Monday, May 18 to Thursday, May 22, 2009

Monday, May 18

• The Senate approved the following measures on Monday:

-HB 1509 by Rep. Gus Blackwell, makes it unlawful for anyone to help in any way a convicted sex offender avoid registration, conceal his or her identity or keep information from peace officers.

-SB 313 by Sen. Brian Bingman, extends the gross production tax exemption on oil and gas from horizontally drilled wells.

-SB 353 by Sen. Andrew Rice, creates the Volunteer Health Care Services Act.

-SB 487 by Sen. Susan Paddack, includes volunteers at a federally recognized community health center under the Governmental Tort Claims Act.

-SB 635 by Sen. Ron Justice, directs the State Board of Agriculture to promulgate emergency rules for the establishment of fees and inspections of licensed milk producers.

-SB 929 by Sen. Jim Halligan, modifies language related to ad valorem tax exemptions for manufacturing facilities.

-SB 1152 by Sen. Don Barrington, authorizes the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to sell its laboratory property and directs the bureau to transfer any monies received from the sale of the property to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Revolving Fund.

-HB 1077 by Rep. Lucky Lamons, allows transfer of real property held by the state for the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot Memorial of Reconciliation to the City of Tulsa and directs the city to operate the memorial.

-HB 1919 by Rep. Steve Kouplen, modifies the definition of “eligible agricultural business” under the Oklahoma Agricultural Linked Deposit Program to include any person who is establishing a practice in which at least 30 percent of the practice consists of services for large animals.

-HB 1307 by Rep. Ken Luttrell, exempts from liability for damages any physician providing medical services at an amateur or professional athletic event sanctioned under the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission Act who is a ring official and renders emergency care to an injured participant, except for acts of gross negligence or willful or wanton negligence.

-HB 1481 by Rep. Sally Kern, expands the scope of special volunteer licenses to include pharmacists, physician assistants and nurse practitioners.

-HB 1491 by Rep. Harold Wright, allows employees of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture to use state-owned vehicles to provide transportation between the employee’s residence and assigned place of employment.

-HB 1592 by Rep. Ann Coody, requires any superintendent or financial officer or other relevant employee of a school district who has supervision of or authority to expend school district funds to be required to furnish a surety bond in the penal sum of not less than $100,000 or an amount otherwise set by the State Board of Education.

-HB 1597 by Rep. Daniel Sullivan, allows an attorney of record for a deceased party immediately preceding death to file a statement of death with the court.

-HB 1678 by Rep. Pat Ownbey, expands the definition of “volunteer medical professional” under the Volunteer Medical Professional Services Immunity Act to include a list of license medical professions.

-HB 1753 by Rep. Scott Martin, requires reporting of up to 10 percent of any contract change order if a public agency has a governing body and allows that change to be approved by city managers or city manager designees.

-HB 1800 by Rep. Marian Cooksey, increases from $25 to $75 the maximum court costs that a municipal governing body is allowed to determine by ordinance.

-HB 1837 by Rep. Rebecca Hamilton, authorizes the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation to establish an Inner City Schools Rescue program to recruit and train licensed or certified teachers to work in inner city schools.

-HB 1885 by Rep. Phil Richardson, authorizes the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture to integrate all individual farm and ranch plans in the unincorporated areas of the state that have been written to address local sources of non-point source water pollution in watershed-based plans or with total maximum daily load limitations into a resource stewardship plan.

-HB 1963 by Rep. Chris Benge, creates the Task Force on the Mutualization or Privatization of CompSource Oklahoma.

-HB 2047 by Rep. Danny Morgan, directs the Department of Corrections to establish a program to ensure that inmates have the opportunity to achieve at least a general education development level of proficiency in reading, writing and computation skills.

-SR 55 by Sen. Brian Bingman, praises the service of the late Sen. John Young.

• The Senate General Conference Committee on Appropriations approved a number of appropriations measures and the following substantive bills on Monday:

-HB 1055 by Rep. Doug Cox, adds to the list of actions that constitute an unfair claim settlement practice under the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act to include failing to pay or requesting a refund of payment for health care services preauthorized or pre-certified by an insurer.

