The Senate on Wednesday chose the Mexican free-tailed bat an unusual bat with a migratory pattern that has become in a huge tourist attraction for one Oklahoma state park as the official state flying mammal of Oklahoma.

This is really a tourism bill, said Sen. Owen Laughlin, R-Woodward, author of Senate Bill 1678, which recognizes the Mexican free-tailed bat, also known as Tadarida brasiliensis, as the states flying mammal. The Selman Bat Cave out by Alabaster Caverns State Park is a great tourist attraction.

SB 1030 would build 800 MHZ Statewide Emergency Communication System

A bill to ensure school-age victims of violence have a greater say in limiting contact with their attacker is headed to the full Senate for consideration. Sen. Charlie Laster is author of SB 1597 which has now won approval from the full Senate.

Legislation by Sen. Jonathan Nichols would create a “Zone of Safety” around the children who attend daycare centers in Oklahoma, making it illegal for sexual predators to live within 2,000 feet of a licensed daycare facility. Senate Bill 1708, by Nichols, R-Norman, passed unanimously in the Senate on Wednesday.

“This bill will provide additional protection for our children when we drop them off at daycare centers in the morning,” said Nichols. “We need to make sure that these predators can’t live near these facilities or be around these facilities.”

State Sen. Kathleen Wilcoxson said Oklahomans can soon take advantage of legislation to encourage the purchase of long-term care insurance—that’s after the recent passage of a federal law authorizing such programs.

In 2004, Wilcoxson authored legislation to help Oklahomans meet their long-term care needs without being forced into poverty. Wilcoxson said the idea was to encourage more Oklahomans to plan ahead for long-term care.

State Senators voted Wednesday to raise the annual operational grants for Oklahoma’s 874 rural fire departments to $5,000. Senate Bill 1735 by Senators Jeff Rabon and Frank Shurden on a 46-0 vote

“Rural firefighters have been nothing short of heroic as they’ve battled the wildfires that have ravaged our state for the last four months. By increasing the operational grants, we are giving our rural fire departments additional resources that will allow them to be better equipped should the devastation we’ve faced this year repeat itself in the future,” Rabon said.

The full Senate has given overwhelming approval to a bill to curb the increasing flow of illegal immigrants into Oklahoma. State Sen. Kenneth Corn, said because the federal government has failed to adequately address the problem, Oklahomans have turned to the State Legislature for help.

State Senator Debbe Leftwich, chair of the Business and Labor Committee wants to update one of Oklahoma’s estate tax law to include collateral heirs.

On Tuesday, the full Senate approved SB 1391 which Leftwich, (D-Oklahoma City) authored. It would modify the current law and allows collateral heirs to have the same exemptions that lineal heirs have.

Under current law, lineal heirs have an exemption of up to $1 million on estate taxes, but there is no exemption for collateral heirs.

A measure creating a back-to-school sales tax holiday passed off the Senate floor Tuesday and is headed for the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

Senate Bill 1665 by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Jay Paul Gumm was approved by a 42-5 vote. The measure is part of the Senate Democrats “Agenda to Empower the Middle Class” and is supported by Governor Brad Henry.

An original painting depicting the first president of the University of Oklahoma was unveiled in the Oklahoma State Senate today. Painted by Norman artist Mike Wimmer and sponsored by OU President David Boren, his wife, Molly Shi Boren, and Senator Cal Hobson, the original artwork portrays David Ross Boyd planting one of the first trees on the university campus.