New state employees would be able to utilize a portable 401(k)-style retirement plan under legislation passed in the state Senate on Wednesday. Senate Bill 2120 will move state employees hired after Nov. 1, 2015 away from the traditional defined benefit to a defined contribution plan, similar to the private sector.

A portrait of the late Pearl Carter Scott, one of the country’s youngest pilots and a former Chickasaw legislator, will now grace the walls of the Oklahoma State Capitol following the unveiling ceremony Wednesday in the House of Representatives. The portrait, painted by Oklahoma artist Christopher Nick, was a gift of the Chickasaw Nation, Governor Bill Anoatubby and Rep. Ray McCarter, Ed.D.
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The Senate Public Safety Committee passed legislation Thursday barring cell phone use in Oklahoma school zones.

Senate Bill 1601 makes it illegal for anyone operating a motor vehicle to use a wireless communications device in a school zone. The bill does not apply to cars that are stopped, drivers who are using hands free devices or specifically-listed emergency calls.

The state Senate today approved legislation that would allow a monument to the Bill of Rights to be placed on the grounds of the State Capitol.
Sen. Patrick Anderson, author of Senate Bill 1159, said the proposal was a unifying project signifying the importance of the individual freedoms enshrined by the Bill of Rights.
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Today, Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman filed legislation that keeps the promise of tax reduction to Oklahoma citizens made by the Legislature and governor last year.

Senate Bill 1246 would reduce the state’s income tax rate from 5.25 percent to 5 percent as soon as Oklahoma’s fiscal environment returns to the level it was last year when the agreement was first reached.

The full Senate has given bipartisan, unanimous approval to a measure that would prohibit registered sex offenders from legally changing their names. Senate Bill 1421, by Sen. Kyle Loveless, was approved on Wednesday on a vote of 44-0.
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The Senate today passed legislation that would lower the state’s income tax rate to below 5 percent if the state’s economy continues to improve.

The full Senate voted 40-0 Thursday in favor of legislation requiring advance notice before state parks can be closed. Sen. Jerry Ellis presented SB 1959 both in committee and on the floor. The measure, authored by Sen. Sean Burrage, D-Claremore, and co-authored by Ellis, D-Valliant, would require the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department to notify local governments before closing any state park, parkland or public recreation facility within the state agency’s jurisdiction.
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Sen. Patrick Anderson has filed legislation that would allow Oklahoma voters to reduce the size of the Legislature by 101 members. Senate Joint Resolution 43 would send to a vote of the people a constitutional amendment creating a unicameral Legislature consisting of 48 legislators.

Transitioning to a unicameral Legislature would reduce costs, while providing increased transparency and procedural openness, Anderson said. The Nebraska Legislature has operated as a unicameral body with just 49 legislators since 1937.
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Sen. Ralph Shortey today said any potential increase in tax rates on horizontal drilling would have an adverse effect on the energy industry, and economic growth in Oklahoma.

A tax incentive establishing a one percent tax on horizontal wells is set to expire in 2015, and would rise to seven percent if allowed to sunset. Shortey said that if lawmakers are truly committed to creating a more pro-growth environment in Oklahoma, they must continue working to eliminate barriers to development like higher taxes and excessive regulation.
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