The Senate concluded the 2nd session of the 54th Legislature a week ahead of schedule Friday.

President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman said the session was challenging, yet productive, citing many accomplishments passed into law this year, including:

Sens. Josh Brecheen and Anthony Sykes issued the following statements after today’s Senate approval of House Bill 3399. The measure, approved by a vote of 31 to 10, repeals the Common Core standards and prevents federal control over standards and assessments.

Sen. Josh Brecheen, Sen. Anthony Sykes and Rep. Jason Nelson issued the following statements after Tuesday’s Senate vote on HB 3399. The measure, which passed on a vote of 37 to 10, calls for the adoption of new English and math standards created by Oklahomans and prevents direct or indirect federal control over those standards and assessments.

A bill aimed at providing more resources for Oklahoma schools has been approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee. In its current form, House Bill 2642, also known as the “Securing Educational Excellence Fund,” by Sen. Jim Halligan in the Senate and Rep. Lee Denney in the House, would divide current “off the top” funding that now goes to transportation and give half of that amount to public schools.

A bill extending tax incentives credited with creating hundreds of high-paying aerospace engineering jobs in Oklahoma is awaiting Gov. Mary Fallin’s consideration. House Bill 2509, by Sen. Mike Mazzei and Rep. Earl Sears, won final approval by the full Senate on Thursday. Without the legislation, those incentives would expire in 2015. Mazzei said the tax credits have a proven record of creating high-paying jobs in the state.
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A bill requiring current photos of registered sex offenders in the state has been signed into law by Gov. Mary Fallin. Senate Bill 1444, by Sen. David Holt and Rep. Elise Hall, will provide for updated photographs for Oklahoma’s online sex offender registry.

Under the provisions of SB 1444, when sex offenders check in with local law enforcement, which they are already required to do, their photo must be updated if it is more than a year old.
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State Sen. Randy Bass, D-Lawton, issued the following statement on Friday regarding the recent decision by Senate Democrats to name him as their Leader-elect.

“The issue of the horizontal drilling tax is an overriding one this session, especially considering the budget constraints we’re facing. We realize there’s a great deal at stake for everyone at the table, and discussions are ongoing.

The full Senate has given unanimous approval to a measure aimed at protecting the rights of parents to decide how best to raise their children. House Bill 1384, by Sen. AJ Griffin, R-Guthrie, and Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City, is also known as the “Parents Bill of Rights.”
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The Senate Republican caucus has voted unanimously to re-elect Pro Tem Brian Bingman to another term. Monday’s caucus vote means Bingman will be the first Republican in state history to serve three terms as Pro Tempore of the Senate.

On Monday, the Senate honored the work and dedication of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry’s (ODAFF) Investigative Services Division and their Chief Agent, Jerry Flowers. Sen. Ron Justice was joined by Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb in presenting Senate Resolution 69.
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