-HB 1057 by Rep. Larry Glenn, updates reference from the State Department of Agriculture, adjusting the corporate surety bond amount required for persons who operate, conduct or maintain livestock auction markets to a minimum of $25,000 for persons conducting less than 25 sales in one license year or keeping gross sales of any single sale under $25,000.

-HB 1468 by Rep. Mike Jackson, modifies language related to the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act, providing definitions of “qualified federal contract,” “qualified federal contractor verifier,” “total qualified labor hours” and “qualified labor rate”.

-HB 1575 by Rep. Gary Banz, changes the disbursement of awards through the State Board of Education’s AAA program and makes some monetary awards uniform.

-HB 1888 by Rep. Phil Richardson, replaces reference to the Rural Ambulance Service Districts Act to the Ambulance Service Districts Act, removing reference to “rural resident” and “rural area”.

-HB 2176 by Rep. Jason Nelson, subjects non-appropriated state agencies to a penalty of 1 percent penalty for the first violation, 2 percent for the second violation and 5 percent for any subsequent violations for failing to file a report under the Oklahoma Program Performance Budgeting and Accountability Act.

-HB 2149 by Rep. Don Armes, creates the Agriculture Evidence and Law Enforcement Fund for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.

• The House on Monday approved the following bills:

-HJR 1041 by Rep. Chris Benge, proposes a constitutional amendment related to the appointment of judges.

-HB 2067 by Rep. Skye McNiel, creates the Oklahoma Community Economic Development Pooled Finance Act.

-SB 1013 by Sen. Dan Newberry, modifies what constitutes larceny to include a customer list, business records and information stored in any computer related format.

-SB 611 by Sen. Patrick Anderson, modifies the guidelines governing the offering of evidence of a DNA profile in a trial, requiring a copy of the report on any such profile to be given to a defendant’s attorney.

-SB 613 by Sen. Patrick Anderson, prohibits a court from imposing a deferred sentence or revocation of probation.

-SB 1474 by Rep. Jason Murphey, repeals language related to the annual compensation for the labor commissioner.

-HB 1489 by Rep. Dale DeWitt, modifies the apportionment of gross production tax revenue by removing the sunset date for apportionment of the gross production tax to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board Rural Economic Action Plan Water Projects Fund.

-HB 1707 by Rep. David Derby, sets maximum fine limits for controlled dangerous substance possession and sets a period of time for completion of court imposed probationary terms for expunging records.

-HB 1885 by Rep. Phil Richardson, authorizes the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture to integrate all individual farm and ranch plans in the unincorporated areas of the state that have been written to address local sources of non-point source water pollution in watersheds having state-developed watershed-based plans or with total maximum daily load limitations into a resource stewardship plan.

-HB 2047 by Rep. Danny Morgan, directs the Department of Corrections to establish a program to ensure that inmates have the opportunity to achieve at least a general education development level of proficiency in reading, writing and computation skills.

-SB 832 by Sen. Brian Bingman, authorizes the Department of Transportation to enter into cooperative agreements with the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority for the purpose of replacement, expansion or repair of functionally obsolete bridges.

-SB 1066 by Sen. Bryce Marlatt, increases from $5,000 to $10,000 the maximum allowable purchase amount that can be paid by county purchasing agents in cases where the low bidder cannot fulfill the bid contract and the purchasing agent is forced to purchase from the next lowest bidder.

-SB 1168 by Sen. John Ford, creates a 10-member Legislative Task Force on Achieving Classroom Excellence.

-SB 1184 by Sen. Bryce Marlatt, authorizes the Department of Public Safety to issue an Annual Vehicle Permit to a specific vehicle for the movement of oversize or overweight loads that cannot reasonably be dismantled.

-SB 1231 by Sen. Clark Jolley, creates the Task Force on the Mutualization or Privatization of CompSource Oklahoma.

-SB 342 by Sen. Brian Crain, creates a misdemeanor for electronically scanning bar-coded information on a driver license or identification card.

-SB 431 by Sen. Cliff Aldridge, authorizes boards of county commissioners to establish fines and penalties for offenses in violation of its zoning, subdivision and floodplain regulations.

-SB 796 by Sen. Randy Brogdon, prohibits transitional living facilities that house sex offenders or persons convicted of a capital offense from locating within 2,500 feet of a public or private school, state training house or residential neighborhood.

-SB 812 by Sen. Gary Stanislawski, modifies the Consumer Protection Act, adding definitions of “credit reporting agency,” and “business”.

