2011.

-SB 1558 by Sen. Jay Paul Gumm, extends from Jan. 1, 2009, to Jan. 1, 2010, the one-time tax credit for investment in certain clean-burning motor vehicles put in service after Dec. 31, 1990, and for electric vehicles put in service after Dec. 31, 1995.

-SB 1998 by Sen. Mike Schulz, adds the definition of “mini-truck” to the Oklahoma Vehicle License and Registration Act.

• Senate committees took no action on Wednesday.

• The House met Wednesday and approved the following resolutions before rejecting Senate amendments to a number of House measures:

-SCR 30 by Sen. Brian Crain, congratulates Grant Duffin for winning two consecutive 3A state wrestling championships at 135 pounds.

-SCR 29 by Sen. Brian Crain, congratulates Randy Tonche for winning the 3A state wrestling championship at 215 pounds.

• House committees took no action on Wednesday.

Thursday, May 1

• The Senate met Thursday and approved the following legislation before rejecting House amendments to several Senate bills:

-SB 1531 by Sen. Debbe Leftwich, relates to the Employment Security Act of 1980 and the Standards for Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Act by providing for certain deadline for Indian tribes to make certain election.

-SB 1612 by Sen. Ron Justice, Creates the Quality Afterschool Opportunities Act to Reduce Childhood Obesity and Improve Academic Performance.

Other News

• The Senate on Wednesday honored Sen. Owen Laughlin for his 12 years of service in the Oklahoma Legislature. Laughlin, R-Woodward, is one of five members elected in 1997 who are serving their final session due to term limits. Members of both parties rose to thank Laughlin for his service, and praised his statesmanship and fairness in his dealings with fellow Senators. Special guests Wednesday included the Senator’s wife, Charlette, daughter Jana and husband John Bushman, along with granddaughter Avery, sons Nathan and Ryan, parents, Dr. Monique and Jerry Laughlin, brother Roy Laughlin, long-time friend Dr. Oliver Seitz, Executive Assistant Guyene Robison and numerous friends and supporters from the district.

• The Senate on Wednesday honored an Oklahoma family-owned and -operated company that has been putting smiles on Oklahomans’ and others’ faces for the past 40 years. Sen. Ron Justice and Rep. Susan Winchester introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 85 congratulating Braum's Ice Cream and Dairy Stores on their 40th anniversary and designating April 30, 2008 as "Braum's Day" at the Oklahoma State Capitol. Bill and Mary Braum built their first store in Oklahoma City in March 1968 and built 23 more stores throughout Oklahoma City and Tulsa that same year. Today, there are 275 Braum's stores located in five states - Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Missouri and Arkansas. Braum's employs nearly 4,400 full- and part-time employees in Oklahoma alone and 4,200 in the other four states.