Edmond State Senator Todd Lamb’s pro-life bill passed the Senate Rules Committee Wednesday with a vote of 8-0.

Senate Bill 1878, titled the Freedom of Conscience Act, protects the rights of healthcare providers to refuse to take part in the destruction of human life.

Employees or prospective employees who object to scenarios such as participating in or performing an abortion, stem cell research, or euthanasia, based on their religious conviction or moral code, would be protected under this legislation.

The Oklahoma Senate will soon consider legislation preventing private insurance companies from penalizing critically ill patients who enter clinical trials after a Senate Committee cleared the bill today.

Known as “Steffanie’s Law”, Senate Bill 1521 by State Senator Andrew Rice (D-OKC), passed the Senate Health and Human Resources Committee by a 5-2 vote with State Senator Patrick Anderson (R-Enid) joining all four Democrats on the committee in support.

The Senate Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on Wednesday approved a measure that would establish a misdemeanor for the public playing of obscene music in vehicles.

Sen. Jeff Rabon said he was motivated to file the Legislation after hearing about incidents where families had been exposed to obscene music in public places such as gas stations and parking lots.

The Senate Tourism and Wildlife Committee unanimously passed Senate Joint Resolution 38 by Co-President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee.

Senate Joint Resolution 38 recognizes the inherent right of Oklahoma citizens to hunt and fish.

A bill to give thousands more Oklahoma students the opportunity to earn associates degrees did not get a hearing by the February 21 Senate deadline for committee action on legislation. Sen. Kenneth Corn said the lack of action on Senate Bill 2020 was disappointing, but said he would continue to promote the program in the legislature.

Bass Bill Adds Cost of Books and Fees to Oklahoma’s Promise Scholarship Initiative

A bill aimed at giving greater opportunities for Oklahoma’s school children to realize their dream of a college education won unanimous approval for the Senate budget panel on Wednesday. The measure, called the OHLAP Enhancement Act, by Senator Randy Bass (D-Lawton) is part of the Senate Democratic “Vision for Oklahoma: Opportunity and Responsibility” 2008 legislative agenda.

State Sen. Jim Reynolds’ bill to slow down property tax increases received the approval of the Senate Appropriations Committee Wednesday. It next goes to the full Senate.

Senate Joint Resolution 59 would send to a vote of the people Reynolds’ proposal to cap at 3% the amount that property value assessments can grow each year. Reynolds said the current cap of 5% is too high.

“The number one complaint I hear from my constituents is that their property taxes are growing too fast,” said Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City.

A measure to extend Oklahoma's Back to School sales tax holiday to include more items passed its first hurdle this week. Senate Bill 1149, by State Sen. Don Barrington, adds school supplies, school art supplies and school instructional materials used by students to the list of items already exempt from sales tax during the first weekend in August. Barrington also authored SB 861 that created the sales tax holiday.
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The Thursday arrest of a Lawton man who threatened to bomb schools in Lawton and Chickasha underscores the need to make schools safer for children and staff, Sen. Todd Lamb said Friday.

Lamb is the author of Senate Bill 1941, the Oklahoma School Security Act. The measure includes numerous provisions designed to make educational facilities more secure, reduce school violence and bullying and involve administrators in an effort to make their schools safer. The measure also eliminates the use of schools as polling places.

The Senate Agriculture Committee passed a measure this week to give county commissioners the authority to proclaim burn bans in their counties. Currently, the Governor is the only entity with this power, but Senate Bill 1816, by Sen. Don Barrington and Rep. Don Armes, would change that.
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