-SB 833 by Sen. Brian Bingman, requires state agencies to develop an energy efficiency and conservation plan and to designate a person to implement the plan.

-SB 887 by Sen. Patrick Anderson, creates the Uniform Foreign-Country Money Judgments Recognition Act.

-SB 909 by Sen. Mike Mazzei, modifies language related to the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act, and states that an establishment qualified to receive incentive payments for 10 years may receive income tax credits if it is qualified to receive such credits and pays an average annualized wage that equals or exceeds the average state wage.

-SB 938 by Sen. Mike Mazzei, creates the 21st Century Quality Jobs Incentive Act, allowing qualified establishments to apply to the Department of Commerce to receive quarterly incentive payments for 15 years.

• The House General Conference Committee on Appropriations approved a number of appropriations measures on Monday.

Tuesday, May 19

• The Senate approved the following bills on Tuesday:

-SB 844 by Sen. Cliff Branan, prohibits the practice of producing an indelible mark or figure on the human eye by scarring or inserting a pigment.

-SB 828 by Sen. Bryce Marlatt, directs the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to promulgate rules promoting the fair and orderly development of wind generation electric facilities.

-HB 1474 by Rep. Jason Murphey, repeals language related to the annual compensation for the labor commissioner.

-HB 1489 by Rep. Dale DeWitt, modifies the apportionment of gross production tax revenue by removing the sunset date for apportionment of revenue to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board Rural Economic Action Plan Water Projects Fund.

-HB 1707 by Rep. David Derby, sets the maximum fine limits for controlled dangerous substance possession and sets a period of time for completion of court imposed probationary terms for record expunging.

-HB 1949 by Rep. Chris Benge, extends a one-time tax credit for investments in qualified clean-burning motor vehicle property.

-HB 2067 by Rep. Skye McNeil, creates the Oklahoma Community Economic Development Pooled Finance Act.

-HB 2252 by Rep. Randy Terrill, strikes a provision allowing for Spanish-language driver license examinations.

-HJR 1041 by Rep. Chris Benge, proposes a constitutional amendment related to the appointment of judges.

-SB 878 by Sen. Mike Johnson, authorizes the attorney general to charge an examination fee for review and approval of revenue bond or note proceedings and sets limits for the amount of the fee for review and approval of revenue bond or note proceedings and sets limits for the amount of the fee based on the amount of the bonds or notes.

-SJR 27 by Sen. Patrick Anderson, proposes a constitutional amendment increasing from 13 to 15 the membership of the Judicial Nominating Commission.

• The Senate General Conference Committee on Appropriations approved numerous budget measures and the following substantive legislation on Tuesday:

-SB 658 by Sen. Cliff Aldridge, increases the penalty for failure to register a transferred vehicle from 25 cents per day to $1 per day.

-SB 702 by Sen. Susan Paddack, adds kidnapping to the list of crimes for which 85 percent of any sentence must be served.

-SB 726 by Sen. Don Barrington, directs the termination of local firefighter pension and retirement boards of participating employers of the Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement System by Dec. 31, 2009.

-SB 749 by Sen. Clark Jolley, allows school district bonds to be used for perpetual or continuous district software license agreements.

-SB 826 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, increases the penalty for assisting a minor in participating in, associating with or joining a criminal street gang.

-SB 1033 by Sen. John Sparks, creates a felony for persons wrongfully injuring or removing any cervidae on the premises of a farmed cervidae facility.

-SB 1064 by Sen. Don Barrington, adds cell phones and other small electronic communication devices to the list of items that individuals are prohibited from bringing into any jail or state penal institution, and increases the penalty from a misdemeanor to a felony.

-SB 1175 by Sen. Mike Mazzei, creates the Oklahoma Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund Security Act.

-SB 1032 by Rep. Jason Murphey, creates the Oklahoma State Government Modernization Act of 2009.

• The House met Tuesday, approving numerous appropriations measures and the following substantive measures:

-HB 2013 by Rep. John Wright, directs the Department of Public Safety to adopt rules for an online verification system for motor vehicle liability policies.

-SB 643 by Sen. Glenn Coffee, grants the state Legislature control of all space in the west wing of the state Capitol building’s second floor that is occupied by the Supreme Court and all space in the north wing of the second floor that is occupied by the Court of Criminal Appeals.

