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Oklahoma Senate
The State Senate has given unanimous approval to a measure banning a potentially deadly new way of downing alcohol—Senate Bill 663 would forbid anyone to sell, buy, furnish, manufacture or possess an alcohol inhalation device.
Senator Jonathan Nichols is principal author of the measure. He said the use of devices to inhale alcohol is a fad that’s been seen in bars and clubs in other parts of the nation. He worries people unfamiliar with alcohol inhalers may not realize they can be extremely dangerous.
Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee reminded legislative leaders Thursday that the deadline to pass the state funding bill for public schools is next Wednesday, March 16.
“The ‘Fund Education First’ deadline is less than a week away, so it is imperative that the Senate and House work quickly to meet the deadline,” stated Coffee, R-Oklahoma City. “I have every confidence that Chairman Morgan and Chairman Benge will reach an a bipartisan agreement and that we will pass education funding by March 16.”
read more. A measure to ensure the safety of Oklahoma’s children received approval from the Senate today. Senate Bill 618, authored by Mary Easley, creates the “Dustin Rhodes CPR Training Act,” which would require two employees at every school to receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) instruction each year.
The Democrat from South Tulsa authored the legislation following the tragic death of Dustin Rhodes in the school cafeteria. The boy started choking on a piece of bread, and while teachers and staff tried to help the child; they were not properly trained in CPR.
A bill to help bring computer child pornographers to justice is now making its way through the House of Representatives. State Senator Cliff Branan, R-OKC, is principal author of SB 513 which has already won unanimous approval in the Senate. He explained the measure is similar to a law requiring photo labs to report child porn pictures they find while processing film.
Thursday, Senator Daisy Lawler toured the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Laboratory in Oklahoma City and was not pleased at the conditions of the lab. The Chairman of Senate Agriculture Committee, Lawler, (D-Comanche) was on site to demonstrate the agency’s need for a new lab facility after filing legislation to build a new laboratory in Oklahoma City and expand and renovate the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.
A mother and legislator, Senator Debbe Leftwich authored and gained passage of Senate Resolution 25, declaring Thursday April 28th “Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day” in Oklahoma.
The resolution was unanimously adopted by the full Senate on Monday.
Statement by Senate President Pro Tempore Cal Hobson
“I’m encouraged by what I have seen of Governor Henry’s plan so far and I remain convinced we will be able to reach a workable solution in the coming weeks.
“I continue to believe that to reduce workers’ compensation rates we have to focus on the big ticket item of healthcare, which accounts for more than half of the overall cost of the system.
“Further, we must encourage increased workplace safety and do all we can to root out and punish fraud by employers as well as employees.
Senate President Pro Tempore Cal Hobson announced Monday that passage of the Higher Education Bond Issue legislation will be his first priority when the First Session of the Oklahoma Legislature convenes Monday.
Hobson said he has asked Majority Floor Leader Ted Fisher to assign the bill to the Senate Appropriations Committee and has asked Appropriations Chairman Mike Morgan and Education Sub-Committee Chairman Johnnie Crutchfield to hear the bill as soon as possible.
“It’s my goal to have the full Senate consider the bill in February,” Hobson said.
State Senator Debbe Leftwich, D-OKC, and House Speaker Pro Tempore Susan Winchester, R-Chickasha, have announced plans to form a caucus for women serving in the Oklahoma Senate and House of Representatives.
Sen. Leftwich, a former chair of the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women, said she was excited about having a legislative coalition for women to focus on issues important to Oklahoma families.
State Senator Mike Mazzei is honoring a promise he made last fall—if elected, he would contribute 20 percent of his first term’s salary to the schools in his district. The Tulsa Republican will make his first check presentation to the Bixby Public School Foundation later this month.
