A measure to save the state Department of Corrections (DOC) thousands of dollars each year was unanimously approved in the Senate Thursday. Senate Bill 1069, by Sen. Don Barrington, would authorize the DOC to deduct the cost of inmate cremations from the individuals’ acquired funds.
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The voting rights of convicted felons in Oklahoma will continue to be suspended for the length of time prescribed in the judgment and sentence, including time on probation or parole. Senate Bill 1307, by Sen. Constance N. Johnson, was defeated earlier this week by the Senate Rules Committee. The bill would have restored felons’ voting rights when they are no longer in prison. Also known as the Oklahoma Restoration of Voting Rights Act, the bill mirrors legislation, S. 2017, introduced by Democrat Senators Richard Durbin of Illinois and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island. read more.

State Capitol, Oklahoma City –Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman issued the following statement Monday following TransCanada’s announcement of reapplication for a Presidential Permit application to complete the Keystone XL pipeline project as well as TransCanada’s intent to proceed with construction of a pipeline from Cushing, Oklahoma to refineries in the Gulf of Mexico. This section of pipeline is projected to create more than one thousand direct jobs in Oklahoma alone.
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Senate Democratic Leader Sean Burrage said funding National Board Certification bonuses for teachers and other critical needs in state government is the right thing to do. His comments followed Tuesday’s vote by Senate members of the Joint Appropriations and Budget Committee in favor of Senate Bill 1959. The $92.5 million funding bill will provide additional dollars needed to meet obligations in a variety of areas, including education and public safety.

Senate members of the Joint Appropriations and Budget Committee have approved a $92.5 million supplemental funding bill for education and public safety, including $5,000 bonuses for National Board Certified (NBC) teachers. Senate Appropriations Chair Clark Jolley thanked committee members for their support of the legislation.

After an emotional debate in the State Senate on Tuesday, members voted to disapprove a plan critics say could cause the deaths of some of the state’s most vulnerable citizens. House Concurrent Resolution 1030, by Rep. Lisa Billy and Sen. Susan Paddack, was an effort to block a Department of Human Services (DHS) proposal the lawmakers said would ultimately force the closure of SORC, the Southern Oklahoma Resource Center, in Pauls Valley.
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State Sen. Mike Mazzei has contacted Broken Arrow Mayor Mike Lester and members of the City Council to voice his opposition to a casino under construction in the Tulsa suburb. The Kialegee Tribal Town, based in Wetumka, plans to open the casino on leased land that is part of a Creek Nation allotment.

Last Thursday, several hundred Broken Arrow residents protested the casino fearing it will lead to higher crime rates. Mazzei said the development has raised numerous red flags, and called on city leaders to do everything in their power to stop the casino from being completed. read more.

Senate Pro Tem Brian Bingman issued the following statement after Wednesday’s announcement that The Boeing Company would close its Wichita facility and relocate 800 engineering jobs to Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma.

“Boeing’s announced relocation of some 800 high-paying jobs to Oklahoma confirms what we already knew; our state has become a magnet for high-profile businesses seeking a pro-jobs climate.

Tulsa Republican Sen. Dan Newberry issued the following statement in response to the announcement Wednesday that the Boeing Company planned to close their Wichita defense plant and relocate some of those jobs to Oklahoma.

State Sen. Tom Adelson said Wednesday’s denial of State Insurance Commissioner John Doak’s request for a waiver to a new federal health law is good news for Oklahoma consumers. Adelson, D-Tulsa, also said it was the latest in a series of actions that show the Commission is more interested in protecting the industry than Oklahoma citizens.

“The State Insurance Commission is supposed to regulate the insurance industry and protect Oklahoma consumers. It appears as though their top priority is protecting the industry they’re supposed to regulate,” Adelson said.