-HB 1055 by Rep. Doug Cox, adds to the list of actions that constitute an unfair claim settlement practice under the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act.

-HB 1057 by Rep. Larry Glenn, updates reference from the State Department of Agriculture to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.

-HB 1097 by Rep. David Dank, creates a nine-member Task Force for the Study of Transferable Tax Credits.

-HB 1575 by Rep. Gary Banz, modifies the disbursement of awards through the State Board of Education’s Academic Achievement Award program and makes some monetary awards uniform.

-HB 1736 by Rep. Ron Peters, provides definitions for “personal home care assistant” and “private duty agency” within the Home Care Act.

-HB 2149 by Rep. Don Armes, creates the Agriculture Evidence and Law Enforcement Fund for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture.

-HB 2176 by Rep. Jason Nelson, subjects non-appropriated state agencies to penalties for failing to file a report under the Oklahoma Program Performance Budgeting and Accountability Act.

-HB 2246 by Rep. Randy Terrill, modifies language related to referendum and initiative petitions.

-SB 2 by Sen. Jay Paul Gumm, authorizes the Oklahoma Tax Commission to design and issue “In God We Trust” license plates.

-SB 313 by Sen. Brian Bingman, extends the gross production tax exemption on oil and gas from horizontally drilled wells.

-SB 597 by Sen. Jay Paul Gumm, permits law enforcement officers to transport individuals to mental health facilities in another state.

-SB 800 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, directs the Secretary of State to publish in at least one newspaper of general circulation a notice of an initiative petition filing and the sufficiency or insufficiency of the petition.

-SB 353 by Sen. Andrew Rice, creates the Volunteer Health Care Services Act.

-SB 432 by Sen. Ron Justice, increases from 65 cents to $1 per ton the semiannual inspection fee that a fertilizer distributor must pay to the State Board of Agriculture.

-SB 487 by Sen. Susan Paddack, includes volunteers at a federally recognized community health center under the Governmental Tort Claims Act.

-SB 1181 by Sen. Clark Jolley, modifies the Oklahoma Pharmacy Act, requiring the Board of Pharmacy’s executive director to someone who is a licensed pharmacist in the state.

• The House General Conference Committee on Appropriations approved numerous budget measures on Tuesday.

Wednesday, May 20

• The Senate approved the following bills on Wednesday:

-HJR 1014 by Rep. Leslie Osborn, proposes a constitutional amendment to prohibit the Legislature from making expenditures for any function of government using a predetermined formula of any kind.

-SB 216 by Sen. Mike Johnson, appropriates $6.57 billion of state and federal stimulus funds to state agencies, boards and commissions.

-SB 243 by Sen. Mike Johnson, repeals exemptions from aircraft excise tax for aircraft manufactured under an Federal Aviation Administration-Approved certificate.

-SB 411 by Sen. Clark Jolley, increases from 18 to 19 the membership of the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board to include the executive director of the Office of Juvenile Affairs.

-SB 598 by Sen. Patrick Anderson, clarifies the definition of a person requiring treatment in mental health and substance abuse cases.

-SB 610 by Sen. David Myers, creates the Geologic Storage of Carbon Dioxide Act to provide a coordinated statewide program for the transportation and storage of carbon dioxide.

-SB 658 by Sen. Cliff Branan, increases the penalty for failure to register a transferred vehicle.

-SB 702 by Sen. Susan Paddack, adds kidnapping to the list of crimes for which 85 percent of any sentence must be served.

-SB 826 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, increases the penalty for assisting a minor in participating in, associating with or joining a criminal street gang.

-SB 1033 by Sen. John Sparks, creates a felony for persons who wrongfully injure or remove any cervidae on the premises of a farmed cervidae facility.

-SB 1064 by Sen. Don Barrington, adds cell phones and other small electronic communication devices to the list of items that individuals are prohibited from bringing into any jail or state penal institution.

-SB 1175 by Sen. Mike Mazzei, removes language concerning the calculation of unemployment compensation when the Unemployment Compensation Fund is below the amount required to initiate conditional factors.

-SB 1185 by Sen. Don Barrington, modifies the revocation period of driving privileges.

