A juvenile justice task force recommendation for a study on the facilities that house youthful offenders won't be heard in the legislature this year--that's after a House committee failed to hear the measure for the study.

The measure, House Bill 2915, was authored by Rep. Danny Morgan, D-Prague and Sen. Nancy Riley, R-Tulsa. Riley said there are three state-run juvenile facilities, including the Rader Center in Sand Springs which is in her district.

Some children in Oklahoma are still not safe from sexual predators even after their attackers have been tried, convicted and served their time in prison, said Sen. Charlie Laster, author of an amendment that would prevent convicted child molesters from moving back into the home where their victims live.

“Believe it or not, there’s nothing on the books right now to prevent the perpetrator from serving his time and then going right back into the same home where the child victim lives,” said Laster, D-Shawnee. “This would fix that.”

A measure that would have removed State Senators from the process of appointing County election board secretaries in Oklahoma died in the State Senate Monday when Republicans refused to reconsider an earlier vote on Senate Bill 1032.

All 22 Republican Senators voted against a motion by Senator Kenneth Corn to reconsider the vote on the bill, which had failed in the Senate on a 19-23 vote on March 9. Reconsideration is an often used procedure that allows a second vote on a measure.
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Counties acknowledging the immense historical significance of the Ten Commandments would have the support of the Oklahoma Legislature if challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), according to legislation by Sen. James Williamson that was approved by the Senate on Monday.

State Senator David Myers is once again working to ensure that more governmental entities have access to the Sex Offender Registry. The legislator is author of Senate Bill 1707 which will require that the Registry be provided to the state Commissioner of Health for distribution. The measure passed unanimously today in the Senate.
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State Senator David Myers is once again working to ensure that more governmental entities have access to the Sex Offender Registry. The legislator is author of Senate Bill 1707 which will require that the Registry be provided to the state Commissioner of Health for distribution. The measure passed unanimously today in the Senate.
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SB 1748 Outlaws the Sale of Cell Phone Records

The full Senate has given its approval to a measure to strengthen state retirement systems. Sen. Mike Mazzei, R-Tulsa, is author of Senate Bill 1894. While the legislation would apply to the retirement systems for teachers, public employees and judges, Mazzei said there’s a particular concern about the Teachers Retirement System of Oklahoma (OTRS), which is only 49 percent funded.
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The full Senate has given its approval to what would be the most substantial income tax cut in the history of Oklahoma. Senate Bill 2022, authored by Sen. Scott Pruitt seeks to lower the rate from 6.25 percent to 4.9 percent. He said the measure would be a great victory for Oklahomans that would allow them to keep more of their hard-earned dollars.
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State Senator Constance N. Johnson says the African-American Centennial Plaza to be built at the State Capitol will reflect and honor Oklahoma’s rich African American history.

On Tuesday, the full Senate passed Senate Bill 1919, co-authored by Johnson, (D-Oklahoma City) and Rep. Jabar Shumate, (D- Tulsa), which expresses the Senate’s support for the creation of the plaza.

The bill now goes before the House for consideration.

The plaza will be built on grounds south of the State Capitol and will be completed in May 2007.