Lack of prenatal care for babies and their mothers costs the State of Oklahoma millions of dollars each year and the lives of hundreds of infants. On Thursday, the Senate passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 23, by Sen. Judy Eason McIntyre, to help bring awareness to this growing problem in the state.
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Sexual violence is increasing in Oklahoma and State Senator Andrew Rice is joining with the Oklahoma Coalition Against Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault as well as Take Back the Night: Oklahoma (TBTN) to help raise awareness of the growing epidemic.
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OKLAHOMA CITY – Calling it a “moral imperative” for Oklahoma’s working families, a Democratic senator has introduced legislation to repeal the state sales tax on groceries.

Senator Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant, is the author of Senate Bill 34, which would end collection of the state’s portion of the sales tax on groceries. The state sales tax on groceries is 4.5 cents on every dollar spent at the check-out stand.

Veteran State Senator Kenneth Corn, has filed a series of bills aimed at shoring up Oklahomas Teachers Retirement System (OTRS). He said OTRS, the retirement system for Oklahomas retired educators, is in serious need of an overhaul to save the future of the system and protect the financial future of thousands of Oklahoma teachers.

Oklahomas teachers are the best in the nation, Corn said. They deserve to know when they invest their money into a state retirement account, that money will still be available for them when they leave the classroom.

One of the first official votes in the State Senate in the 2007 session was the unanimous approval of a resolution honoring President Gerald R. Ford, who died this past December at the age of 93. The resolution was authored by Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan and Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee.
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Statement by Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan

“Governor Henry, again today, provided an upbeat outlook on the state of our state, and called on the Legislature put aside partisan differences to keep Oklahoma moving forward.

“The governor unapologetically set new lofty goals for education, health care, public safety and economic opportunity – goals we can accomplish if we put aside partisanship and work together.

A measure that will exempt volunteers who provide transportation services for charitable organizations or not-for-profit corporations from liability lawsuits passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday.

“This bill will provide protection for the volunteers who drive senior citizens to and from hot lunch programs and take them to the grocery store to do their shopping,” said Senator Debbe Leftwich, author of the legislation.
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Legislation to crack down on caller ID spoofing is one step closer to becoming law after winning approval by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. Sen. James A. Williamson is the author of Senate Bill 712, which would create the “Anti-Caller ID Spoofing Act.” Williamson said criminals are using this technology to commit identity theft and other kinds of fraud.
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In an effort to make Oklahoma courtrooms safer, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a measure Tuesday to allow judges to carry firearms while performing their duties.

Senate Bill 145, authored by Senator Brian Crain, would allow for the carrying or use of weapons in courtrooms by district, associate district and special district judges.
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Sen. Kenneth Corn on Tuesday said he plans to call for the creation of a Joint Task Force on Corrections to address lingering problems with Oklahoma’s jails and prisons.

Oklahoma currently has one of the highest per-capita incarceration rates for both men and women. Additionally, a crumbling infrastructure and understaffing in the Department of Corrections places an even greater strain on Oklahoma’s corrections system, Corn said.