-HB 1032 by Rep. Jason Murphey, requires the Director of Central Purchasing to provide the Office of State Finance monthly a complete listing in electronic format of all transactions occurring with the aid of a state purchase card.

-HB 1097 by Rep. David Dank, creates a nine-member Task Force for the Study of Tranferable Tax Credits.

-HB 1360 by Rep. Marian Cooksey, increases from a misdemeanor to a felony assault or battery on an emergency medical care provider.

-HB 1734 by Rep. Ron Peters, modifies definitions under the Oklahoma Child Care Licensing Act.

-HB 2013 by Rep. John A. Wright, directs the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety to adopt rules for an online verification system for motor vehicle liability policies.

-HB 2149 by Rep. Don Armes, creates the Agriculture Evidence and Law Enforcement Fund for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture.

-HB 2246 by Rep. Randy Terrill, modifies language related to initiative petitions.

-HB 1575 by Rep. Gary Banz, modifies the disbursement of awards through the State Board of Education’s AAA program and makes some monetary awards uniform.

• The Senate General Conference Committee on Appropriations approved the following measures on Wednesday:

-HB 1704 by Rep. David Derby, creates the Oklahoma Information Services Act.

-SB 411 by Sen. Clark Jolley, increases from 18 to 19 the membership of the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board to include the executive director of the Office of Juvenile Affairs.

-SB 1020 by Sen. Jonathan Nichols, prohibits individuals from knowingly transmitting child pornography by the Internet or an electronic, photo-electronic or photo-optical system.

-SB 564 by Sen. Charles Wyrick, includes checks that have been converted into electronic transfer in the definitions of false or bogus checks.

-SB 902 by Sen. Bill Brown, modifies language related to children under age 12 operating water vessels, prohibiting children under age 12 from operating any personal watercraft and removing language allowing operation if accompanied by a person age 16 or older.

-SB 982 by Sen. John Ford, modifies language related to retaining eligibility for the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program.

-SB 1119 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, increases the fees charged by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs for entities registered to manufacture, distribute, dispense, prescribe or administer controlled dangerous substances.

-SB 1170 by Sen. Debbe Leftwich, creates the Gaje Jeffrey Florence Act.

-HB 1834 by Sen. Rebecca Hamilton, makes unlawful female genital mutilation.

-HB 1953 by Rep. Chris Benge, adds certain administrative facilities that provide support, repair and maintenance service activities for the wind industry to the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act.

• The House approved numerous appropriations bills and the following measures on Wednesday:

-HB 1704 by Rep. David Derby, creates the Oklahoma Information Services Act.

-HB 1953 by Rep. Chris Benge, adds certain administrative facilities that provide support, repair and maintenance service activities for the wind industry to the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act.

-HB 1597 by Rep. Charles Joyner, makes it unlawful for anyone to block a door or window during the commission of a crime to prevent or delay the arrival or entry of law enforcement.

-HB 1734 by Rep. Ron Peters, modifies definitions under the Oklahoma Child Care Facilities Licensing Act.

-HB 1032 by Rep. Jason Murphey, requires the Director of Central Purchasing to provide the Office of State Finance monthly a complete listing in electronic format of all transactions occurring with the aid of a state purchase card.

-HB 1483 by Rep. Dale DeWitt, requires the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to give pending in-state applications first consideration over out-of-state applications to ensure all in-state needs are met.

-HB 1360 by Rep. Marian Cooksey, increases from a misdemeanor to a felony assault or battery on an emergency medical care provider.

-SB 929 by Sen. Jim Halligan, modifies language related to ad valorem tax exemptions for manufacturing facilities.

-SB 546 by Sen. Jim Halligan, creates the Therapeutic Recreation Practice Act.

-HB 1737 by Rep. Ron Peters, establishes the Oklahoma School for the Visual and Performing Arts and a board of trustees for the school.

• House Committees took no action on Wednesday.

Thursday, May 21

• The Senate approved the following measures on Thursday:

-HB 2149 by Rep. Don Armes, creates the Evidence and Law Enforcement Fund.

-SB 989 by Sen. Patrick Anderson, establishes incompetency as reason not to serve as administrator and sets procedures for awarding reasonable attorney fees.

-SB 413 by Sen. Bill Brown, expands consumer to include any natural person who is a resident of Oklahoma and any business association, partnership, firm, corporation and its affiliates or subsidiaries.

