State Sen. Jonathan Nichols said cold cases involving some of the worst crimes in Oklahoma will now have a better chance of being solved. Nichols praised Gov. Brad Henry for signing Senate Bill 1102, also known as “Julie’s Law” on Wednesday. The legislation, written by Nichols, R-Norman, would add new misdemeanor crimes to those that can result in the harvesting of DNA. The DNA would only be collected upon conviction of those crimes.
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On Wednesday, the State Senate honored one of America’s heroes, Colonel Perry Bill Woolridge. Sen. Earl Garrison, Woolridge’s nephew, authored Senate Resolution 58 commending the Oklahoman’s military career which spanned five decades and included service in both the U.S. Army and the Oklahoma National Guard.
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Gov. Brad Henry signed legislation Wednesday that will help the children and spouses of military personnel killed in action further their education. Senate Bill 721, by Sen. Don Barrington, will allow Oklahomans to donate part or all of their income tax refund to the Folds of Honor Scholarship Program.

The Oklahoma State Senate approved House Joint Resolution 1014 late Wednesday, which prevents outside interests groups from mandating certain government funding and allows for taxpayer dollars to be spent efficiently and a budget to be balanced in a bipartisan fashion.

The Senate has given final approval to a measure aimed at reducing drunk driving in Oklahoma. Sen. Don Barrington, R-Lawton, is the principal author of Senate Bill 1185. The measure allows those convicted of drunk driving on a second or subsequent offence to retain their license if they agree to install an ignition interlock device on their vehicle. This device prevents the vehicle’s engine from starting if the driver is intoxicated.
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The Senate gave final approval to legislation late Wednesday night to ban cell phones from prisons. Sen. Don Barrington is author of Senate Bill 1064 and says keeping cell phones out of prisons will make them safer.

In an effort to safeguard Oklahoma’s water resources, the State Senate voted unanimously to support House Bill 1483.

State Sen. Jim Reynolds said he was extremely disappointed that Oklahomans have been denied the opportunity to vote to slow increases on their property taxes. Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, said despite the fact that Senate Joint Resolution 5 was approved earlier this session by both the Senate and the House, it is unlikely that the measure will be sent to the Secretary of State to be placed on the ballot.
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The State Legislature did its part in reforming the tag agency patronage system by giving bipartisan support to Senate Bill 888. The Governor will now decide the outcome of such reform.

Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee applauded Governor Henry’s signing of HB 1603 – the comprehensive lawsuit reform bill which passed both houses of the legislature by a wide margin last week.

“We’ve spent years in working toward making this day a reality,” said Coffee. “The significance of this day cannot be understated. We made history a week ago by passing this legislation in the Senate and House, and the governor’s assent to our work today is very gratifying.”