Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman issued the following statement Tuesday in response to the passage of Senate Bill 1062, the Administrative Workers’ Compensation Act, in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The legislation was passed on an 8-2 vote and now heads to a floor vote before the full Senate.
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Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman issued the following statement after Tuesday’s State Equalization Board meeting. According to the final certification, slightly more than $7 billion in revenue will be available for state budgeting in fiscal year 2014, which represents an increase of $212.6 million over fiscal year 2013.
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The Senate Agriculture Committee approved legislation Monday to allow citizens more flexibility in selling certain products made in the home directly to consumers. Senate Bill 920, by Sen. Ron Justice, would create the Oklahoma Cottage Food Law.
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The Senate Finance Committee has given approval to legislation that would ultimately lower the state income tax rate from 5.25 percent to 4.75 percent. The measure was approved on a nine to three vote on Tuesday. Senate Bill 585 by Sen. Mike Mazzei, R-Tulsa, and Sen. Rick Brinkley, R-Owasso, would be fully effective in tax year 2015.
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The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday approved legislation that would help the state retain and attract major events. Senate Bill 976 would expand the number of events that qualify under the Oklahoma Quality Events Incentive Act.

The Act gives communities a portion of any incremental sales tax increase generated by an event, for use in the recruitment, promotion and retention of high-value events.

Sen. Dan Newberry, author of SB 976, said expansion of the Quality Events Incentive Act would pump millions of dollars into the state’s economy. read more.

The Senate Appropriations Committees approved Senate Bill 576 Wednesday to change how school district funding is calculated. Currently, school districts can use the highest weighted average daily membership (ADM) of either of the previous two years, or the first nine weeks.

Under SB 576, beginning with the 2014-2015 school year, school districts could only use the previous year or first nine weeks’ weighted ADM for the purposes of calculating the State Aid formula.
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As Oklahoma struggles with one of the worst droughts in the state’s history, Sen. Ron Justice has filed legislation to provide the agriculture community with financial assistance in emergency drought conditions. Senate Bill 996, which was approved Wednesday by the Senate Appropriations Committee, would create the Emergency Drought Protection Special Fund.
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In a year where almost 2,500 bills were introduced in the Oklahoma Legislature, one bill, Senate Bill 310, aims to shrink the Oklahoma statute books. On Wednesday, the Senate Rules Committee passed SB 310 by a 15-4 vote, taking the first step toward creating a “Spring Cleaning Commission” for the state of Oklahoma.
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OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Connie Johnson has been appointed to serve as Chair of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators’ (NBCSL) Health Committee for 2013-2014. Sen. Johnson was appointed by NBCSL President Joe Armstrong of Tennessee because of her extensive work in the area of health care at the annual conferences where she regularly introduces resolutions addressing issues important to American’s health. Over the years, Sen. read more.

The full Senate is the next stop for a bill creating two pilot programs to help Oklahoma National Guardsmen returning from duty with either Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Sen. Brian Crain, Chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee won passage for Senate Bill 527 in Senate Appropriations on Wednesday. He said the University of Oklahoma would administer the programs.
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