-HB 2013 by Rep. Kenneth Miller, directs the Department of Public Safety to adopt rules for online verification of liability policies.

-HB 1736 by Rep. Ron Peters, provides requirements for the employment of or contracting with personal home assistants.

-HJR 1014 by Rep. Leslie Osborn, sends to a vote of the people a measure related to the State Legislature’s ability to appropriate monies.

-SB 1182 by Sen. Randy Brogdon, creates the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission.

-SB 658 by Sen. Cliff Aldridge, increases the penalty for failure to register vehicles within a specified time period.

-SB 749 by Sen. Clark Jolley, modifies the definition of “equipment” related to the issuance of bonds for equipment purchases by Oklahoma school districts.

-SB 1185 by Sen. Don Barrington, sets the time period for the cancellation, suspension and revocation of driver’s licenses.

-SB 598 by Sen. Patrick Anderson, modifies the definition of a “person requiring treatment” from the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

-HB 2246 by Rep. Randy Terrill, modifies various provisions of the initiative and referendum process.

-HB 1097 by Rep. David Dank, creates a Task Force for the Study of Transferable Tax Credits.

-SB 1175 by Sen. Gary Stanislawski, creates the Oklahoma Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund Security Act of 2009.

-HB 1032 by Rep. Jason Murphey, creates the Oklahoma State Government Modernization Act of 2009.

-HB 1575 by Rep. Gary Banz, modifies awards granted under the Academic Achievement Award Program.

-HB 1734 by Rep. Ron Peters, licenses certain facilities operated by the Department of Human Services.

• The Senate General Conference Committee on Appropriations approved numerous budget proposals on Thursday.

• The House approved the following bills on Thursday:

-SB 1179 by Sen. Bryce Marlatt, increases application fees to the Board of Chiropractic Examiners.

-HB 1111 by Rep. Kenneth Miller, amends current provisions regarding payroll process for executive state agency employees.

-HB 1468 by Rep. Mike Jackson, modifies definitions related to the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act.

-HB 1737 by Rep. Ron Peters, creates the Oklahoma School for the Visual and Performing Arts.

-SB 929 by Sen. Jim Halligan, provides that payroll requirements be waived for claims previously denied if the applicant meets certain requirements.

-SB 1137 by Sen. Glenn Coffee, creates the Oklahoma Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission.

-HB 1704 by Rep. David Derby, creates the Oklahoma Information Services Act to help maintain technology infrastructure standards.

Friday, May 22

• The Senate approved the following measures on Friday:

-HB 1579 by Rep. Charles Joyner, prohibits the fortifying of a door to delay the entrance of law enforcement officials.

-SB 902 by Sen. Bill Brown, prohibits a child under 12 from operation of a personal watercraft and increases the fine for those who aid child in operation.

-SB 1020 by Sen. Jonathan Nichols, prohibits the transmission of child pornography by internet and increases penalties.
-SCR 32 by Sen. Harry Coates, creates the Task Force on Youth Transitioning into Adulthood.

-SCR 33 by Sen. Glenn Coffee, moves the adjournment of the 1st session of the 52nd Legislature to May 27, 2009.

Other News

• On Tuesday, the Senate recognized an Oklahoma soldier for his service to his country as well as his humanitarian efforts to help needy Iraqi families and those of deployed soldiers. Senate Resolution 41, by Sen. Harry Coates, Don Barrington and Randy Bass, commends Colonel William J. Finley. Finley was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Regular Army in Field Artillery in May 1982. From then until February 2007, he held a variety of artillery position. His most recent position was Brigade Commander for the 2nd Iraqi Army Brigade/3rd Iraqi Army Division in Tal A‘Far, Iraq. In 2007, Finley along with a group of caring Oklahomans in coordination with the Armed Services YMCA in Lawton helped found “Operation: Blankets are OK!”, a charity to provide blankets and other items to the children of deployed Fort Sill soldiers as well as needy children in Iraq.

• The Oklahoma State Senate honored the crew of Apollo X with a resolution commemorating the fortieth anniversary of the first mission ever to achieve lunar orbit. The crew included astronauts, Eugene A. Cernan and John W. Young, along with Weatherford, Oklahoma native, Thomas P. Stafford. Sen. Clark Jolley authored the resolution which was approved unanimously on Wednesday.