The Oklahoma State Senate honored the life, accomplishments and musical talent of Oklahoma native B.J. Thomas Wednesday.

"The one thing that struck me while looking on his website and through all the information about him is that he always lists Hugo, Oklahoma as his hometown. Wherever he’s gone and whatever he’s accomplished throughout this world it’s always been Oklahoma," said Senator Jeff Rabon, author of Senate Resolution 8. "And I thought we've got to show that we love our favorite sons and daughters, and we've got to get them back here to show them our appreciation."

The Senate Rules Committee passed a measure Wednesday declaring animal waste as nonhazardous. Sen. Ron Justice, author of Senate Bill 709, said the measure was necessary because not doing so would be detrimental to the agriculture industry.

State Sen. Debbe Leftwich on Tuesday withdrew a measure that was before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senate Bill 662 would have restored the right of employees to choose their own physician after being injured on the job.

“This is something that was taken away as a part of the worker’s compensation reform bill passed in the 2005 special session,” Leftwich said. “My constituents still are frustrated and upset about this change. The problem is, if we’d taken it to a vote in committee and lost, under the new Senate rules it would have been dead for two full years.”

Republican leaders of the Oklahoma State Senate commented on revisions to revenue estimates adopted by the Board of Equalization Tuesday for the upcoming 2008 fiscal year.

“While we are pleased to see the Equalization Board lower its estimate of new money available for the Legislature to appropriate, we remain concerned that the estimates may continue to paint too rosy a picture because of the national economic climate and overspending by previous Legislatures,” stated Senate Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City.

The authors of a “back-to-school” sales tax holiday bill say they are pleased the Senate Finance Committee unanimously approved the measure Tuesday.

Senate Bill 861 is sponsored by Republican Senator Don Barrington from Lawton and Democratic Senator Jay Paul Gumm of Durant. The measure would enact a “back-to-school” sales tax holiday on the same days as the Texas holiday.

The Senate Judiciary Committee has given approval to a measure that would clarify how Oklahoma law defines child neglect. Senate Bill 790, by Senator Debbe Leftwich, was approved on Tuesday. Leftwich, D-Oklahoma City, said the legislation is supported by the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth and is designed to close a loophole in the statutes that can prevent neglect charges from being filed against parents, even when their lack of supervision is the cause of a child’s death.

A significant reduction in the amount of revenue expected to flow into state coffers in Fiscal Year 2007 signals a need for a Constitutional amendment that will help stabilize the state budget, a veteran State Senator said Tuesday.

When the State Board of Equalization certified the final FY 2008 revenue projections Tuesday, the estimate of funds available for the coming fiscal year was about $270 million less than the amount the board initially certified in December.

A measure providing a permanent dedicated funding source for the Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship program was approved by the Senate Finance Committee Tuesday and is headed for the floor of the Oklahoma State Senate.

“This bill will make certain that every student who qualifies for an Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship will receive it,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan, author of the measure. The legislation is part of the 2007 legislative agendas of the Senate Democrats’ and Governor Brad Henry.

The full Senate has given its support to a bill aimed at protecting the custody rights of deployed military parents. Sen. Randy Bass is the author of Senate Bill 158 which was approved unanimously by the Senate on Monday. The measure would postpone child custody proceedings until after a parent serving in the military had returned from deployment.

"The people who serve our country do so at tremendous sacrifice to themselves and to their families,” said Bass, D-Lawton. “They need our support, and they need laws that are supportive of them as well.”

The Senate Education Committee passed legislation Monday to protect teachers and school employees from facing lawsuits for doing their jobs. The legislation had been blocked by Senate leaders in past years, but it received a committee hearing this year thanks to the Senate’s new 24-24 tie.

Senate Bill 1024, authored by Republican Floor Leader Owen Laughlin, received a “do pass” recommendation from the committee on a bipartisan 9 to 5 vote. The committee is evenly divided with 7 Republicans and 7 Democrats.