The full Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday approved a measure that would remove language requiring the Board of Equalization to certify three percent growth in the General Revenue Fund before appropriating $50 million to the Rebuilding Oklahoma Access and Driver Safety (ROADS) Fund.

Sen. Kenneth Corn, Senate author of House Bill 2551, said passage of the bill would fulfill a funding commitment to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and allow the state to make a more substantial investment to improve the condition of roads and bridges.

The Oklahoma State Senate recognized Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chad Smith and his wife Bobbi on Thursday with a standing ovation. Smith, along with several other members of the Cherokee Nation were there as part of the 8th annual Cherokee Nation Legislative Day at the State Capitol.

Sen. Jim Wilson, D-Tahlequah, introduced Smith and credited him and the Cherokee Nation for partnering with the state on a variety of projects including education, healthcare and transportation.

In response to the recent independent truckers strike protesting the increasingly high cost of fuel, state Senator Kenneth Corn has filed a resolution requesting that the President open the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for increased sales. Senate Concurrent Resolution 64 also calls upon Congress to formulate a national energy policy and investigate the profits of energy industries.

Corn said the President should open the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to counterbalance high costs and reduce the risk of further strikes and economic hardship.

The full Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday approved a measure to strengthen penalties for assaulting a pregnant woman. House Bill 1897 would allow felony charges to be filed against a person who assaults a woman and causes her to miscarry.

Senate author Debbe Leftwich noted that domestic violence is the number one cause of death for pregnant women and that the state has a responsibility to address this tragic problem.

State Sen. Harry Coates said he was appalled that Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, was “gaveled down” during a House committee hearing on legislation to make English the “official” language of Oklahoma.

“The Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation was not allowed to share his concerns about the legislation and was treated badly,” said Coates, R-Seminole. “I believe he should have been given the courtesy of expressing his views in what is supposed to be the people’s house.”

Bingman, author of roads and bridges bill, says with $10 billion backlog in maintenance and potential to lose $127.5 million in currently scheduled construction projects lawmakers have made transportation a priority this year with the passage of HB 3342

State Capitol, Oklahoma City—In response to recent criticism, Senator Brian Bingman said there is room in the state budget to fund both transportation and education at adequate levels. Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee thought so too when they passed Bingman’s House Bill 3342 today with a 16-0 vote.

Legislation to require day care providers to carry liability insurance has cleared its first major hurdle in the State Senate. House Bill 2863, called Demarion’s Law, was approved unanimously by the Senate Rules Committee on Wednesday.

The state Senate on Tuesday honored Army Staff Sergeant Chris Hake of Enid, who was one of four U.S. soldiers killed on Easter Sunday when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq.

Hake was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq with the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, where he served as a Squad Leader.

Senate Resolution 68 was authored by Sen. Patrick Anderson to honor Hake’s contributions to his country and the state of Oklahoma.

Rice hopeful for bill’s future after unanimous committee passage

A bill aimed at battling food insecurity in Oklahoma moved one step closer to bringing needed relief to the state’s hunger crisis with a unanimous, bipartisan vote in the Senate Finance Committee today, according to Sen. Andrew Rice.

A “puff-piece” profile of the lawmaker leading the fight against “Nick’s Law,” the autism insurance bill, reveals his true intentions, according to Senator Jay Paul Gumm.

The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) distributed a profile of Rep. Ron Peterson, R-Broken Arrow. The profile lauds the lawmaker’s “courage” for blocking even consideration of Nick’s Law when it arrived in the House of Representatives, noting Peterson’s defense of “free enterprise.”